A collaborative relationship between GKN Aerospace and IAAPS has been established to create and test cutting-edge hydrogen technology solutions for the aviation sector’s decarbonization.
IAAPS will assist GKN Aerospace’s H2GEAR Programme in its development of a megawatt-scale PEM fuel cell-powered cryogenic electric drive system. At its new R&I center, which has both a green H2 production and a liquid H2 storage facility, IAAPS will provide crucial components of the full testing and validation program. The multi-year, multi-million pound project will advance investment in infrastructure for the transport of gaseous and liquid hydrogen as well as the development of cryogenic cooling systems. It will include component and system level testing of hybrid hydrogen and electric architecture.
A liquid hydrogen propulsion system for sub-regional aircraft that might be expanded to bigger aircraft is the goal of the GKN Aerospace-led, ground-breaking UK partnership venture H2GEAR. In a fuel cell system, liquid hydrogen is transformed to power. To maximize the efficiency of the power distribution network and electrical machine, a cryogenic cooling network will be deployed. By effectively powering the airplane, this electricity reduces carbon emissions and ushers in a new era of clean air travel. GKN Aerospace and its industrial partners have matched £27m in ATI funding for the H2GEAR program.
The partnership is not only a crucial step in the creation of commercially viable hydrogen technologies for the aviation industry, but it also significantly advances the “UK Government’s Hydrogen Strategy,” which aims to create a thriving low-carbon hydrogen sector by 2030 and accelerate the move toward net zero emissions.
IAAPS has announced plans to build a green hydrogen (H2) manufacturing facility at a £70 million propulsion research and development center in the Bristol & Bath Science Park. The project is expected to start operating in the spring of 2023. It will be the first of its kind in the Southwest of England and represents a significant strategic move for IAAPS. It will support crucial research into green propulsion technologies and the use of hydrogen as an alternative green fuel source, especially in industries that are challenging to electrify, like aviation, marine, off-highway, and heavy-duty vehicles.
