Kawasaki Heavy Industries announced that it conducted an operating test of a small aircraft engine fueled entirely by hydrogen at the Noshiro Rocket Testing Center, achieving both stable operation and low NOx emissions with a new combustor. The test applied micromix combustion technology and will lead to future ground demonstrations.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries conducted an operating test of a small aircraft engine equipped with a new combustor and fueled entirely by hydrogen at the Noshiro Rocket Testing Center, confirming stable combustion and thrust generation. The engine was evaluated across a series of operating conditions from startup through shutdown.
The new combustor applies micromix combustion technology developed for power-generation gas turbines. It is designed to reduce NOx emissions by distributing hydrogen among numerous microflames for combustion, thereby suppressing localized high temperatures. Kawasaki Heavy Industries also successfully tested 100% hydrogen operation in 2024, and said this was the first confirmation in Japan of both stable operation and low NOx emissions.
The test was conducted as part of NEDO's Green Innovation Fund Project. It is expected to lead eventually to ground demonstration testing of an integrated hydrogen aircraft system comprising the airframe, engine and fuel tank. Specific NOx emissions and the reduction rate have not been disclosed.