Spain Consortium Takes Off in Support of Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft Engine
Companies in Spain are coming together to test a hydrogen-powered aircraft engine.
ITP Aero, a Spanish aircraft engine company, is leading a consortium to test and develop the first in-country hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft. The consortium will benefit from cooperation from Destinus, a hydrogen-powered, high-speed aircraft developer, Ajusa, a fuel cell specialist, and Aerotecnic, an aerospace systems and structures company.
The €12 million Cryogenics, Fuel Cells, and Hydrogen Combustion in Air Transport project will be co-supported by European Union Next Gen strategic investment funding and will further form part of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation’s Aeronautical Technology Plan managed by the Spanish Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI).
In order to support this development effort, the consortium will work towards the development of a sophisticated open-air test bench facility at INTA’s Torrejon de Ardoz facility near Madrid. This will be the third of its kind in the world. The test facility will support testing on site using an engine modified for hydrogen combustion. This testing is expected to begin in 2025.
In addition to this test site, the project will focus on four main research areas including:
- Development of technology for conditioning liquid hydrogen for transformation into gaseous hydrogen and use in gas turbines
- Basic hydrogen combustion research
- Development of a fuel-cell propulsion system
- Modification of an existing engine to operate on a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen
This effort highlights the value of public-private partnerships and collaborations when pushing an industry towards innovation. This effort will further position the Spanish industry at the forefront of European testing for hydrogen-powered aircraft engines.
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