GKN Aerospace has launched H2FlyGHT, a £44 million project by industry and academic partners to develop a 2-megawatt cryogenic hydrogen-electric propulsion system, setting new standards for the future generation of larger sustainable aircraft. Building on the successes of the H2GEAR project and closely linked to other efforts of the HyFIVE Consortium, H2FlyGHT introduces cutting-edge thermal management solutions to enhance efficiency and performance. Designed to streamline the path to flight testing and certification, 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.
Several partners are collaborating to achieve a set of ambitious goals:
- 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 through its research in superconducting propulsion motors.
- 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,” said Russ Dunn, CTO of GKN Aerospace which serves as project leader. “Building on H2GEAR’s innovations, we are scaling up to 2 MW propulsion system demonstration to maximise 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 commercialise sustainable hydrogen platforms by the mid-2030s”
Tracy Rice, VP of technology & innovation for Parker Aerospace, said “H2Flyght is another key building block towards the Hydrogen Aircraft and carbon-free aviation. Together with our partners, leveraging our UK footprint and our great engineering capabilities, we are committed to develop the right technologies to enable net-zero emissions by 2050”
Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the business segment of Parker Hannifin in April joined the HyFIVE consortium of industry and academic partners developing a world-leading liquid hydrogen fuel system and supply chain supporting zero-emission aviation in the 2030s. In addition to Parker Aerospace, HyFIVE includes fellow industry partners Marshall and GKN Aerospace, as well as academic partners University of Manchester, University of Bath and Cardiff University.
The objective of the consortium is to develop, test and validate a modular and scalable cryogenic hydrogen fuel system architecture appropriate for multiple types of aircraft, and support of hydrogen electric propulsion or hydrogen combustion powertrains. The initiative will address technology development for hydrogen fuel systems in five key areas: storage, conveyance, indication, fueling and venting.
Consortium members have defined a full technical program spanning several years, from initial architecture development and supplier engagement to ground testing and final design review for the integrated fuel system.
By 2027, the consortium plans to:
- Develop and validate an integrated family of mature fuel system technologies and capabilities conducive to certification.
- Conduct ground demonstration of an integrated fuel system encompassing the storage, conveyance, indication, venting and fueling systems.
- Open a range of flight demonstration and exploitation paths with prospective customers.
- Develop a customer-ready supply chain and industrialization strategy.
The timely achievement of these objectives will support the successful introduction of a new generation of zero-emissions aircraft in the 2030s.
“Parker is fully committed to sustainability, which is why we are making focused investments in innovative, next-generation technologies,” said Rice. “Hydrogen fuel systems play a critical role in achieving zero emissions in aviation and working with our partners on this project will enable us to further advance our expertise in this area and drive the development of innovative solutions that support a more sustainable future.”
Gary Elliott, Chief Executive of the Aerospace Technology Institute said: “Hydrogen has a strong potential to power the next-generation of sustainable aircraft, and hydrogen fuel cells are a key part of the ATI’s Destination Zero strategy and zero-carbon emission roadmap. We are pleased to co-fund and support the H2FlyGHT project, led by GKN Aerospace, which builds on other projects in the ATI Programme portfolio, such as HyFive and H2GEAR. H2FlyGHT will accelerate the fuel cell technology to flight readiness and take us an important step closer to realising the vision of hydrogen-powered flight.”
Two years ago, The H2GEAR program passed a milestone by completing its first round of system level trade studies. The studies focused on propulsion system architecture and subsystem technology selection for hypothetical 19, 48 and 96 PAX concept aircraft. Work to date shows that GKN Aerospace’s developments in the fuel cell system integration, combined with hyperconducting power network and motor drive systems, will enable hydrogen electric propulsion to be scaled up more quickly than was originally thought.
“Our initial view was that the introduction of hydrogen electric propulsion to 19 PAX aircraft would be easier than for large aircraft, however, development of the hyperconducting network and cryogenic motor technology has opened our eyes to the possibility of efficiently scaling the technology to 96 PAX and potentially beyond,” noted Vice President Technology for GKN Aerospace Max Brown.
The hyperconducting systems proposed by GKN Aerospace use the onboard liquid hydrogen as a heat sink, cooling the electrical conductors to temperatures less than -200 °C to dramatically reduce their electrical resistivity. This reduction in resistivity facilitates electrical power distribution at low voltage, lower mass conducting cables, and electric motors that are set to achieve over 99% efficiency. Unlike superconducting systems, which exhibit zero electrical resistance, a hyperconducting system would utilisz more conventional conductor materials and is deliverable sooner, offering a greater overall impact on global emissions in the foreseeable future.
The H2GEAR program was launched in 2020 to develop scalable hydrogen electric propulsion technology for a new generation of sustainable aircraft. The proposed system generates electrical power from hydrogen using fuel cells. This electrical power is distributed to electric motors which are sized to drive low pressure-ratio ducted fans. Integrated-ground based demonstration of the H2GEAR technologies is scheduled for 2025, entry-into-service of the first hyperconducting hydrogen-powered aircraft could be as early as 2035.
For more info, see www.gknaerospace.com, www.parkeraerospace.com and www.ati.org.uk.
