Several projects led by the
University of Nottingham’s Institute of Aerospace Technology (IAT) have received a share of £10 million to fund research into the future of ‘net zero’ aviation.
The projects to benefit from this funding — Hecate, Newborn and Hera — are all part of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (the EU’s ‘research and innovation’ programme for making the aviation industry ready for a sustainable future) and build on the ‘significant outcomes’ delivered by the University of Nottingham in the development of electrification technologies in recent years.
Serhiy Bozhko, director of the IAT at the University of Nottingham, said: “The aerospace industry hasn’t really changed since the jet engine revolutionised air travel in the 1950s. Therefore, technologies that will reduce our reliance on fossil fuel and improve the efficiency of flight are of ultimate importance to help us deliver the next great breakthrough in disruptive technologies.”
Professor Bozhko added: “Aviation needs to meet the ambitious targets of the European Green Deal, ultimately reaching climate neutrality by 2050, which means a step change is required to significantly reduce fuel burn. For Hecate, the University of Nottingham team will be working on the high-power, power electronic converters required for the move towards hybrid-electrical aircrafts — including digitising a design process that will lead to the development of ‘technology bricks’.”
Meanwhile, Newborn intends to bring aviation graded fuel cells fed by liquid hydrogen into the market, for use in large, turbine-powered aircraft, as soon as is safely possible. It will also address: high-power-density high-voltage energy conversion, propulsion systems; and the next generation of microtube heat exchangers. The aim is to achieve an overall propulsion system efficiency of 50% by the time the project ends in 2026.
Finally, Hera aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions and develop a brand-new aircraft. At a size of approximately 50 to 100 seats, the aircraft will be ready for entry into service by the mid-2030s and will include hybrid-electric propulsion using batteries or fuel cells ‘resulting in up to 90% lower emissions while remaining fully compliant’.
A research team of experienced academics, researchers, engineers and technical and professional staff will be spending the next three years working alongside the principal investigators for the projects — Serhiy Bozhko, Tao Yang and Pat Wheeler — and industry partners to bring the projects to fruition.