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Fuel cell propulsion system for Aircraft Megawatt Engines

Project description

Liquid H2-based propulsion system for short-to-medium range aircraft

Green hydrogen fuel presents a promising solution for the green transition, offering an efficient, sustainable, and practical alternative to conventional fuels. The aviation industry stands to benefit significantly, as adopting green hydrogen could eliminate aircraft greenhouse gas emissions. The EU-funded FAME project aims to develop a novel, compact, and high-efficiency full-electric propulsion system for short-to-medium range aircraft, using liquid hydrogen (LH2) as its energy source. Additionally, the project will design and integrate the necessary subsystems while employing a ground demonstrator to refine and scale up the technology. This initiative is expected to provide the aviation sector with a viable path toward a greener future.

Objective

Green hydrogen as a fuel offers the possibility to significantly reduce aircraft greenhouse gas emissions. When liquid hydrogen (LH2) is used as an energy carrier for power generation with fuel cells (FC), this would result in strongly reduced emissions with no CO2, no SOx and no NOx emissions en route. The development of a hydrogen propulsive FC system as an integral part of a new LH2 aircraft concept would be a possible variant to aim for this. However, this means moving away from the current “plug and play” philosophy (separate motor development and aircraft architecture) towards a disruptive integrated way of development, which requires a co-creation approach of the propulsion system and the aircraft.
The focus of FAME is on developing a complete compact high-efficiency multi-MW FC propulsion system based on LH2 as an energy source for short range aircraft. FAME will develop all the subsystems which are needed and integrate these in a MW FC Propulsion System ground demonstrator with the vision to scale it up to aircraft level (sufficient for short range aircraft). This is realised by taking up the above described design path with a collaborative research and development approach between partners involved in development of the needed systems of the fuel cell propulsion system and Airbus as an aircraft designer, manufacturer and integrator. Thus, it is ensured that an optimised design on all levels, starting with material for components and subsystems, up to the propulsion system at the aircraft level, is realised. The system will provide the basis for further activities in Clean Aviation in Phase 2.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-JU-IA - HORIZON JU Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-JU-Clean-Aviation-2023-01

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Coordinator

AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 3 561 428,12
Address
KREETSLAG 10
21129 Hamburg
Germany

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Region
Hamburg Hamburg Hamburg
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 5 087 754,45

Participants (21)

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