GKN Aerospace, Marshall and Parker Aerospace have come together to explore liquid hydrogen fuel systems for zero emission aircraft. As a part of the agreement, the companies will combine their experience in the design, testing, certification and manufacture of novel fuel systems for aerospace applications.
Russ Dunn, chief technology officer, GKN Aerospace said: "With this agreement, we have now set out a complete path to achieving zero-emissions flight at a game-changing scale. By working alongside Marshall and Parker, who have deep expertise in fuel systems, we can accelerate the development of the technology building blocks required for a complete hydrogen propulsion system for mid-range aircraft. This partnership, combined with our other industry-leading collaborations, is a significant step towards a sustainable future for aviation."
“Futureworx’s mission is to identify and develop a new generation of innovative products and services that address problems of practical significance,” added Kieren Paterson, managing director, Marshall Futureworx. “Given our highly creative engineering talent and decades of experience and expertise in developing and certifying novel fuel systems within Marshall Aerospace, we are uniquely positioned to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of hydrogen fuel systems for aircraft. We are excited to collaborate with esteemed industry leaders GKN Aerospace and Parker in advancing the development of hydrogen propulsion systems and contributing to a more sustainable aviation industry."
Tracy Rice, vice president, technology and innovation, Parker Aerospace, said: "Parker is fully committed to sustainability which is why we are making focused investments in innovative, next-generation technologies. Hydrogen fuel systems play a critical role in achieving zero emissions in aviation and we are confident that this partnership will enable us to further advance our expertise in this area and drive the development of innovative solutions that support a more sustainable future."
The proposed liquid hydrogen fuel system collaboration will benefit significantly from the ongoing UK Aerospace Technology Institute funded, GKN Aerospace led, H2GEAR programme, which will ground test a scalable hydrogen electric fuel cell propulsion system in 2025. The intent is to bring the complete scalable fuel system and propulsion system together in a single flight test bed environment before the end of the decade.