Hydrogen-electric aviation has a cooling challenge that could be just as significant as the propulsion system itself. TAT Technologies is now partnering with Beyond Aero, the French aerospace startup, to take on that challenge on its planned hydrogen-electric business aircraft.
The companies are working together on the thermal-management architecture for ONE aircraft from Beyond Aero. TAT is integrating its Universal Cooling System, or UCS, into the aircraft design as engineers work to develop a compact propulsion system that can handle challenging heat loads.
The ONE is capable of flying with six passengers for about 800 nautical miles. That translates into a range of around 920 miles, or about five times the distance that similar battery-electric aircraft are aiming for.
Hydrogen-electric propulsion cooling
Fuel-cell propulsion creates a harsh thermal environment. Engineers have to be able to get the heat out without adding too much weight or taking up too much room inside the plane.
Thermal management is thus an essential component of the aircraft architecture and not a secondary system added on later. TAT designed its Universal Cooling System as a unified cooling platform for electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft. The system is capable of adapting to multiple conditions of operation while operating under tight size and weight constraints of newly developed aircraft designs.
Hydrogen propulsion is a promising path to low-emission aviation, said TAT Technologies CEO Igal Zamir. He also cited versatility, efficiency, and dependability as primary criteria for new aircraft platforms.
Beyond Aero is designing the ONE to be powered by a fuel cell with gaseous hydrogen storage. Founded in 2020, the company now has over 80 aerospace engineers based in Toulouse, Paris, and Los Angeles.
Range of 800 miles
The range target represents a major differentiator in electric aviation for the project. A key limitation for battery-powered aircraft is the energy density of batteries, particularly for aircraft designers who want to increase range without a dramatic increase in battery mass.
Hydrogen can be an alternative route. Fuel cells generate electricity from hydrogen and produce heat that must be continuously rejected by the aircraft. The cooling architecture is critical as Beyond Aero moves toward a full aircraft configuration.
TAT’s aerospace experience will help the startup to develop a reliable aircraft architecture, opines Yannick Schwartzenbart, who is the Head of Program Industrialization at Aero. The partnership reinforces the industrial base backing the hydrogen-electric program, he said. The partnership also gives Beyond Aero the ability to utilize thermal-management knowledge developed for high-pressure aerospace applications.
Thermal Systems Shaped Aircraft
Such a partnership demonstrates how innovations in propulsion can transform what appear to be secondary aircraft systems. Hydrogen tanks, fuel cells as well as electrical equipment and cooling hardware all have to fit within a tightly constrained airframe.
Thus, engineers need to factor in heat rejection at the start of the design process. An effective cooling system can contribute too much mass or take up excessive space, which decreases the overall efficiency of the aircraft.
Beyond Aero intends to use the ONE to introduce hydrogen-electric propulsion to business aviation. The aircraft is designed around that propulsion architecture, instead of taking a current traditional layout and modifying it.
TAT’s involvement means thermal management is part of that broader engineering work. If the ONE is commercially operational, it will be one of the less obvious elements of the cooling system, helping to assess how effectively the plane can utilize hydrogen power.