The firm is working with partner easyJet to develop hydrogen combustion engine technology capable of powering a range of aircraft from the mid-2030s onwards.

It said it completed tests on a full annular combustor of a Pearl 700 engine, which was running solely on hydrogen fuel. The test proves that the fuel can be combusted at conditions needed to achieve maximum take-off thrust.

The engine used newly developed fuel spray nozzles to allow for precise control over the combustion process.

“This involved overcoming significant engineering challenges as hydrogen burns far hotter and more rapidly than kerosene,” Rolls-Royce said.

The nozzles, which were tested at Loughborough University’s recently upgraded National Centre for Combustion and Aerothermal Technology (NCCAT), were able to control the flame position using a new system that progressively mixes air with the hydrogen to manage the fuel’s reactivity.

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