Airbus unveils ZEROe Hydrogen-powered aircraft

Airbus unveils ZEROe hydrogen-powered zero-emission commercial aircraft,
to be operational by 2035!

Airbus recently announced its ambition to develop the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035.

To bring this vision to reality, Airbus is exploring game-changing concept aircraft—known as ZEROe—powered by hydrogen, a disruptive zero-emission technology with the potential to reduce aircraft emissions by up to 50%.

Above: Turbofan- two hybrid hydrogen turbofan engines provide thrust. The liquid hydrogen storage and distribution system is located behind the rear pressure bulkhead.

At first glance, the three recently unveiled Airbus “concept” aircraft offer little more than a sense of déja vu. One looks remarkably similar to a classic commercial aircraft—except with longer, more flexible wings. One resembles a turboprop-powered airliner with its arrangement of six-bladed propellers. And the third is a “blended-wing body,” a revolutionary design that has seen some traction among engineers over the last year.

But upon closer inspection, the trio features one game-changing difference compared to predecessors: hydrogen propulsion.

Turboprop: Similar to the turbofan aircraft, this concept’s liquid hydrogen storage and distribution system is located behind the rear pressure bulkhead. However, two hybrid hydrogen turboprop engines, which drive the six-bladed propellers, provide thrust.

Glenn Llewellyn, Airbus VP, Zero-Emission Aircraft, explains:

“As recently as five years ago, hydrogen propulsion wasn’t even on our radar as a viable emission-reduction technology pathway. But convincing data from other transport industries quickly changed all that. Today, we’re excited by the incredible potential hydrogen offers aviation in terms of disruptive emissions reduction.”

Blended-Wing Body (BWB): This configuration features an exceptionally wide interior, thereby opening up multiple options for hydrogen storage and distribution. In this example, the liquid hydrogen storage tanks are stored underneath the wings. Like the turbofan aircraft, two hybrid hydrogen turbofan engines provide thrust.