GKN Aerospace, Marshall and Parker Aerospace to develop hydrogen fuel systems

GKN Aerospace, Marshall, and Parker Aerospace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in an attempt to explore liquid hydrogen fuel system solutions for the next-generation of zero-emission aircraft. This partnership will achieve a significant milestone in the pursuit of sustainable aviation through hydrogen propulsion, either through fuel cells or combustion.

The liquid hydrogen fuel system that will be developed by Marshall, GKN Aerospace and Parker Aerospace under this MoU will be appropriate for both hydrogen electric and combustion applications. In developing the system, Marshall, GKN Aerospace and Parker will combine their resources and experience in the design, testing, certification and manufacture of new fuel systems for aerospace applications.

Russ Dunn, CTO GKN Aerospace said: “With this agreement, we have now set out a complete path to achieving zero-emissions flight at a game-changing scale. By working alongside Marshall and Parker, who have deep expertise in fuel systems, we can accelerate the development of the technology building blocks required for a complete hydrogen propulsion system for mid-range aircraft. This partnership, combined with our other industry-leading collaborations, is a significant step towards a sustainable future for aviation.”

The proposed liquid hydrogen fuel system collaboration will benefit significantly from the ongoing UK Aerospace Technology Institute funded, GKN Aerospace led, H2GEAR programme, which will ground test a scalable hydrogen electric fuel cell propulsion system in 2025. The intention is to combine the complete scalable fuel system and propulsion system together in a single flight test bed environment before the end of the decade. At the Paris Air Show last month, GKN Aerospace signed a collaboration MoU to explore an integrated flight demonstration of the end-to-end system. Initial studies suggest that such a system could support a wide range of aircraft, including commuter planes (less than 19 passengers), business jets and regional aircraft (100 passengers maximum). Scalability of the system for larger narrow-body aircraft is also presently being explored.