Periodic Reporting for period 2 - NEWBORN (NExt generation high poWer fuel cells for airBORNe applications)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-07-01 al 2024-06-30
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/(si apre in una nuova finestra)
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/(si apre in una nuova finestra)
The driver of initial technical work is the WP1 (System Engineering) supported by other work packages by inputs for system architecture and system requirements definition, and preliminary evaluations on sub system level. The second quarter of 2023 was focused primarily on definition of system architecture, identification of technical shortcomings of the envisioned solution, initial studies, and analysis on the technical side of the project.
During RP1 the project delivered following results:
* Aircraft level requirements summary
* Integration concepts for commuter and regional category of Aircraft
* Solution scalability analysysis summary
* Concept for parallelization to achieve higher power output
* Analysis of requirements alignment between NEWBORN and H2ELIOS projects
* Initial architecture of air supply system including humidity management and initial test strategies
* Preliminary fuel cell system specification
* Preliminary MEA optimization report
* Initial stack cell voltage monitoring system integration concept
* System-level thermal analysis and simulations
* Thermal management subsystem architecture description
* Aircraft-level thermal management analysis
* Initial architecture of the control system
* Selection of the control system platform
* Initial control system architecture
* Architecture of power distribution system
* Electric system simulation modes
* Preliminary electric system simulation results
* Motor inverter trade study
* Motor inverter PDR
The NEWBORN project has colaboration plans with 9 other CAJU projects, namely:
* AMBER
* fLHYing tank
* H2ELIOS
* HECATE
* HERA
* HYPOTRADE
* CONCERTO
* THEMA4HERA
* Hydrogen CERT workgroup
RP2 Key achievements:
Finalize NEWBORN system and subsystem architectures
System Architecture defined in September 2023(D1.5)
Define NEWBORN system and subsystem requirements
Detailed system requirements defined in August 2023 (D1.6) subsystem requirements decomposed in November 2023 (D1.7)
Preliminary design of the subsystems
Hydrogen supply system – hot box (hydrogen conditioning system) PDR passed; cold box design significantly progressed (PDR, but under review for SAG tank)
Air supply subsystem PDR – May 2024 (planned for February)
Stack MEA concept design – June 2024
Thermal Management system (TMS) – PDR not planned for RP2 (all TMS loops PDRs done in August 2024)
Control electronics PDR – January 2024 (planned for December 2023)
Control laws PDR – July 2024 (planned for June 2024)
The key components of the power distribution system were designed up to the equivalent of the PDR phase (HV junction box, Bus-Tie DCDC converters, 28V DCDC converter, FC junction box).
Ground demonstrator preliminary mechanical design complete – April 2024 (planned for February 2024)
Understand certification basis by executing safety analysis and collab oration with EASA and address the key CERT risks
Systematic regulations gap analysis complete
Systematic standard gap analysis complete
Preliminary safety analysis (PSSA, PASA)
Start preparation of the tests, the system integration and final demonstration
Ground demonstrator mechanical PDR
High level test plan defined
During RP1 the project delivered following results:
* Aircraft level requirements summary
* Integration concepts for commuter and regional category of Aircraft
* Solution scalability analysysis summary
* Concept for parallelization to achieve higher power output
* Analysis of requirements alignment between NEWBORN and H2ELIOS projects
* Initial architecture of air supply system including humidity management and initial test strategies
* Preliminary fuel cell system specification
* Preliminary MEA optimization report
* Initial stack cell voltage monitoring system integration concept
* System-level thermal analysis and simulations
* Thermal management subsystem architecture description
* Aircraft-level thermal management analysis
* Initial architecture of the control system
* Selection of the control system platform
* Initial control system architecture
* Architecture of power distribution system
* Electric system simulation modes
* Preliminary electric system simulation results
* Motor inverter trade study
* Motor inverter PDR
The NEWBORN project has colaboration plans with 9 other CAJU projects, namely:
* AMBER
* fLHYing tank
* H2ELIOS
* HECATE
* HERA
* HYPOTRADE
* CONCERTO
* THEMA4HERA
* Hydrogen CERT workgroup
RP2 Key achievements:
Finalize NEWBORN system and subsystem architectures
System Architecture defined in September 2023(D1.5)
Define NEWBORN system and subsystem requirements
Detailed system requirements defined in August 2023 (D1.6) subsystem requirements decomposed in November 2023 (D1.7)
Preliminary design of the subsystems
Hydrogen supply system – hot box (hydrogen conditioning system) PDR passed; cold box design significantly progressed (PDR, but under review for SAG tank)
Air supply subsystem PDR – May 2024 (planned for February)
Stack MEA concept design – June 2024
Thermal Management system (TMS) – PDR not planned for RP2 (all TMS loops PDRs done in August 2024)
Control electronics PDR – January 2024 (planned for December 2023)
Control laws PDR – July 2024 (planned for June 2024)
The key components of the power distribution system were designed up to the equivalent of the PDR phase (HV junction box, Bus-Tie DCDC converters, 28V DCDC converter, FC junction box).
Ground demonstrator preliminary mechanical design complete – April 2024 (planned for February 2024)
Understand certification basis by executing safety analysis and collab oration with EASA and address the key CERT risks
Systematic regulations gap analysis complete
Systematic standard gap analysis complete
Preliminary safety analysis (PSSA, PASA)
Start preparation of the tests, the system integration and final demonstration
Ground demonstrator mechanical PDR
High level test plan defined
* The innovative architecture of Air supply system technologies provides means for close integration of critical system elements and ensures operation of the FC stack at optimal operational points and will support operational ceiling of FL0 - FL450
* High power density electric propulsion system will utilize extremely efficient electrical machines and power conversion technologies to double the current SoA systems.
* Tightly integrated thermal management system including energy management will efficiently utilize the generated thermal energy leading to improved SFC.
* Control system for Fuel Cell Propulsion system with high availability.
* Increased stack operational temperature enables for more efficient thermal management
* High power density electric propulsion system will utilize extremely efficient electrical machines and power conversion technologies to double the current SoA systems.
* Tightly integrated thermal management system including energy management will efficiently utilize the generated thermal energy leading to improved SFC.
* Control system for Fuel Cell Propulsion system with high availability.
* Increased stack operational temperature enables for more efficient thermal management