H2GA

Hydrogen fuel cell technology as a hybrid-electric drive in the demonstrator Antares E2

Hydrogen is a potentially climate-friendly fuel of the future for the aviation industry. However, compared to kerosene, it requires a much larger storage volume for the same amount of stored energy. Due to the high storage pressures, a heavy tank structure is also required. Therefore, lightweight design concepts for the space-optimized integration of hydrogen tanks must be researched. The H2GA project is researching Type IV high-pressure hydrogen tanks with a nominal working pressure of 700 bar. These tanks are designed to achieve very high volumetric efficiency while making the best possible use of the available installation space in the external nacelles of the Antares E2 test aircraft. In the first project phase, cylindrical tanks with high installation space utilization were designed, and a CFRP laminate structure was defined that makes very good use of the material properties under internal pressure loading. The approach pursued was subsequently implemented in manufacturing trials. Burst tests conducted at ILK validated the defined laminate structure. The findings achieved promise a very high gravimetric storage density for the cylindrical tank of up to 7% and are to be transferred to a novel tank design with an ellipsoidal shape in the final year of the project. The innovative tank concept is intended to make the best possible use of the available installation space in the Antares E2 and can also be adapted to other aircraft types in the future.

An ILK wet-wound pressure tank with an improved layer structure to increase the gravimetric and volumetric storage density. — Manufacturing implementation of a lightweight layered structure for a cylindrical pressure vessel using the wet-winding process.

The dome section of a tank successfully burst at the Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology. — The dome section of a manufactured pressure vessel following a successful burst test carried out at the ILK.

Period

01.12.2021–31.12.2026

Project partners

Lange Research Aircraft GmbH
Fraunhofer-Institut für Chemische Technologie ICT

Funding

Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV): Funding program "National Innovation Programme on Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP II) Phase II (2016–2026)"

Funding code: 2223HV0108