Rolls-Royce is to start trials of an engine that runs on hydrogen ahead of its possible use in business jets by the middle of the next decade, it will announce at the Farnborough Airshow, which starts today.
Combustion tests are already underway and the plan is to switch to ground testing shortly, according to the engineer.
“Rolls-Royce is planning a comprehensive series of rig and engine tests to prove the fuel can safely and efficiently deliver power for small-mid size aircraft from the mid-2030s onwards.”
It will run tests on its existing Pearl 15 jet engines which currently power Bombardier (TSX:BBD.B) 16-seater business jets.
“We are making real progress on the hard yards of research and development towards making Net Zero flight a reality,” said Chris Cholerton, head of Rolls-Royce civil aviation.
Derby-based Rolls is also expected to announce this week that tests will start soon on a prototype of its UltraFan engine, which has been designed to be up to 25% more efficient than its current Trent engines.
The demonstrator has a fan diameter of 140 inches, the biggest size viable for the widebody aircraft sector, UltraFan chief engineer Andrew Geer told Reuters at Rolls' headquarters.
The technology could be scaled down for other programmes, he added, for example, if it re-enters the narrowbody plane market.
Geer said UltraFan was a platform for a range of technologies rather than a single engine with innovations such as carbon titanium blades and run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel from Air BP - which uses vegetable oils instead of fossil fuels.
Though with Boeing and Airbus scaling back production due to the impact of the pandemic real-world use realistically will be some years away, said the engineer