Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPTResearch project "BaLoK.NRW"
Hydrogen as an energy carrier for aviation
The "BaLoK.NRW" research project aims to develop both a new hydrogen-powered fuel cell drive for small aircraft and an aviation-optimized cooling system.
Compared to batteries, hydrogen storage systems have a high gravimetric energy density. For this reason, hydrogen-based propulsion systems as fuel cells could substantially contribute to transforming aviation into a climate-neutral form of transportation. However, one issue still has to be solved, the challenge of the dissipation of system-related heat loss, as around half of the energy contained in hydrogen must be dissipated as heat. However, using commercial heat exchangers significantly increases air resistance and, thus, energy consumption during flight. The air flow required for cooling must be directed through inlets and outlets as well as the heat exchanger core, resulting in pressure and momentum losses. In addition, the installations increase the effective frontal and wetted area of the aircraft, thereby disrupting the external flow and boundary layer.
New cooling design for fuel cells
In the project, the partners are developing a cooling system optimized for fuel cells in small aircraft. To achieve this, they are optimizing the subcomponents of the fuel cell system, the ducted propeller, and the heat exchanger.
The research project has four development goals:
- designing an H2fuel cell system for a gyrocopter with ducted propellers,
- designing an aviation-optimized cooling system for the fuel cell drive in order to reduce air resistance and minimize hydrogen consumption,
- integrating the ducted propellers and the adapted fuel cell system, including the new cooling system, into a gyrocopter, and
- verifying how well the adapted overall system functions in the gyrocopter through systematic testing.
For more sustainable mobility: technology transfer to larger aircraft
The project results can also be transferred to larger aircraft configurations in the future, thereby making a significant contribution to emission-neutral aviation. In this way, the project will pave the way for more sustainable mobility in air transport.
In this project, Fraunhofer IPT is developing a scaled and local production concept for the individual system components. In addition, the institute is conducting a life cycle analysis (LCA) for the ducted propellers developed in the project. This will allow developers to assess and optimize the environmental impact of the propeller technology throughout its entire life cycle—from raw material extraction to disposal.
Project coordination
Jetpel GmbH, Aachen
Consortium
- Jetpel GmbH, Aachen
- GasTurb GmbH, Aachen
- Helix-Carbon GmbH, Würselen
- FEV Europe GmbH, Aachen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Aachen
- RWTH Aachen, Chair of Thermodynamics of Mobile Energy Conversion Systems (TME), Aachen
- RWTH Aachen, Institute of Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery (IST), Aachen
Funding
The BaLoK.NRW research project is funded by the European Union and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia as part of the EFRE/JTF program "Energie.IN.NRW – Innovative project ideas for the energy system of the future, a climate-neutral industry, and climate- and resource-friendly construction in North Rhine-Westphalia".
Funding code: F1180 / IN-EN-1-016e