At the recent
Paris Air Show, Industry Minister Sarah Jones announced that as part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, which will focus on growth in advanced manufacturing and defence,
Cranfield University and its industry partners are receiving a share of £250 million in funding to drive green aerospace projects.
Welcoming the news, Professor Dame Helen Atkinson — Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University’s School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing — said: “UK innovation in aerospace really is world-leading and this investment will accelerate hydrogen-enabled flight, which could have a transformative impact on aviation carbon emissions.”
Cranfield is involved in two projects both of which capitalise on the university’s expertise in hydrogen power and materials science. The first of these is Dragonfly, which is being delivered with Actuation Lab and is developing a special valve to control the flow of super-cold liquid hydrogen for future zero-emissions aircraft. The team will work on prototype manufacturing, pressure testing and flow testing, as well as fatigue analysis to ensure all systems comply with regulations.
Dr Efstathios Siampis, a lecturer in vehicle electrical electronic systems and leading the project for Cranfield, said: “This project is another vital step towards cleaner aviation. The specialist valve we will develop, with safety and performance at the forefront, is a key component to create the fuel systems that will work with super-cold liquid hydrogen in the future.”
Meanwhile, the MACH2INE project, in conjunction with
Darvick Ltd, is creating machines to test materials used in hydrogen-powered aircraft. The machines are being designed to test materials at extreme temperatures and pressures, under complex forces, and accurately measure hydrogen levels during testing, to help ensure these materials are safe and reliable for flight.
Dr Francesco Fanicchia, a senior lecturer in high-temperature surface engineering at Cranfield University and co-lead of the project, said: “Testing and certification of materials for use in hydrogen-powered aviation is a critical part of the journey towards decarbonising aviation. There’s currently no machine capable of testing materials properly under extreme conditions. This project is set to provide the UK with repeatable hydrogen testing covering the wide range of conditions required by industry – it will accelerate validation of materials across the UK aerospace supply chain and beyond.”