Hydrogen fuel cells for planes create a lot of heat—basically one watt of waste for every watt of power. Instead of just letting that heat escape, this system captures it and uses it to actually push the plane forward, like a tiny jet engine. It uses a special lightweight design and coatings to keep the system clean and efficient.
Hydrogen fuel cells produce an equal amount of waste heat as electricity, creating a massive thermal management burden. Traditional cooling methods add weight and drag, which reduces aircraft range and increases costs.
A ducted bionic heat exchanger and a thermal management simulation model for megawatt-class geared electric fans.
If you are an aircraft manufacturer dealing with the massive heat output of fuel cells—where 1 watt of heat is generated for every 1 watt of electricity—this project developed a ducted heat exchanger that converts that waste into thrust. This reduces the energy penalty of cooling and lowers operational costs.
If you are a propulsion company dealing with the weight and drag of traditional cooling systems for megawatt-class motors, this project developed a bionic heat exchanger. It enables high heat rejection with low drag, helping maintain aircraft performance and competitiveness.
If you are a materials company dealing with particle accumulation and corrosion in aircraft engine nacelles, this project developed a surface coating specifically for heat exchangers. This ensures the thermal management system remains efficient over time despite harsh environments.
By using the Meredith Effect to turn waste heat into thrust, the system improves overall efficiency. Based on project data, this allows European aircraft manufacturers to reduce their operational costs.
The project is currently developing a simulation model and performing initial functional lab-scale tests. Based on available project data, it is not yet at full industrial scale.
The project focuses on a bionic heat exchanger design and specific anti-corrosion surface coatings. Based on available project data, these represent the primary technical innovations available for potential licensing.
The system is designed to be integrated into the nacelle of a geared electric fan propulsion system of megawatt class. It manages heat sources and sinks to allow operation in extreme ambient temperatures.
The project period runs from 2023-12-01 to 2027-11-30. Based on available project data, results and verification will be finalized by late 2027.
The consortium is highly balanced for commercialization, featuring 10 partners with a 50% industry ratio (5 companies). The presence of 5 SMEs suggests a focus on agile innovation, while the involvement of 2 universities and 3 research centers provides the necessary academic rigor. The group spans 4 countries (AT, BE, DE, ES), indicating a strong European cross-border collaboration.
Contact FUNDACION CIDETEC in Spain for technical inquiries.
Contact us to connect with the exFan consortium for early-stage licensing discussions.
