Toulouse. The aerospace company Airbus has presented three concepts for hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft. The company believes its approach, called “ZEROe,” is “extremely promising” and sees it as “likely a solution for aerospace and many other industries” to meet their climate goals, said Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury.
Accordingly, a turbofan design for 120 to 200 passengers with a range of over 2.000 nautical miles (3.700 kilometers) that could be used transcontinentally would burn hydrogen instead of conventional fuel in a modified gas turbine engine. 
The liquid hydrogen is stored and distributed via tanks in the wings. Another configuration for 100 passengers could cover more than 1.000 nautical miles for short-haul flights. In the “Blended Wing Body” for 200 passengers, the wings merge with the main body of the aircraft. The range is also around 200 nautical miles. The wide fuselage offers “numerous options for hydrogen storage and distribution as well as cabin layout.”
These concepts would help “research and mature the design and layout of the world’s first climate-neutral, zero-emission commercial aircraft, which we aim to put into service by 2035,” said Guillaume Faury. To address these challenges, airports would require extensive hydrogen transport and refueling infrastructure to meet the demands of daily operations. However, Fury calls for “support from government and industry partners” to “use renewable energy and hydrogen on a large scale for the sustainable future of the aviation industry”. This includes increasing funding for research and technology to understand the mechanisms and promote the renewal of aircraft fleets so that airlines can phase out older, less environmentally friendly aircraft sooner.
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https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2020/09/airbus-reveals-new-zeroemission-concept-aircraft.html
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Airbus wants to research hydrogen engines for aircraft / © Airbus
