Siemens and Protium have teamed up to develop a new digital twin technology for hydrogen refuelling of aircraft.
On 3 March, Siemens explained that the pair of them had initiated the Digital Twin project which will strive to digitalise the development of green hydrogen infrastructure for aircraft. The companies will develop rapid refuelling technology, taking a digital twin approach to accelerate design and testing. It will see a digital model of the refuelling system deployed to explore the decision space to optimise system design, before simulating and optimising real-world performance. This will reduce the need for expensive prototyping.
Hydrogen technologies are set to be essential to supporting the 2050 net zero target for domestic flights, though they are not yet able to deliver the rapid refuelling essential to make them commercially viable for the aviation sector.
Dr Jen Baxter, Protium Director of Innovation and Policy, said: “This novel approach to designing refuelling systems will increase confidence and understanding in the capabilities of emerging hydrogen technology, increase uptake across the UK and accelerate the transition to zero emission flight and tackle climate change.”
