Airbus’ decarbonization process continues (literally) with wings spread. The company’s ZEROe roadmap makes a stop on hydrogen, and with the “Blue Condor” program it now intends to study in detail the composition of contrails produced in flight by hydrogen-powered aircraft.
The test involves launching two suitably modified Arcus-J gliders: the first with a conventional kerosene-powered jet engine, the second with a hydrogen-powered unit, to compare the contrails emitted by the two thrusters at high altitudes.
The test at the end of the year
Specifically, the Acrus-J glider features a wingspan of 20 meters. The jet one is powered by a retractable PBS TJ-100 engine to optimize self-launch, while the hydrogen one uses a turbojet engine powered by two 700-bar hydrogen tanks.
The test will take place in late 2022 in the skies over North Dakota. Piloting the gliders will be men from the same team that set the world subsonic altitude record for a glider of 23.2 km in 2018. Recording the data from the two gliders will be a third aircraft on which sensors developed by the German Aerospace Center will be mounted.
By 2035, the airliner
Airbus’ goal is to put the first zero-emission aircraft into service by 2035. An important and at the same time complex goal. That is why studying the composition of the contrails produced by a hydrogen-powered aircraft is so important.
This is not the only “sustainable” project Airbus is working on. To better understand the contrails produced by sustainable aviation fuels, the European manufacturer is conducting several experimental programs, most notably the ECLIF3 (Emission and Climate Impact of Alternative Fuels) and VOLCAN (VOL avec Carburants Alternatifs Nouveaux) projects
