MTU Aero Engines (MTU) and MT Airspace have announced a shared project to create a zero-emissions, liquid hydrogen fuel system for commercial aircraft, called the Flying Fuel Cell, otherwise known as the FFC.
"We are forging ahead with the full electrification of the powertrain,” says MTU chief executive Lars Wagner. “We’ve identified converting liquid hydrogen into electricity using a fuel cell as the area with the greatest potential for achieving this.”
The principle behind the FFC is that a fuel cell converts liquid hydrogen into electrical energy. The motor, which is 300 millimeters in diameter and weighs just 40 kilograms, is specifically engineered to deliver a consistent power output of 600 kilowatts while boasting an impressive performance density of 15 kilowatts per kilogram. It will also be able to work at temperatures up to 85°C, and it will have multi-stack compatibility.
“For many years, we have been connected not just by a successful partnership, but also by a shared vision of zero-emission flight,” said Barnaby Law, chief engineer of the Flying Fuel Cell for MTU.
eMoSys GmbH, a motor development company taken on by MTU in April, is developing the motor for the FFC. The company’s motors are already the most reliable on the market, according to Lars Wagner, chief executive of MTU, who said, “Together with eMoSys, we plan to accelerate the use of electric motors in aviation and make them market ready.”
Work to develop the FFC technology is proceeding in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR). “MTU’s job is to develop the entire hydrogen-powered fuel cell powertrain, including the liquid hydrogen fuel system and controls,” explains Law.
A Do228, owned by DLR, is being used as a technology platform and flight demonstrator. The goal is to replace one of the two conventional gas turbine propulsion systems with a 600kW electric powertrain with energy supplied by a hydrogen-powered fuel cell made by MTU and test the new configuration.
Currently, there are plans for the FFC to be up and running on shorter flights by 2035, and longer-haul flights by 2050. Extensive ground tests and advance testing will take place before then.