GKN Aerospace launches £44M project to develop 2MW cryogenic hydrogen-electric propulsion system
22 July 2024
GKN Aerospace has launched H2FlyGHT, a £44-million project to develop a 2-megawatt (MW) cryogenic hydrogen-electric propulsion system, setting new standards for the future generation of larger sustainable aircraft.
Building on the successes of the H2GEAR project, H2FlyGHT introduces advanced thermal management solutions to enhance efficiency and performance.
H2FlyGHT is designed to streamline the path to flight testing and certification, meeting customer needs and industry standards. The project will demonstrate an integrated propulsion system at the 2 MW scale including fuel cell power generation, cryogenic power distribution, and advanced cryogenic drive systems.
GKN Aerospace is collaborating with industry and academic partners to achieve the ambitious goals of H2FlyGHT:
Parker Meggitt: Collaborating on thermal management and ‘balance of plant’ for the fuel cell system, ensuring comprehensive system integration and performance.
University of Manchester: Focusing on hyperconducting motor coil design, pushing the boundaries of motor technology.
University of Nottingham: Supporting full motor design and scale-up and cryogenic inverter technology development, essential for developing high-power, efficient propulsion systems.
The H2FlyGHT project marks a pivotal step in our quest to enable aviation’s route to netzero. Building on H2GEAR’s innovations, we are scaling up to 2 MW propulsion system demonstration to maximize the payload and range potential of zero emission flight. Collaborating with our partners, we aim to streamline the path to flight testing and certification, supporting the industry’s move to commercialize sustainable hydrogen platforms by the mid-2030s.
—Russ Dunn, CTO of GKN Aerospace
GKN Aerospace is actively engaged in multiple major collaborative projects—H2GEAR, HYFIVE and H2FlyGHT—aimed at developing a comprehensive zero-emission hydrogen-electric propulsion system. These initiatives represent a substantial combined investment of approximately £200 million in sustainable technology.
https://www.gknaerospace.com/innovation/hydrogen-technologies/
'When we began H2GEAR, we believed a 19 passenger variant would be manageable, but scaling Hydrogen Electric Propulsion technology for larger aircraft would be considerably more challenging. Less than 18 months into the programme, we can see a route to 48 passenger, 96 passenger and potentially larger aircraft within the next two decades.'
And:
' One interesting concept is a 48 passenger zero emission regional aircraft. Our trade studies indicate that with a GKN liquid hydrogen fuel system, fuel cell power system, optimised electrical network and cryogenic motor drive technology, this 48 passenger concept would have a range of 934 nautical miles (covering about 99.9% of turboprop routes and about 90% of the regional jet market*). The aircraft would have zero CO2 emissions and zero NOx emissions, the only by-product would be water. Contrails, which can form when moisture is ejected from an aircraft, would be mitigated with a GKN smart venting system. A low noise electrical fan module would deliver lower noise pollution compared with an equivalent kerosene powerplant.'
They seem to think the biggest hassle is:
'One of the key challenges for Hydrogen Electric Propulsion systems is thermal management. Fuel cell based systems are not able to reject the vast majority of waste heat into the exhaust stream in the same way that gas turbines do. Technologies that enable heat to be efficiently dissipated or utilised, without adding excessive drag or mass to the aircraft, are essential.
Improving the intrinsic efficiency of the fuel cells, along with the integration of GKN’s cryogenic motor drive, and cryogenic electrical network technologies, contributes significantly to mass reduction of the overall system.'
This sort of development is why I try not to adopt a too rigid view on technologies, as theories are all very well, but you don't really know until you suck it and see.
Things develop unexpectedly in all sort of directions, good and bad.
I had thought that early mid range aircraft using hydrogen would probably use a turbine, but GKN themselves seem pleasantly surprised by fuel cell progress, although it is far from done and dusted that they will manage it.
Airbus is certainly looking at this very carefully as they work on their designs for regional aircraft using hydrogen for the mid 30's.
Posted by: Davemart | 22 July 2024 at 02:39 AM
https://zeroavia.com/klm-plan-zero-emission-demo-flight/
' – ZeroAvia and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines today announced that they will work towards a demonstration flight using ZeroAvia’s ZA2000 zero-emission, hydrogen-electric engines for large regional turboprop.
Hydrogen-electric engines use hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity, which is then used to power electric motors to turn the aircraft’s propellers. The only emission is low-temperature water vapor, with studies therefore estimating an up to 90% reduction in climate impact when compared with typical kerosene-fueled flights.[1]
As a first major target milestone, the companies aim to conduct an initial A-to-B flight demonstration between two airport locations in 2026. As well as identifying the optimal airport pair, immediate workstreams will be working towards regulatory permits to fly and ensuring supply of liquid hydrogen fuel and putting in place the supporting infrastructure for aircraft fueling.
With this collaboration, KLM and ZeroAvia are providing the evidence-base for adoption of cleaner flight on KLM’s network. Furthermore, the demonstration project will accelerate the development of concepts of operations for hydrogen aircraft across the EU. '
This is using liquid hydrogen and fuel cells, they hope high temperature ones.
Progress in hydrogen flight is astonishingly rapid, unlike the ludicrous battery VTOLs and the impossibility of actually providing SAF in vast quantity economically and without disastrous ecological consequences.
Posted by: Davemart | 24 July 2024 at 11:25 AM