Airbus To Develop Aviation Fuel Cells With ElringKlinger
Airbus has formed a joint company with
German automotive fuel-cell supplier ElringKlinger to develop technology for
zero-emission, hydrogen-fueled aircraft.
The partnership will develop aviation-compatible fuel-cell stacks,
beginning with the delivery this year of stacks and a customized test rig.
ElringKlinger will have a non-controlling interest in the newly
established joint company, it said in a statement, while Airbus will hold the
majority stake. ElringKlinger will provide technology relevant to hydrogen fuel
cells in return for “compensation in the low-to-mid double-digit million euro
range.”
Airbus has committed to bringing a zero-emission commercial aircraft to
market by 2035 and is studying three concepts for airliners that would use
liquid hydrogen in a combination of direct combustion in turbine engines and
electrical generation in fuel cells.
ElringKlinger said it was selected by Airbus after it had conducted an
extensive analysis of the international fuel-cell market. The company supplied
fuel-cell stacks for testing as part of a pre-contractual phase and these
exceeded the target power density by 15%, it said.
In a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, hydrogen flows into the stack
and onto the anode, where it is split into hydrogen ions and electrons. Ions
permeate across the membrane to the cathode, while electrons flow through an
external circuit and generate power. Oxygen, in the form of air, is supplied to
the cathode, where it combines with the hydrogen ions and electrons to produce
water.
ElringKlinger says the key to the high power-density of its stack is the
use of metallic bipolar plates and specially designed membrane electrode
assembly sealing. Bipolar plates distribute the hydrogen gas and air, conduct
electrical current from cell to cell, remove heat from the active area, and
prevent leakage of gases and coolant. They significantly contribute to the
volume, weight and cost of fuel-cell stacks.
The aviation industry is tapping the automotive market as it looks to
fuel cells to enable zero-emission flight. Under the UK government-funded
HyFlyer project, startup ZeroAvia is working with Intelligent Energy to
optimize its high-power fuel cells for small, medium-range passenger aircraft.
Another startup, Universal Hydrogen, has selected automotive fuel-cell
developer Plug Power to develop a 2-megawatt power system for its conversion of
the De Havilland Canada Dash-800 regional turboprop, and potentially the ATR
42, to hydrogen propulsion.
Meanwhile, Honeywell Aerospace has acquired assets from Ballard Unmanned
Systems, a subsidiary of automatic fuel-cell manufacturer Ballard Power
Systems. The acquisition positions Honeywell in the fuel-cell market for
unmanned aircraft and broader aviation applications including urban air
mobility.
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