The University of Manchester is among a UK-led consortium working to drive the aviation industry to a zero-emissions future.
Led by GKN Aerospace, the consortium is collaborating to address the technical challenges of delivering hydrogen-fuelled regional and sub-regional aircraft. The work is being delivered across three projects – the £54 million H2GEAR programme, which is developing hydrogen-fuelled, cryogenically cooled, all-electric aircraft for short-haul flights; the £40 million HyFIVE focusing on scalable liquid hydrogen fuel system technologies; and the £44 million H2flyGHT which is to scale hydrogen-powered aircraft technologies to support larger, commercial-scale aircraft.
The University of Manchester is leading the H2GEAR programme, where it is using cryogenic cooling to increase energy efficiency. Leveraging the extreme cold of liquid hydrogen to supercool electrical components which significantly reduces electrical resistance. The end result is hyperconducting systems that are capable of powering electric propulsion motors with over 99% efficiency.
Russ Dunn, Chief Technology officer at GKN Aerospace, commented: “Hydrogen-powered aircraft offer a clear route to keep the world connected, with dramatically cleaner skies. The UK is at the forefront of this technology, and the H2GEAR project is an example of industry, academia and Government collaboration at its best.”
As well as the University of Manchester, the University of Birmingham, Newcastle University and University of Nottingham are involved in the consortium, as well as partners from industry in the shape of Parker-Meggitt, Intelligence Energy, Aeristech, and the Aerospace Technology Institute.
