GKN Aerospace’s Hydrogen-Powered Drone – RotorDrone

GKN Aviation efficiently reached an vital milestone by delivering a ground-based demonstrator of the liquid hydrogen plane gas system. The demonstrator was designed, constructed and examined in collaboration with Filton Methods Engineering as a part of the Innovate UK funded Secure Flight venture. The purpose of the venture was to discover the feasibility of utilizing a liquid hydrogen gas supply to extend the sturdiness of a search and rescue uncrewed air system (UAS) idea.

The venture has allowed GKN to grasp and handle most of the security considerations raised by the introduction of such a brand new gas. Built-in gas tank design and distribution options had been developed, together with the evaporation and conditioning of liquid hydrogen. The efficiency of the gas system was validated by combining it with a proton alternate membrane (PEM) gas cell stack, which represents the kind that may very well be put in on a future zero-emissions plane. The venture demonstrated the profitable storage and administration of liquid hydrogen by supplying hydrogen on the required temperature and stress to the gas cell energy system via a collection {of electrical} expenses typical of a UAS search and rescue mission.

Key outputs of the venture embrace the event of protected system design, manufacturing data, operational data for liquid hydrogen gas programs, hydrogen gas system check information, and an adaptive check rig appropriate for additional examination of hydrogen parts and subsystems.

GKN Aerospace, VP of Expertise at Max Brown, mentioned:We’re happy with the result of this venture and we consider we’re on the forefront of exploring the challenges on this space. In a single end-to-end check setting, the crew demonstrated the filling and storage of liquid hydrogen, the conditioning and distribution of cryogenic gasoline, and the usage of PEM gas cells to generate electrical energy.” Brown continued ”wWhereas the main focus of this work is on a small-scale platform, our success is effectively according to different work now we have completed in packages reminiscent of H2GEAR, the place we provide propulsion applied sciences centered on enabling zero-emission flight.”

The Secure Flight venture has positioned GKN Aerospace for bigger and extra advanced demonstrations of hydrogen-powered plane sooner or later, as the corporate continues its mission to be “probably the most dependable and sustainable associate within the sky”.