Post by bonnasuttadhar225588 on Feb 15, 2024 7:28:04 GMT
The sustainability of Rolls-Royce advances, the luxury car brand, owned by the BMW group, in alliance with easyJet - a British airline - has confirmed a new milestone in aviation, after successfully completing the first ground test of a modern aeronautical engine that runs on hydrogen fuel, according to Business Green . Although the British automaker is known for its luxury cars, building and servicing jet engines is currently Rolls-Royce's main line of business. Therefore, its link with easyJet could be a global step for the transition to alternative and less polluting fuels in the aviation industry. Sustainable aviation According to both companies, the test carried out on land is of an initial demonstration prototype that uses green hydrogen created from wind and sea energy. What they noted as a “breakthrough to demonstrate that hydrogen could be a carbon-free aviation fuel of the future.” The rehearsal took place outdoors at Boscombe Down, a British military installation in Wiltshire. A converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine was used, typically used to power turboprop aircraft.
Turboprop engines are used to drive a propeller for short-haul flights at lower speeds, rather than the fan needed for faster speeds in jet engines. “The UK is leading the global shift towards guilt-free flying, and today’s trial by Rolls-Royce and easyJet is an exciting demonstration of how business innovation can transform the way we live our lives.” Grant Shapps, UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Congo Email List Strategy. Rolls-Royce sustainability advances The aviation sector faces one of the toughest tests of any industry to decarbonize - that is, move away from fossil fuels and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 - to avoid a climate catastrophe of rising temperatures to more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The main reason for the above, according to The Guardian , is that while alternative energy sources exist for most forms of transportation, the demand for energy density requirements for aircraft rules out current battery technology options for everyone. trips, except the shortest ones. Therefore, the industry has been betting on hydrogen as an alternative source, which only produces water when burned, although many analysts have serious doubts about whether it could ever be viable for longer journeys.
For her part, Grazia Vittadini, Rolls-Royce's chief technology officer, sees with joy the success of the hydrogen test for the company's zero-emissions plans. “We are pushing the boundaries to discover the zero-carbon possibilities of hydrogen, which could help reshape the future of flight.” Fuel alternatives for sustainable aviation A growing number of operators are exploring the potential of hydrogen as a fuel source that could one day enable zero-emission commercial flights. Although electric aircraft are emerging as an option for short-haul, small-scale aircraft, larger jet aircraft are expected to require alternative fuels, with hydrogen considered one of the most likely options. As with other sectors, aerospace companies and airlines are increasing investment and collaboration in R&D (research and development) projects designed to develop a range of zero- emission aircraft. However, the push to develop zero-emission aircraft faces enormous technical and infrastructure challenges and, as such, environmental activists continue to demand that governments take more immediate action to curb aviation emissions by reducing demand for flights.