What will hydrogen planes look like?
Reducing climate change is a global challenge that includes commercial aviation, which accounts for approximately 2 to 3% of human-induced CO2 emissions1. Consumers worry about the impact of flying on climate change. The “flight shaming” movement is gaining momentum, #flightshaming hashtags are multiplying on social media, and investors are concerned about the effects on airline valuations.
Airlines are responding by committing to reducing carbon emissions. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represented 82% of global air traffic before the COVID-19 pandemic and is composed of 290 airline members, agreed by consensus to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. “Net-zero” emissions are when human activity no longer causes global warming. It means balancing the greenhouse gases (including CO2) put into the atmosphere and those taken out. This resolution aligns with the Paris agreement, an international treaty on climate change adopted by 196 parties at COP 21, to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
According to Pratt & Whitney, “Larger civil airliners produce 98% of the CO2 from global fuel consumption.”2 To significantly reduce aviation carbon emissions, larger aircraft (single-aisle & widebodies) must go green.
Burning hydrogen (H2) generates water and steam, making it a sustainable option compared to kerosene. However, its “usage requires a complete rethinking of the architecture, design, and conception of aircraft,” explains Yves Gourinat3, a researcher in structural dynamics and promoter of new structural architectures. First, the aircraft fuel tank will have to be much bigger than the ones used for kerosene because of the low volumetric energy density of hydrogen, even in a liquid state. Second, liquid H2 must be stored at a very low temperature (-253°C).
The flying wing constitutes the most promising architecture for a hydrogen-powered aircraft because of its storage capacities and ability to meet other requirements. Airbus has an ambitious objective to develop the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035 and is exploring the Blended-Wing Body4. So if you look up in the sky, do not be surprised if you spot a futuristically shaped plane.
1 Source: World Economic Forum, Shaping the Future of Mobility, 20222 https://www.aerosociety.com/news/turning-aviation-green/ 3 https://www.futura-sciences.com/sciences/actualites/avion-hydrogene-avion-decarbone-changera-nos-habitudes-voyage-73099/ 4 https://www.airbus.com/en/innovation/zero-emission/hydrogen/zeroe