A European Union-backed project to build a hydrogen-electric powertrain for small commuter airplanes has selected H3 Dynamics to supply its aviation-grade hydrogen fuel cell systems for a technology demonstration.
Led by Honeywell and electric airplane manufacturer Pipistrel, the “Hypotrade” (hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain demonstration) consortium aims to design and build a 500-kilowatt, hybrid-electric powertrain that runs on hydrogen fuel cells.
Plans call for ground tests to begin in 2026, followed by flight testing in 2030. Pipistrel, a Textron eAviation subsidiary, will provide a 19-seat demonstrator aircraft conceptually referred to as the Miniliner for flight testing.
Data from the project will inform future efforts to introduce hydrogen-electric powertrains for small aircraft that fall under EASA’s CS-23 category, which includes commuter airplanes with up to 19 seats.
Hypotrade is designing the propulsion system’s architecture in a way that is scalable, so it could potentially enable megawatt-class propulsion systems for larger airliners. The consortium will use the data collected during ground and flight testing to create and validate a digital twin, which engineers can use to predict the performance of scaled powertrains in the future.
Funding for the project is coming from the European Union’s Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, a public-private partnership between the European Commission and Europe’s aviation industry that aims to make flying more sustainable through the introduction of disruptive technologies.
Other participants in the Hypotrade consortium include the Netherlands Aerospace Center (NLR), Germany’s Fraunhofer Society research organization, the University of Stuttgart in Germany, and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
H3 Dynamics is also supplying its hydrogen fuel cells to UK-based Lyte Aviation for its planned 40-seat, hydrogen-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft called the LA-44 Skybus. The French company, which is based in Toulouse, has previously developed auxiliary power unit fuel cells for the Airbus A330 airliner.