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A “blended-wing body”design (up to 200 passengers) concept in which
the wings merge with the main body of the aircraft with a range
similar to that of the turbofan concept. The exceptionally wide
fuselage opens up multiple options for hydrogen storage and distribution, and for cabin layout.
“These concepts will
help us explore and mature the design
and layout of the world’s first climate-neutral, zero-emission
commercial aircraft, which we aim to put into service by 2035,” said
Guillaume Faury. “The transition to hydrogen, as the primary power
source for these concept planes, will require decisive action from
the entire aviation ecosystem. Together with the support from
government and industrial partners we can rise up to this challenge
to scale-up renewable energy and hydrogen for the sustainable
future of the aviation industry.”
In order to tackle these challenges, airports will require
significant hydrogen transport and refueling infrastructure to meet
the needs of day-to-day operations. Support from governments will be
key to meet these ambitious objectives with increased funding for
research & technology, digitalisation, and mechanisms that
encourage the use of sustainable fuels and the renewal of aircraft
fleets to allow airlines to retire older, less environmentally
friendly aircraft earlier.
Note to editors: To evaluate and validate these new concept
aircraft and assess whether they could be matured into viable future
products, Airbus will be focusing its efforts on a number of
technological pathways. Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer,
Jean-Brice Dumont, EVP Engineering and Glenn Llewellyn, VP Head of
Zero Emission Aircraft, will reveal Airbus' technology roadmap for
2020-2025 at 14:00 CEST, 21 September 2020 during a virtual event on
Airbus social media channels.
Utfyllende fra CNN: London (CNN Business)Airbus has
unveiled its plans for bringing the world's first zero-emission commercial aircraft into service by 2035. Boeing's (BA) European rival on
Monday revealed three concepts that will explore different options for
using hydrogen as a primary source of power to fly planes. "This is a historic moment for the commercial aviation sector as a
whole and we intend to play a leading role in the most important transition
this industry has ever seen," Airbus (EADSF) CEO Guillaume Faury
said in a statement. Faury said that hydrogen, both in synthetic fuels and as a primary
power source for commercial aircraft, has the potential to "significantly
reduce aviation's climate impact." Airlines and planemakers are facing growing pressure to tackle carbon
emissions, with some governments tying climate crisis goals to coronavirus bailout packages. The pandemic has plunged aviation into its worst ever slump and is
expected to accelerate the shift towards renewable forms of energy, as governments use the opportunity
to promote a green recovery. Illustrasjonen øverst over Airbus ZEROe turbofan design. The global aviation industry has committed to
cutting emissions to half their 2005 levels by 2050. In order to do this, the
sector will need to rapidly reduce its reliance on crude oil-based jet fuel and
turn increasingly to sustainable aviation fuels. But these are as yet largely
untapped and much more expensive than conventional fuels. Supply is also a challenge. In 2019, airlines used about 340 billion
liters of jet fuel, whereas only about 50 million liters of sustainable
aviation fuels were produced, Robert Boyd, who heads alternative fuels at the
International Air Transport Association, recently told CNN Business. The move by Airbus (EADSY) could mark a
significant step towards making sustainable aviation fuels commercially viable.
The company estimates that hydrogen has the potential to reduce aviation's
carbon emissions by up to 50%. The three ZEROe concepts unveiled by the planemaker include a turbofan,
a turboprop and blended-wing body design. Illustrasjonen i midten Airus ZEROe turboprop design. The turbofan design would carry 120 to 200 passengers with a range of
over 2,000 nautical miles. It will be powered by a modified gas-turbine engine
running on hydrogen, rather than jet fuel, through combustion. The turboprop design would carry up to 100 passengers and would be
capable of traveling more than 1,000 nautical miles, making it suitable for
short-haul trips. A blended-wing body design would carry up to 200 passengers.
The wings would merge with the main body of the aircraft, which has a range
similar to that of the turbofan. Illustrasjonen nederst Airbus ZEROe blended-wing body design. Airbus expects that it will take three to five years to select a
concept for development, executive vice president of engineering Jean-Brice
Dumont said Monday during a briefing streamed on the company's social media
channels. It expects to invest "billions" in the project, added Glenn
Llewellyn, vice president of zero-emission aircraft. Llewellyn said that Airbus
has already started working with airlines, energy companies and airports.
"This is going to create a massive change in the energy and aviation
ecosystem," he said. The transition to hydrogen will require "decisive action from the
entire aviation ecosystem," Faury said. For example, airports will require
significant hydrogen transport and refueling infrastructure. Government support will also be needed, including increased funding for
research and technology, as well as mechanisms that encourage the use of
sustainable aviation fuels and prompt airlines to replace less environmentally
friendly planes earlier. The European Commission is considering requiring airlines to use a
minimum amount of sustainable fuels as part of proposals to reduce
the environmental damage caused by aviation. Without
regulatory intervention, consumption of sustainable aviation fuels is projected
to increase from 0.05% of the total jet fuel demand currently to just 2.8% by
2050, it said in a recent assessment.
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