CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines, has signed a partnership agreement with Airbus to collaborate on a hydrogen demonstration program that will take flight around the middle of this century.
The program’s goal is to test a hydrogen-powered direct combustion engine on the ground and in the air in preparation for a zero-emission aircraft to enter service by 2035. Using a flying testbed equipped with liquid hydrogen tanks from Airbus facilities in France and Germany, the demonstration will take place. As part of the hydrogen propulsion system development, Airbus will oversee flight testing and provide the A380 as a platform for hydrogen combustion engine testing while the aircraft is in cruise mode.
Boeing’s GE Passport turbofan will be converted to run on hydrogen by CFM International (CFM). Because of its size, advanced turbo machinery, and fuel flow capability, the engine was chosen for this program. It will be attached to the back of the flying testbed’s fuselage, allowing the emissions of the aircraft’s engines, including contrails, to be monitored separately. In preparation for the A380’s flight test, CFM will carry out a comprehensive set of ground tests.
As Airbus signed the Air Transport Action Group goal in October 2021 to achieve aviation industry net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, CFM shares Airbus’ goal of developing and testing the technology necessary to make zero emissions aircraft a reality within the aggressive timeline defined.
CFM and its parent companies, GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines, have had a long-standing relationship with Airbus, and the two companies have a proven track record of delivering high-performance products to airlines.
