hydrogen and fuel cell 2 5
The aviation industry has set
ambitious CO2 targets for 2050.
Focus speaks to AVL’s Helmut
Iancu (Global Business Segment
Manager Fuel Cell Testing Technology)
and David Diarra (R&D
Management, PL BALIS) from
DLR, the German Aerospace Center,
about the roadmap to sustainable
flight propulsion.
focus: What does the development
roadmap look like for the next
generation of flight propulsion?
Diarra: Beside sustainable aviation
fuels, the combination of hydrogen
and fuel cells (FC) is a promising
option for small and medium range
aircraft. The feasibility of fuel cellbased
electric aircraft has been demonstrated
with small aircraft already.
focus: What type of electric architecture
do you see as the most
promising?
Diarra: For higher power ranges
fuel cell (FC)/liquid hydrogen
(LH2) energy systems offer a higher
specific energy density than battery
systems to date. However, hybridization
with a battery is inevitable
in many cases. Combining the benefits
of the fuel cell and the high specific
power of a battery enables optimization
of system efficiency and
weight. Such an approach can offer
advantages such as redundancy, system
stability and dynamic behavior.
focus: What will be the big challenges
in transitioning to these
technologies?
Diarra: Balancing the individual
components of fuel cell-based powertrains
requires new approaches
for both testing infrastructures
and R&D processes, to make the
right engineering decisions early in
development. In the BALIS project
AVL and DLR are developing
a first of its kind testing environment
to cope with future challenges
which address an increase of the
power density and the high demands
in reliability and technical/
economic efficiency of powertrains
in aviation.
Iancu: BALIS is a test environment
built to upscale fuel cell powertrains
to the megawatt range. It has several
testbeds for different systems –
fuel cell, battery and electric motor.
It offers single component as well
as coupling tests by procedural or
electrical connection of the test
fields following the multi-integration
test environment approach.
Diarra: In addition to that, BALIS
will be the first testing environment
which implements a test field
for LH2 aviation tanks and a capable
LH2 infrastructure.
focus: This sounds like a very complex
test field, where the seamless
integration of simulation is key.
Could this approach be used in
other industries?
Iancu: Many industries are shifting to
a simulation-centric approach. Virtual
prototypes and models shorten
development times and support an
agile simulation approach. At AVL
we have the expertise and solutions
to change the way new propulsion
systems are developed across industries.
And with DLR as partner, we
are shaping the future of sustainable
propulsion. �
BALIS test environment for the development of
fuel cell propulsion systems in aviation
© German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Taking to
the Skies
with Fuel
Cells
What does the future of zero
emission flight propulsion look
like, and how do we get there?
I N T E R V I E W
with David Diarra, DLR
and Helmut Iancu, AVL
Electric
motor
Battery
system
Cooling
unit
H2 tank
system
Fuel cell
system
Control
room Power
rouling