Universal Hydrogen has successfully run a megawatt-class powertrain using its proprietary liquid hydrogen module to supply the fuel: the largest fuel cell powertrain ever to run on liquid hydrogen. It is also the first time Universal Hydrogen’s module and powertrain have been integrated together.
The module powered the company’s ‘iron bird’ ground test rig for over an hour and forty minutes, simulating a regional aircraft flight profile. The module holds sufficient fuel to power the rig for over three hours at full power, with two modules sufficient for 500 nautical miles of usable range for an ATR72 regional airliner.
“This end-to-end demonstration of a hydrogen molecule moving from our filler/dispenser into our storage module and then into our powertrain is the first time that all the pieces of our product portfolio for regional aviation have come together,” said Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen. “The next step is to upgrade our flight testbed to fly the powertrain fuelled by our modules.”
The company is hoping to certify its system for a projected entry into service date of 2026.
Universal Hydrogen powers megawatt-class fuel cell powertrain
