VIDEO. Airbus will test a hydrogen engine on the A380 in Toulouse for its future zero-emission plane

“It’s a historic day for aviation,” said Jeff Knittel, President of Airbus Americas, launching a new partnership in favor of hydrogen aircraft. Airbus and the engine manufacturer CFM International, a joint company between the French Safran and the American General Electric, have formalized a technical partnership to test a hydrogen engine. This prototype engine, which will be a derivative of the classic “GE Passport” engine, will be installed on the fuselage of the very first A380 aircraft bearing the serial number MSN1.

The superjumbo based in Toulouse which was used for the first flight tests of the A380, for its certification but also for the certification of the engines of the A350 will be equipped with this new propulsion unit. Will also be installed on the main deck four tanks capable of storing 400 kilos of liquid hydrogen at the rear of the aircraft and a brand new fuel distribution system. “We chose the A380 to conduct these tests because the aircraft offers a very useful space which facilitates the installation of all this equipment” explained Sabine Klauke, Airbus’ technical director.

First flight end of 2026

The A380, a real flying hydrogen demonstrator, will therefore have to undergo major modifications to accommodate these new technologies, including a modification of the cockpit to allow test pilots to control and monitor the new engine and its power as well as the fuel tanks. on the back of the device. The first ground tests of the engine in several configurations are planned at CFM International for 2023. Then will follow the structural modifications of the aircraft to mount the engine with a first flight expected at the end of 2026. During the ground or flight tests, Hundreds of sensors will capture data to monitor engine, combustion, consumption, emissions, etc. They will be transmitted to the ground during flights thanks to telemetry.

“Of course we have a lot of work ahead of us but we don’t see anything technically insurmountable.” reassured Gaël Meheust, the general manager of CFM International. Among the most impressive modifications is the vaporization of hydrogen. Stored in liquid form at a temperature of -253°, the hydrogen must be transformed into a gaseous state before being sent into the combustion chamber of the engine, which will be profoundly modified for the occasion. General Electric, a member of CFM, has already accumulated an experience of eight million hours of testing in the combustion of hydrogen which makes Mohamed Ali, general manager of the engineering division of GE Aviation, say that “we don’t start from zero!

The investments to develop these “technological bricks” are “significant” but have not been revealed either by Airbus or by CFM International. Airbus aims to bring into service in 2035 a zero-emission aircraft in accordance with the announcements made in September 2020 while the aeronautical industry was plunged into the health crisis.