Current research is focusing on hydrogen-based proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) as a promising approach for decarbonizing aviation. Given that aircraft operate within a wide range of environmental conditions at altitudes of up to 12 km, a key factor for the successful deployment of this technology is a robust air management system, capable of consistently delivering compressed and conditioned ambient air to the PEMFC stack throughout the entire flight envelope.
The air management system includes components such as (turbo) compressors and turbines with an additional electric drive, as well as a heat exchanger and a humidifier and has a significant impact on fuel consumption, waste heat and the total weight of the propulsion system. Prior investigations have comprehensively analysed and optimised the performance of air management systems under optimal operating conditions for various aircraft types and missions. Within this context, a significant range of variations in system architectures combined with suitable operating conditions has been identified, and this will be explored in the scope of this project.
The main objective of this study is to extend the operational envelope of the air management system by incorporating additional off-design operating states beyond the typical design parameters. This includes not only cruise flight but also critical phases such as take-off, climb, and landing. Based on these critical operating states and limits, an air management system will be designed and validated. Particular attention will be paid to the compressor and the turbine, as these play a decisive role in the system behaviour. The following questions will be addressed:
• Which components limit the operational envelope at which specific critical operating points?
• Which system architectures and operating strategies prove to be optimal?
• What are the interdependencies between the aircraft design and the air, heat and power management of the fuel cell?
The project is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy – EXC 2163/1 - Sustainable and Energy Efficient Aviation – ProjectID 390881007.
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