GKN & partners launch hydrogen flight project in the UK
The £44 million collaborative project aims to develop a 2-megawatt (MW) cryogenic hydrogen-electric propulsion system, “setting new standards for the future generation of larger sustainable aircraft.” The partners in question include Parker Meggitt and the Universities of Manchester and Nottingham, and the project is further supported by the UK Government’s Aerospace Technology Institute.
Different aspects of the project are to be tackled by the partners, for example, with Parker Meggitt, GKN will collaborate on thermal management and ‘balance of plant’ for the fuel cell system, ensuring comprehensive system integration and performance. The University of Manchester will be focusing on hyperconducting motor coil design, while the University of Nottingham will support full motor design and scale-up and cryogenic inverter technology development, which the initiator adds is “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 maximise the payload and range potential of zero emission flight,” explained Russ Dunn, CTO of GKN Aerospace, adding: “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, cited a different date with longer-reaching plans: “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.”
The new project is building on the H2GEAR project, which has funded several hydrogen aviation initiatives with GKN. For example, one was launched last summer. Under the project, GKN Aerospace cooperated with Marshall and Parker Aerospace to explore liquid hydrogen fuel systems for aircraft, planning to develop a liquid hydrogen system suitable for both fuel cell and internal combustion engine aircraft.
1 Comment