(Stuttgart/Ulm) – The sixth generation of the “Hy4” fuel cell aircraft has received test flight permission for Stuttgart Airport. The drive was developed in the lead by Josef Kallo, who conducts research at the University of Ulm and at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Stuttgart. Hy4 is the world's first four-seat passenger aircraft to fly purely electrically with fuel cells. The plane last took off for test flights in Maribor, Slovenia, in November.
120 kW and 200 kilometers per hour
The drive is a hybrid system that combines battery and fuel cell technology. In the fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen are converted into electrical energy for the propeller drive. If the energy generated in this way is not enough - for example when taking off or climbing - the lithium-ion battery steps in. The electric motor has an output of 120 kilowatts and enables a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour. To date, the functionality of the new propulsion system has been tested and examined in more than 30 takeoffs and flights of up to two hours, according to a statement.
40 passengers and 2.000 kilometers of range
“Increased efficiency and improved safety architecture will make hydrogen-powered aircraft for up to 40 passengers and with ranges of 2.000 kilometers possible in the next ten years,” explains the Ulm institute director Josef Kallo. The future tests in Stuttgart until May will focus on the interaction and coupling of new, even more powerful drive components.
Cooperation between research and industry
The basic fuel cell research and the interconnection of the components were largely carried out at DLR. H2FLY GmbH is responsible for the overall system architecture consisting of hydrogen tank, fuel cell and electric drive. H2FLY is also responsible for safe integration and operation on the aircraft.
In the Hy4 project, Ulm University, DLR, H2FLY and Diehl Aerospace (data communication and control hardware) are pooling their expertise. At international level they are supported by Pipistrel (aircraft hardware) and the research institutes Politecnica di Milano, TU Delft, University of Maribor and Cummins Canada. The sponsors include the National Organization for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH), the Federal Ministry of Economics and the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. In addition to funds from industry, there are also funds from DLR, Stuttgart Airport and the European Commission.
Photos
Baden-Württemberg's Transport Minister Winfried Hermann, Hy4 project manager Josef Kallo (Ulm University/DLR) and airport managing director Walter Schoefer (from left) at the presentation of the latest generation of the Hy4 hydrogen aircraft at Stuttgart Airport / © Tom Koenig, Stuttgart Airport
