U.S., Sept. 22 -- Airbus has billed its trio of hydrogen propulsion concept aircraft as aviation 'game changers' as the European manufacturer strives to develop the world's first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035.
The three ZEROe designs - a classic commercial aircraft with longer more flexible wings, a turboprop with six-bladed propellers and revolutionary blended wing body - would be powered by modified gas-turbine engines that burn liquid hydrogen as fuel.
They also use hydrogen fuel cells to create electrical power that complements the gas turbine, resulting in a highly efficient hybrid-electric propulsion system. Each option has a slightly different approach to integrating the liquid hydrogen storage and distribution system....