H2FLY, a Stuttgart-based manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell systems for aeroplanes, has successfully completed liquid hydrogen on-ground filling tests with its HY4 aircraft’s newly built liquid hydrogen tank.
The initiatives are a part of the European project HEAVEN, which is being led by H2FLY and involves five partners to show that liquid, cryogenic hydrogen-powered fuel cell powertrain in aircraft is feasible.
The new liquid hydrogen storage system for H2FLY, which was created and provided by its project partner Air Liquide based on H2FLY’s specifications, has successfully completed the filling tests. The filling process was done to get ready for the upcoming coupling tests, in which the fuel cell system and liquid hydrogen storage system will be joined to create a complete hydrogen-electric powertrain. Along with Air Liquide, H2FLY oversaw the test campaign at Campus Technologies Grenoble in Sassenage, France.
By achieving this milestone, the consortium exhibits industry-leading expertise in liquid hydrogen handling on an aircraft and during liquid hydrogen refuelling operations.
Following the tank’s successful completion of the vibration and LH2 leakage testing in September 2022, the company announced in November 2022 that mechanical integration of the tank into the fuel cell-powered HY4 aircraft had begun.
H2FLY has been investigating, experimenting, and perfecting for more than ten years, leading to the creation of the HY4, a four-seat aircraft with hydrogen-electric propulsion that made its debut in 2016.
