H3 Dynamics has built the world’s first fully-integrated hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft nacelle, which serves as the fundamental enabling power solution for the propulsion of future hydrogen aircraft designs. This is the first of its kind in the world.
This type of distributed hydrogen-electric propulsion architecture could be used to transport 19, 80, or even more than 100 passengers in the coming years, allowing airlines to cover medium and long-haul routes of more than 2500 kilometers, far beyond the short-haul flight distances targeted by emerging battery-based aircraft.
H3 Dynamics spreads numerous integrated powertrains integrating batteries, fuel cells, hydrogen storage, and smaller electric motors throughout the wings instead of a single centralized hydrogen fuel cell system, as seen in the illustration. As a result, the size of each fuel cell system, hybrid battery pack, and heat management issues all shrink, making systems more controllable and safer to operate.
As part of its “Element One” project, H3 Dynamics submitted international patents for full-scale distributed hydrogen propulsion in 2018. The company also unveiled plans for “Element One,” a futuristic hydrogen aircraft that will use this technology. In the following two years, a worldwide hydrogen aviation movement was launched, with industry heavyweights announcing new hydrogen aircraft designs and startups springing up in a new race to the sky.
“Today’s news represents a significant step forward for H3 Dynamics and the larger aviation sector,” said Taras Wankewycz, the company’s founder and CEO. “It’s the world’s first real-working propulsion system that can be spread on the wings of new zero-emission aircraft,” says the company.
As a result, H3 Dynamics has been working alongside the realities of safety certification schedules, starting the market with lower-risk, lighter-weight unmanned platforms and gradually graduating to larger cargo and manned platforms.
Flight testing of H3 Dynamics’ innovative hydrogen propulsion systems will begin in France within the next several weeks, according to the company.
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