Fuselage, Rear Fuselage and Empennage with Cabin and Cargo Architecture Solution validation and Technologies for H2 integration

Project Information

FASTER-H2

Grant agreement ID: 101101978

DOI

10.3030/101101978

Project closed

EC signature date 9 December 2022

Start date 1 January 2023

End date 31 December 2025

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 27 405 779,23

EU contribution

€ 23 322 380,00

Coordinated by

AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FASTER-H2 (Fuselage, Rear Fuselage and Empennage with Cabin and Cargo Architecture Solution validation and Technologies for H2 integration)

Reporting period: 2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The FASTER H2 project will contribute to climate-neutral flight by development of technologies for hydrogen powered short / medium aircraft. The FASTER-H2 project will validate, down select, mature and demonstrate key technologies and provide the architectural integration of an ultra-efficient and hydrogen enabled integrated airframe
for targeted ultra-efficient Short/Medium Range aircraft (SMR), i.e. 150-250 PAX and 1000-2000nm range. To enable climate-neutral flight, aircraft for short and medium-range distances have to rely on ultra-efficient thermal energy-based propulsion technologies using sustainable drop-in and non-drop-in fuels. Besides propulsion, the integration aspects of the fuel tanks and distribution system as well as sustainable materials for the fuselage, empennage are essential to meet an overarching climate-neutrality of the aviation sector. Green propulsion and fuel technologies will have a major impact on the full fuselage architecture, including the rear fuselage, the empennage structure as well the integration of systems for the chosen energy source are concerned (H2, direct burn, fuel cell). Not only do the specific properties of hydrogen necessitate a re-consideration of typical aircraft configurations, requiring new design principles formulation and fundamental validation exercises, but they also raise a large number of important follow-on questions relating to hydrogen distribution under realistic operational constraints and safety aspects. The project will explore and exploit advanced production technologies for the integrated fuselage / empennage to reduce production waste and increase material and energy exploitation with Integrated Fuselage concept selected (maturity TRL3/4) until end of first phase in 2025. An anticipated route to TRL6 until end of the Clean Aviation programme in 2030 will ensure entry-into-service in 2035.
Main objective is the development of a family of fittings for the hydrogen tank and system integration in the non-pressurized fuselage of a future aircraft. Focus in on weight optimized solutions complying the necessary safety requirements for hydrogen tanks. The development of a novel crash structure for energy absorption around a hydrogen tank in an aircraft in case of a crash to ensure overall tank safety with H2 leaks and as well fire managment.
A future H2 structural health monitoring sensoring needs to be developed in the project. Green aerostructures and flight science objectives are contributing to the overall future fuselage as well the life cycle assessment with new materials and processes (incl. surface technologies)

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The advancement of the project in the last 12 months has continued at a good pace, even if some delay in the UoR and PM is showing. In terms of work produced (DELs and MILs), the delay in the UoR seems not to be affecting that much. Still, the end of the project approaches and the impact of these delays has to be addressed. There was a major shortfall in the period, the cancellation of activity WP3.1.2 due to a risk of not having the biosourced resin on time for the pre-preg use case. Fortunately, the resources were redirected to WP1.1 where one of the demonstrators was lacking them due to a failed call in a different funded program. Regarding the technical progress, a lot of good results have been produced along the period. Architecture of the H2 system integration is defined, requirements are set for the project, Key Technologies have been identified (Accessibility, Tank attachment, Crashworthiness, Distribution and Integration, H2 Safety…) and different concepts in each of them have entered an evaluation process that will conclude with a down-selection early on RP3 for the next phase of the project. Different materials and surface protections are under scrutiny, including new developments that are thought to have a relevant contribution. Regarding testing, a wide variety is being conducted, from H2 fire testing to static and dynamic material characterization and other relevant tests. Results are being integrated into the requirements and the technologies under development. Use cases for LCA have been identified and their assessment is going forward. The project is now heading to the downselection of solutions and validation of the technologies via TRL3 milestones taking place in RP3.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The reference value are the A/C baseline defined in the frame of ACAP for Tank and System Integration Technologies. On Fuselage level the evaluation will be measured in the conf. SMR-2.0 and 2.1.

FASTER H2 Main Gaps up to EIS 2035