Hydrogen reaction engine

There are three types of hydrogen engines:

• reaction engine;
• internal combustion engine;
• an engine that combines a fuel cell with electricity.

Principle and use of the hydrogen reaction engine

Reaction engines that use hydrogen as a propellant are used in rockets. In these engines, dihydrogen in liquid form, together with liquid dioxygen, is injected into a combustion chamber. There, the two propellants burn violently and are accelerated and ejected at high speed through a tailpipe, creating a propulsion force.

These reaction engines are used in aeronautics and astronautics, especially during lift off of rocket launchers such as Ariane 5.