Hydrogen-powered auxiliary flight energy trial planned by Airbus
Airbus UpNext, a pioneering unit of Airbus, is set to revolutionize the aviation industry with its innovative HyPower hydrogen fuel cell system. The demonstrator program, scheduled to take place by the end of 2025, will explore a new architecture for the generation of non-propulsive energy through the use of hydrogen fuel cells.
The flight test campaign, a significant step in Airbus UpNext's decarbonisation journey and ZEROe programme, will utilize a modified Airbus A330. The demonstrator will replace the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) of an A330 with a hydrogen fuel cell system.
Shifting Energy Generation to Hydrogen
The HyPower fuel cell system is designed to shift part of the aircraft's energy generation from conventional engines and the APU to a more efficient, low-emission hydrogen-based power source. The key aim is to rebalance the energy system on board by using hydrogen fuel cells to provide electrical power, which traditionally comes from the APU or engine-driven generators.
Impact on Energy Balance
- Supplement or Replace APU/Engine-Driven Power: HyPower fuel cells can take over the role of the APU or reduce the load on engines that generate electrical power, effectively decoupling electrical power generation from the combustion engines.
- More Efficient Energy Use: By producing electrical energy directly from hydrogen, the system can improve the overall efficiency of power generation on the aircraft.
- Integration with Existing Systems: The fuel cell system integrates with the aircraft’s electrical distribution, allowing a hybrid architecture where hydrogen fuel cells handle part of the electric load, reducing reliance on fuel-burning systems.
Expected Benefits
- Emissions Reduction: Hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity with water vapor as the only direct emission, eliminating CO2, NOx, and particulate emissions from the APU and engine-driven generators during electrical power production.
- Noise Reduction: Fuel cells operate silently compared to gas turbines used in APUs. This leads to significantly lower noise emissions during ground operations (when APUs are primarily used) and potentially during flight if the system can reduce engine power demands.
- Improved Efficiency and Lower Fuel Burn: Reducing APU usage lowers overall fuel consumption since APUs typically burn jet fuel inefficiently. This can decrease overall aircraft fuel burn resulting in lower CO2 emissions indirectly.
- Support for Sustainable Aviation: The system supports the use of green hydrogen, produced from renewable energy, advancing the aviation industry’s sustainability goals and reducing dependency on fossil fuels.
The flight test will involve climbing to 25,000 ft and flying for one hour with 10kg of gaseous hydrogen on board. The Spanish Government and external partners are key enablers for the series of tests. The new technology aims to contribute to maturing the safety and operations of future hydrogen-powered aircraft.
The demonstrator program will involve both ground and flight testing. Airbus UpNext will procure a production unit for renewable hydrogen to meet the entire need for the test campaign. The flight test campaign is part of Airbus UpNext's efforts to contribute to the development of sustainable aviation solutions using hydrogen fuel cells.
- In the realm of environmental-science and technology, Airbus UpNext's HyPower fuel cell system is intended to introduce hydrogen as a clean, low-emission energy source in the aviation industry, supplementing or even replacing the traditional power sources in aircraft.
- By integrating hydrogen fuel cells into the space-and-astronomy of aviation, this novel technology aims to reduce emissions, improve efficiency, and support sustainable practices in the industry, culminating in a greener approach to climate-change mitigation.
