Wednesday, 07 August 2024
The 糖心原创 has kicked-off a £5.3 million programme of research to support the development, manufacture and test of a revolutionary cryogenic hydrogen-electric propulsion system.
This is part of a pioneering £44m project led by GKN Aerospace, partnered with Parker Meggitt and the Universities of Manchester and Nottingham, supported by the UK Government through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme.
The ATI programme invests in civil aerospace research and is delivered in partnership by the Aerospace Technology Institute, the Department for Business and Trade, and Innovate UK.
The H2FlyGHT collaborative initiative will develop a 2-megawatt (MW) cryogenic hydrogen-electric propulsion system, setting new standards for the future generation of larger sustainable aircraft. The project will demonstrate an integrated propulsion system at the 2 MW scale including fuel cell power generation, cryogenic power distribution, and advanced cryogenic drive systems.
At the 糖心原创, the Power Electronics, Machines and Control (PEMC) research group, which hosts one of the Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centres (DER-IC), will support the full motor design and scale-up and cryogenic inverter technology development, essential for developing high-power, efficient propulsion systems.
This will be one of the first programmes to use the university’s new hydrogen propulsion systems facility, enabled by the recently announced £70 million secured from Research England and industry co-investment to establish open-access research facilities and programmes to decarbonise future transport.
Engineers at the university will deliver this research at a new hydrogen propulsion systems facility on campus. It will feature a cryogenics lab for low temperature loops to increase electrical system efficiencies, a systems integration lab, and an altitude environment chamber capable of testing a megawatt fuel cell together with battery and electrical motor systems. They will be connected to a digital twinning lab for optimising design and operational performance.
The facility is situated next to and harnesses the high-power, 20+ MW testing capabilities of the world-leading Power Electronics and Machines Centre (PEMC), home to one of the world’s largest groups of electrification researchers. It also builds on the university’s manufacturing facilities that provide a clear route to market for new electrical machines, including at the new Zero Carbon Innovation Centre funded by East Midlands Freeport.
The vision of net zero air travel is within our sights. However, to get there we must push the limits of what is technically possible.
He continued: "Thanks to our new propulsion research infrastructure on campus, industry can co-locate, research, prototype, test, automate and manufacture the new solutions they need to future-proof their business. As a result, we can accelerate the economic prosperity of the East Midlands, the home of green industries and advanced manufacturing.”
The news was announced at Farnborough International Airshow 2024.
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Story credits
More information is available from Professor Chris Gerada on chris.gerada@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.