GKN Aerospace, Marshall, and Parker Aerospace will collaborate under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore liquid hydrogen fuel system solutions for the next generation of zero-emission aircraft.

Hydrogen propulsion, whether through fuel cells or combustion, is a pathway for the aviation industry to achieve its ambitious goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

The liquid hydrogen fuel system to be developed jointly by Marshall, GKN Aerospace and Parker under this MoU will be capable of supporting both hydrogen electric and combustion applications. In developing the system, Marshall, GKN Aerospace and Parker will combine their extensive experience in the design, testing, certification and manufacture of novel fuel systems for aerospace applications.

By working alongside Marshall and Parker, who have deep expertise in fuel systems, we can accelerate the development of the technology building blocks required for a complete hydrogen propulsion system for mid-range aircraft. This partnership, combined with our other industry-leading collaborations, is a significant step towards a sustainable future for aviation.

—Russ Dunn, CTO GKN Aerospace

The proposed liquid hydrogen fuel system collaboration will benefit significantly from the ongoing UK Aerospace Technology Institute-funded, GKN Aerospace-led, H2GEAR program (earlier post), which will ground test a scalable hydrogen electric fuel cell propulsion system in 2025.

The intent is to bring the complete scalable fuel system and propulsion system together in a single flight test bed environment before the end of the decade. At the Paris Air Show in June, GKN Aerospace signed a collaboration MoU to explore an integrated flight demonstration of the end-to-end system.

Initial studies suggest that such a system could support a wide range of aircraft, including commuter planes (under 19 passengers), business jets and regional aircraft (up to 100 passengers). Scalability of the system for larger narrow-body aircraft is currently being studied.