Imagine replacing a plane's thirsty jet engine with a giant, clean battery that runs on liquid hydrogen. Instead of just plugging a motor into a plane, this project builds the engine and the aircraft body together so they fit perfectly. It's like designing a car's chassis and engine as one piece to get the most power and efficiency possible.
Traditional aircraft design separates the motor from the airframe, which is inefficient for hydrogen fuel cells. This creates a bottleneck in achieving zero-emission flight for short-range aircraft.
A 1MW fuel cell propulsion ground demonstrator, including a 2-bar cryogenic LH2 tank and tested Motor Control Units (MCUs).
If you are a regional aircraft manufacturer dealing with strict carbon emission limits — this project developed a 1MW fuel cell propulsion ground demonstrator that eliminates CO2, SOx, and NOx emissions. This allows for the creation of short-range planes that meet zero-emission targets.
If you are a fueling services provider dealing with the transition to green fuels — this project developed an optimized 2-bar cryogenic LH2 tank system. This provides a technical blueprint for handling liquid hydrogen storage at scale for aircraft.
If you are a controller developer dealing with high-power aviation requirements — this project developed and tested Motor Control Units (MCUs) for a multi-MW system. This proves the hardware can handle the demands of megawatt-scale flight propulsion.
Based on available project data, there is no information regarding the specific cost or price of the propulsion system.
Yes, the project aims to develop a 1MW ground demonstrator with the specific vision to scale it up to full aircraft level for short-range flights.
Based on available project data, the IP and licensing terms are not specified, though the project is coordinated by Airbus Operations GmbH with 21 other partners.
The project rejects the 'plug and play' method, instead using a co-creation approach where the propulsion system and aircraft architecture are designed together for maximum efficiency.
The project runs from 2024-01-01 to 2026-12-31, with the current phase focusing on ground demonstrators to support future Clean Aviation Phase 2 activities.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven, with 17 industrial partners representing 77% of the group. Led by Airbus Operations GmbH, the group leverages a strong mix of 7 countries, combining the scale of a major aircraft integrator with 4 universities and 1 research center to bridge the gap between theoretical fuel cell chemistry and actual aircraft manufacturing.
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