Airbus announced its Zero E program in late September, showing three possible candidates for hybrid hydrogen power. Zero E, for zero emissions, is a tall order even for one of the world’s two largest aircraft companies. Now, the company makes yet another announcement – for a novel modular “pod” configuration – “a stand-alone propeller propulsion system powered by hydrogen fuel cells. It consists of the following elements:” A propeller Electric motors Fuel cells Power electronics LH2 tank A cooling system A set of auxiliary equipment Instead of housing the hydrogen fuel in the fuselage, Airbus creates a more spacious cabin by moving fuel storage to each pod. Each pod would be identical and modular. Components could be removed and replaced quickly, and if necessary, the entire pod could be removed for maintenance. One startling possibility, that of dropping a pod if it caught on fire, would probably not be well received in areas of dry forests or brushland. Liquid hydrogen …
