Project description
Flying towards green aviation fuel cells
The sky’s the limit for the transition to clean and sustainable energy infrastructure. Aviation, which accounts for 12 % of transport-related CO2 emissions, has an important part to play. The EU-funded NEWBORN project will apply the steppingstone principle and bring aviation-graded fuel cells into the market. This will generate operational data to support CS-25 aircraft certification. Bringing together 18 partners from various disciplines, including 3 non-traditional aerospace partners and 2 SMEs, NEWBORN will work on 28 key enabling technologies. By the end of 2025, the project will demonstrate widely scalable fuel cell power source technology. The overall aim is to achieve a propulsion system efficiency of 50 % by 2026.
Objective
NEWBORN focuses on realistic and commercially viable project outcomes significantly exceeding the Call topic Expected Outcomes. This is the only path to bring a real impact, well beyond paperwork and test rigs. With this in mind, the project applies the steppingstone principle and intends to bring aviation graded fuel cells into the market as soon as safely possible. This will generate operational data to support certification on CS-25 aircraft. It will further provide vital acceptance gap mitigation in the conservative air transport environment. The 18 multi-disciplinary partners, including 3 non-traditional aerospace partners and 2 SMEs, will work on 28 key enabling technologies. They will be matured and optimized to support an EIS of CS-23 aircraft by 2030 and regional aircraft by 2035. The ambition of the project is to achieve an overall propulsion system efficiency of 50% by 2026, calculated as a ratio of energy on the propeller shaft to the hydrogen lower heating value. This ambition greatly surpasses the expected outcome of the HPA-02 Call. Similarly, by the end of 2025, the project will demonstrate widely scalable fuel cell power source technology with a power density of >1.2 kW/kg and stack power density of >5 kW/kg. Technologies will be adaptable to different maximum flight altitudes of ≤ FL250 and ≤FL450, and scalable down to ~250kW and reusable for secondary power in SMR flying altitudes by 2026. An innovative cryogenic tank concept will be integrated, demonstrating a gravimetric index of 35% 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. All together, NEWBORN will develop a technology demonstrator prepared for flight demonstration in Clean Aviation Phase 2.
Fields of science
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-JU-IA - HORIZON JU Innovation ActionsCoordinator
148 00 Praha
Czechia
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Participants (15)
5270 Ajdovscina
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418 34 Goteborg
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
80686 Munchen
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92320 CHATILLON
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
3001 Leuven
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47151 Boecillo
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
09200 Miranda De Ebro
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
41300 LA RINCONADA SEVILLA
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3812 GROSS SIEGHARTS
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81043 Capua
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Participation ended
25524 Itzehoe
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
3000 Leuven
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91054 Erlangen
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80122 NAPOLI
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25524 Itzehoe
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Partners (3)
OX14 3DB Abingdon
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
NG7 2RD Nottingham
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RG121EB Bracknell Berks
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