Stuttgart-based H2FLY, a developer of hydrogen fuel cell systems for aircraft, announced that it had passed a critical liquid hydrogen on-ground filling test for its HY4 aircraft.
This is part of the European project HEAVEN, which aims to prove the feasibility of using cryogenic hydrogen-powered fuel cell powertrains in aircraft led by H2FLY.
A picture taken from the plane carrying onboard Britain's King Charles III and Britain's Camilla, Queen Consort, shows a German escort jet (L), on March 31, 2023, in German airspace.
Complete Hydrogen-electric Powertrain
The test campaign was conducted at Air Liquide's Campus Technologies Grenoble, in Sassenage, France, where H2FLY led the tests alongside its project partner, Air Liquide.
Air Liquide designed and supplied the new liquid hydrogen storage system to meet H2FLY's requirements. The tests were conducted to prepare for the forthcoming coupling tests in which the liquid hydrogen storage system will be combined with the fuel cell system to form a complete hydrogen-electric powertrain.
"The successful on-ground filling tests today mark the next milestone in our pursuit to doubling the range of our HY4 aircraft," Prof. Dr. Josef Kallo, co-founder and CEO of H2FLY, said in a press release statement.
"It is a critical step for our upcoming flight test campaign this summer, demonstrating the feasibility of liquid hydrogen as a fuel for medium and long-haul flights."
This accomplishment highlights the consortium's expertise in managing liquid hydrogen on an aircraft and conducting liquid hydrogen refueling operations.
After a decade of study, testing, and improvement by H2FLY came the HY4, a four-seat aircraft with hydrogen-electric propulsion that debuted in 2016.
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H2FLY's Achievements
Over the past three years, there have been a number of significant accomplishments, such as the 2020 permit to operate the most recent HY4 aircraft with a fully redundant powertrain architecture.
After more than 100 successful takeoffs, the business demonstrated how hydrogen-electric propulsion systems may be used in aviation.
H2FLY and aircraft manufacturer Deutsche Aircraft entered a strategic agreement in 2021 to fly a CS25 class aircraft propelled by H2FLY's hydrogen fuel cell technology. The regional aircraft demonstrator is expected to take to the skies in 2025.
The business performed a cross-country trip earlier that year, traveling 77 miles from Stuttgart, Germany, to Friedrichshafen. This was the first commercial flight between two airports by a passenger aircraft fuelled by hydrogen.
Additionally, H2FLY established what is believed to be a hydrogen aircraft global altitude record by flying at 7,230 feet, reaffirming the company's status as a pioneer in this new field.
The new liquid hydrogen tank built into the HY4 aircraft by H2FLY and the fuel cell technology will be combined to create a full hydrogen-electric powertrain.
If successful, this could revolutionize aviation by offering a more resource-conserving and effective option to conventional fossil fuel-powered aircraft.
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