The consortium aims to develop a lightweight and certifiable low-temperature PEM fuel cell system (LT-PEM) that meets the requirements of civil aviation. It is intended for use in short-haul aircraft with around 100 seats. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is funding the project as part of the aviation research program LuFo VII-1 through the Climate and Transformation Fund (KTF).
“To make hydrogen usable as an energy carrier in aviation, fuel cell systems must not only be powerful but also durable, scalable, and qualified,” says PEM head Professor Achim Kampker. Fuel cell systems have so far been only limitedly designed for dynamic and safety-critical operations in aircraft.
Airbus, DLR and other partners involved
The project involves Airbus Operations, Aerostack, TLK-Thermo, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Technical University of Braunschweig, and the PEM Chair at RWTH Aachen. The research is intended to cover the entire drive train – from the energy source through power electronics and control to integration into the aircraft.
GENtwoPRO is already the second aviation project of the PEM team. Recently, the chair launched the research project Lime, which deals with a hybrid-electric solution for regional aircraft. According to the chair, both projects pursue a holistic approach to researching different electrical energy converters and storage systems in the context of aviation-specific requirements.
Founded in 2014, the PEM Chair deals with hydrogen technologies in addition to battery systems and electric motors. Around 73 researchers, as well as other staff and student assistants, work at the location.
