For low-emission and climate-neutral aviation of the future, hydrogen-electric propulsion with fuel cell technology offers promising possibilities. In the 328H2-FC project, partners from research and industry are therefore working on a flying test platform to test hybrid-electric propulsion systems for a regional aircraft. For the first time, a Dornier 328 aircraft will be equipped for hydrogen-electric passenger flight. The main focuses of the work are the electrification of the powertrain and the integration of the fuel cell system.
Detailed view of the flow through the air ducts and heat exchangers. The colors of the streamlines show the local temperature between 250 K (blue) in the supply air and 325 K (red) in the exhaust air.
The innovative architecture with a megawatt-class fuel cell in the aircraft fuselage also presents a challenge in terms of aerodynamic integration due to the required cooling capacity. A system of cooling air inlets, heat exchangers and cladding elements is necessary, capable of dissipating heat while generating minimal additional air resistance.
In such novel configurations, computer-aided tools are essential for making predictions in advance about the behavior of individual components or the overall system under different flight conditions in advance. For this purpose, scientists at the Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology carry out numerical flow simulations using DLR's high-performance computers, CARA and CARO. They simulate the airflow around the aircraft together with the flow through the cooling system. The air entering at the cooling inlets is directed to the heat exchangers, where it is slowed down and heated according to their characteristic curves. The air then leaves the cooling system through the outlets and mixes again with the airflow around the aircraft. In this way, the simulations account for the mutual influence of the internal and external flow and the properties of the heat exchangers themselves.
With the knowledge gained by the researchers on the generated air resistance and the achieved cooling performance, the position and shape of the air ducts and the cladding of the cooling system can be optimized step by step. This results in a cooling system concept that meets the project’s requirements and enables the reliable operation of the flying test platform.
Project
328H2-FC
Term
1/2022 - 12/2024
Partners
DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology
DLR Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics (Lead)
DLR Institute of Structures and Design
DLR Institute of Electrofied Aero Engines
DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics
DLR Institute of System Architectures of Aeronautics
AKG Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH
Bauhaus Luftfahrt e.V
328 Support Service GmbH
Diehl Aerospace GmbH
Diehl Aviation GmbH Laupheim
GE Aviation
H2Fly GmbH
HS Elektronik GmbH
Industrieanlagen-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH
Funding
Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), Aviation Research Programme (LuFo), ref. no. 20M2109A
