GKN Aerospace is one of the project partners in ICEFlight (Innovative Cryogenic Electric Flight), a project aiming to contribute to the development of hydrogen-powered flight. The project was launched by Airbus, through its Tech Hub in the Netherlands and together with its innovation arm Airbus UpNext and local partners. The initiative, under administration of Dutch public-private programme “Luchtvaart in Transitie” (LiT) will focus on accelerating the maturation of critical cryogenic technologies.
To achieve the project’s ambitious goals, Airbus is partnering with key players in the Dutch aerospace ecosystem, including GKN Aerospace, Cryoworld B.V., Stirling Cryogenics B.V., Futura Composites B.V., the Royal NLR, Delft University of Technology and the University of Twente.”
The consortium will collectively explore the use of liquid hydrogen as a fuel source as well as a cold source for the electrical system cooling,” said GKN is a press release. “This approach aims to enhance the performance of next-generation aircraft powertrains through the integration of advanced electrical technologies, superconductivity and hyperconductivity. Together with GKN Aerospace, knowledge from past projects will be applied to mature these technologies in preparation of a flight demonstration. The collaboration will concentrate on the development and rigorous testing of specialised cryogenic cooling and electrical distribution systems.”
In addition to the technological innovations to be explored, ICEFlight aims to establish testing facilities in the Netherlands, led by the Royal NLR, to ensure the reliability and validate the performance of the new cryogenic systems.
“At the end of the project, the Dutch research framework and supply chain will be positioned to provide two critical innovations, namely a cryogenic cooling system and cryogenic electrical network,” said the press statement.
For more information
https://www.gknaerospace.com/news-insights/news/iceflight-to-accelerate-maturation-of-cryogenic-technologies-for-hydrogen-powered-flight/
(Image: GKN)