NEWBORN focuses on development and demonstration of the TRL 4 ground demonstrator of the overall propulsion system using fuel cells technology for electricity generation. The fuel cell power source technology will consist of 1MW modules, which can be paralleled to exceed the 3 MW power levels defined by the CAJU call. The consortium plans to market the technology early aboard the CS-23 19-pax commuter aircraft – 2 systems, total system take-off power of ~2 MW.
The ambition of the project is to achieve an overall propulsion system efficiency of 50% by the end of the project, calculated as a ratio of energy on the propeller shaft to the hydrogen lower heating value.
The project will demonstrate widely scalable fuel cell power source technology with a power density of >1.2 kW/kg and high stack power density. Technologies will be adaptable to different maximum flight altitudes of ≤ FL250 and ≤FL450, scalable down and reusable for secondary power in SMR flying altitudes by the end of the project. An innovative cryogenic tank concept will be integrated, demonstrating a high gravimetric index for the CS-23 aircraft and scalable up to 50% for regional aircraft. The project will also address high power density high voltage energy conversion, propulsion systems, and the next generation microtube heat exchangers, along with an accurate digital twin of the overall system. NEWBORN will develop a technology demonstrator prepared for flight demonstration in the future.
Key innovation areas
• Internally modular aerospace PEM fuel cell stack with high power density, beyond the state-of-the-art operating temperature, and high output power (designed for up to 1 MW, demonstrated in an intermediate configuration of 720 kW)
• Self-regulated structural and conformal load-bearing cryogenic tank with high gravimetric index and minimal boil-off in 24 hours.
• Innovative air supply system
• Tightly integrated thermal management system
• Lightweight & low pressure drop heat exchangers.
• Multi-fidelity digital twin
• Redundant modular bus-tie DC/DC converters with extreme power density and >98% efficiency, scalable up to 10 MW
• High availability control system architecture
• Scalable high voltage propulsion subsystem with high power density
• Battery pack technology concept with innovative thermal management
• Expected benefits and impact(environmental, industrial, competitiveness, others)
New aircraft with no CO2-emissions, low noise footprint, and lower cost of operation, opening opportunities for passenger or cargo aircraft to operate from airfields closer to communities/cities.
You can find more details about NEWBORN on this website:
https://newborn-project.eu/(opens in new window)
