Boeing Announces Partners for Fuel
Cell Demonstrator Airplane Project
CHICAGO, July 11, 2003 – Boeing today announced
its partners for a demonstrator airplane project aimed
at exploring the use of fuel cell technology for future
aerospace applications. The research project, led by
the Boeing Research and Technology Center in Madrid,
Spain, includes Intelligent Energy (UK), Diamond Aircraft
Industries (Austria), the Spanish companies Sener and
Aerlyper, and Advanced Technology Products (ATP), from
the United States.
The project will evaluate the potential application
of fuel cell technology -- which is cleaner, quieter
and more efficient than current gas turbine technology
-- for future commercial airplane products. As part
of the evaluation, the project will develop and flight-demonstrate
an electric-motor-driven airplane powered by fuel cells.
With respect to the five partners collaborating in
the project, Diamond Aircraft of Austria will supply
the demonstrator airplane, based on a certified Katana
Xtreme motor-glider (in Europe called the Super Dimona);
Intelligent Energy of the United Kingdom will provide
the Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell hardware and
technical support; Sener will design and build a fuel
cell controller unit to be used in research activities;
Aerlyper will integrate the electric motor into the
airplane and perform airframe modification work; and
ATP will supply the motor, batteries, and controllers
to complete the electric propulsion system, and perform
the flight testing of the airplane.
“Boeing will collaborate with these companies
to investigate the integration of fuel cells into aerospace
vehicles, a potential new field of application, which
promises to reduce emissions while increasing the efficiency
of electrical power generation,” said Miguel Hernán,
managing director of the Madrid Center. “Research
into environmentally acceptable technologies is a key
focus for the Center’s work in Europe.”
In addition to the five partners involved, two Spanish
universities will also collaborate in this project.
The Polytechnic University of Madrid will test a sub-scale
version of the fuel cells that will power the demonstrator
airplane and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia
will work to understand the possible failure modes of
this completely new form of airborne electrical power
generation.
Work to integrate the fuel cells into the demonstrator
airframe is expected to begin at the end of summer 2003.
This would enable a possible flight test in late 2004
or early 2005. While test results are not expected to
allow for any near-term applications of the new technology
to production aircraft, they are expected to contribute
to the eventual use of this technology in aircraft to
provide cleaner, more efficient performance.
In addition to being inherently cleaner and quieter
than current technology gas turbines, fuel cells can
generate approximately twice as much electricity from
the same amount of fuel. Unlike a battery, which needs
to be recharged, fuel cells keep working as long as
the fuel lasts. While fuel cells and electric motors
will not replace jet engines, they could potentially
replace gas turbine auxiliary power units, which provide
electricity and air for airplane systems.
The Madrid Research and Technology Center, which is
part of the Boeing Phantom Works advanced R&D unit,
was opened in July 2002 to serve as a center of excellence
in environmental, safety and reliability and air traffic
control technologies. Because Spain in particular and
Europe in general have demonstrated strong interest
and results in these areas, the Boeing R&T Center
plans to collaborate with industries, academia and other
research centers across Europe to advance technology
development in these areas.
The Boeing Company is
participating in the Forum HANNOVER FAIR 2004 |