MTC collaborates on £17 million hydrogen aviation project to power greener flight
The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) is playing a pivotal role in a major new £17 million initiative to accelerate the development of a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell system that could power commercial aircraft before the end of the decade.
Project HEIGHTS (Hydrogen Efficient fuel cell Integrated in a High Temperature System) - a three-year programme led by Intelligent Energy (IE) — aims to advance the company’s modular 300kW aviation fuel cell platform, IE-FLIGHT™ 300, for use in the next-generation aircraft. MTC has secured £1.2 million in funding from the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) to support the work.
Image source: the-mtc.org
Funded by the ATI Programme, a partnership between ATI, the Department for Business and Trade and Innovate UK, Project HEIGHTS will also be supported by the University of Sheffield AMRC, Coventry University, and several supply chain partners.
As part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, MTC will utilise the latest design tools and state-of-the-art metal additive manufacturing equipment to significantly reduce the weight and size of critical components being developed and tested in the HEIGHTS project, in a way which will also enable these parts to be manufactured on a commercial scale.
Initial applications for this fuel cell technology include Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft and short-range commuter planes. IE’s new fuel cell system – IE-FLIGHT™ 300 – is expected to enter early service in Part 23 aircraft (with up to 19 seats) by the end of the decade, with scale-up plans targeting larger (Part 25) regional aircraft in the 2030s.
Matt Kite, Energy and Utilities Director at MTC, said: “Hydrogen-powered aviation will play a crucial role in reaching net-zero. But innovative designs, materials and ways to manufacture components must be developed and scaled up to make this happen. By supporting Intelligent Energy on their journey to reach these goals, not only can we drive progress towards zero-emission flights but also help develop the necessary supply chains for a hydrogen economy.”
The project addresses the key challenge with traditional fuel cell systems – how to keep the fuel cells at the correct operating temperature without introducing significant aircraft drag from cooling systems. In aviation particularly, minimising the heat exchanger size is critical to reduce mass and drag, and to optimise overall efficiency.
IE’s patented direct water-injection technology uses air-cooled condensers with a smaller frontal area than conventional liquid glycol radiators. In Project HEIGHTS – IE will further develop this novel cooling method to achieve a significant reduction in heat exchanger size.
David Woolhouse, CEO at Intelligent Energy, said: “This is about getting hydrogen-powered aircraft in the air, and into service at scale, as quickly as possible. We firmly believe that hydrogen will be the primary energy source for flight, in the longer term for everything that flies. This project supports us making our modular system even smaller, lighter and more scalable.”
The investment comes as aviation faces rising pressure to cut emissions. Batteries remain constrained by weight and range, while hydrogen-electric propulsion is gaining traction as a cleaner, scalable alternative.
Jacqueline Castle, Chief Technology Officer at the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) concluded: “We are delighted to be supporting Intelligent Energy’s HEIGHTS programme. The ATI’s FlyZero project identified the need for high-temperature fuel cell systems and world-class expertise on thermal management within the UK. This project brings the two together to develop what we expect to be a compelling, power dense solution for zero-carbon flight.”
For more information, visit www.the-mtc.org.