MTU Aero Engines and MT Aerospace develop fuel system for liquid hydrogen
21 June 2023
MTU Aero Engines and aerospace company MT Aerospace are jointly developing a complete liquid hydrogen fuel system for commercial aviation. The partners announced the project today at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget. The first application will be MTU’s Flying Fuel Cell. (Earlier post.)
The two companies began jointly developing the LH2 fuel system for commercial aviation applications about three years ago. The system consists of tanks, sensors, heat exchangers, valves, safety and control systems. The first system will be tested at MT Aerospace in Augsburg by the end of the year.
The experts at the aerospace company are responsible for the cryogenic hydrogen storage and supply system, additively manufactured heat exchangers, sensors and system integration.
The safety system, control system and valve technology are all part of MTU’s work package, as well as the overall systems leadership. All of the work is done in close collaboration with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in order to fulfill the certification and safety-related requirements.
Starting in 2035, the MTU fuel cell will be used on shorter routes in the shuttle and regional aviation sector. As its efficiency improves, it will then also fly short and medium-haul routes and further reduce the climate impact of commercial aviation.
With some minor modifications, the LH2 fuel system that is currently being developed for the FFC could also be used for direct hydrogen combustion in aircraft engines.
—Barnaby Law, Chief-Engineer Flying Fuel Cell of MTU Aero Engines
Quite a decent article here on regulatory barriers to retrofitting for hydrogen:
https://www.hydrogeninsight.com/transport/in-the-air-by-2027-zeroavia-tests-show-it-could-fly-60-passengers-900km-on-hydrogen-powered-plane/2-1-1471050
' ZeroAvia is hoping to put the ZA600 into commercial operation on a retrofitted aircraft by 2025 — a delay of two years on its original target of 2023 — which puts it neck and neck with US-based Universal Hydrogen to deliver the first commercial hydrogen-power passenger flight
Universal Hydrogen has twice tested its H2 fuel-cell technology on a 40-passenger aircraft this year, and aims to bring a retrofitted aircraft into commercial operation by 2025.'
And:
' In fact, getting a new type of aircraft engine into commercial service usually takes ten to 15 years.
Bernard van Dijk, a former flight operations engineer and now an academic and aviation expert with the Hydrogen Science Coalition, warned that some airlines will take longer to get their technology past regulators than they expect — even if they are retrofitted.
“For retrofitted aircraft, the EASA [European Union Aviation Safety Agency] distinguishes between major and minor modifications,” he explained to Hydrogen Insight. “A major modification [would have] an appreciable effect on the airworthiness of an aircraft, like mass of the aircraft, centre of gravity location, structural strength, reliability and operational characteristics — which is the case when retrofitting an aircraft with a hydrogen propulsion system.”'
Posted by: Davemart | 21 June 2023 at 02:05 AM