Published by Todd Bush on February 27, 2024
Major milestone brings together the company’s modular hydrogen storage technology and fuel cell powertrain as it advances towards a certifiable hydrogen regional aircraft retrofit conversion kit
MOJAVE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Universal Hydrogen Co. today announced it has successfully run a megawatt-class fuel cell powertrain using its proprietary liquid hydrogen module to supply the fuel. “This is the largest fuel cell powertrain ever to run on liquid hydrogen,” said Mark Cousin, the company’s president & CTO, “making it another in a series of ‘firsts’ for Universal Hydrogen.” The liquid hydrogen module powered the company’s “iron bird” ground test rig for over 1 hour and 40 minutes, simulating a regional aircraft flight profile. The iron bird is a functional analogue of the powertrain that Universal Hydrogen has been flight testing since March 2023. The company’s liquid hydrogen module holds fuel to power the iron bird for over three hours at full power, with two such modules sufficient for 500 nautical miles of usable range (on top of reserves) for an ATR72 regional airliner. This demonstration, conducted at the Mojave Air & Space Port, is the first time the company’s module and powertrain have been integrated together, marking another significant accomplishment on the path toward entry into passenger service planned for 2026.
>> In Other News: NewHydrogen CEO Steve Hill Discusses Affordable Green Hydrogen with Policy Expert at Cleveland State University
Developed at Universal Hydrogen’s engineering and design center in Toulouse, France, the liquid hydrogen module is the core of the company’s fuel services offering for aviation. It internalizes all the complexity of managing cryogenic hydrogen, while externally presenting a simple container interface compatible with existing intermodal freight and airport cargo handling equipment. The module contains ~200 kilograms of liquid hydrogen and is capable of storing it for long durations without boiloff. The module contains systems to convert cryogenic liquid hydrogen into warm gaseous hydrogen that is consumed by the powertrain. It also incorporates features such as hydrogen leak detection and venting systems for safe operations, as well as a leak-proof quick-connect for easy installation and removal of the module from the aircraft.
“This end-to-end demonstration of a hydrogen molecule moving from our filler/dispenser into our storage module and then into our powertrain is the first time that all the pieces of our product portfolio for regional aviation have come together,” said Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen. “The next step is to upgrade our flight testbed to fly the powertrain fueled by our modules.”
Today’s demonstration comes on the heels of Universal Hydrogen’s demo in recent weeks of another use case for its modular fueling technology, a hydrogen-powered charger for airport ground support equipment. The company also recently announced the hire of Stasy Pasterick as Chief Financial Officer.
Universal Hydrogen is a hydrogen fuel services provider that uses unique liquid and gaseous hydrogen module technology. The company takes a flexible, scalable, and capital-light approach to hydrogen logistics by transporting it in modular capsules over the existing freight network from green production sites directly to point of consumption, anywhere in the world. The company is targeting regional and narrowbody/single aisle airplanes as the most impactful decarbonization opportunities, while seeking other early applications that can make a difference. Universal Hydrogen is also working to certify a powertrain conversion kit to retrofit existing regional aircraft to fly on hydrogen.
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.
Inside this Issue 💡 Bill Gates-backed Startup Says a Global Gold Rush for Buried Hydrogen is Picking Up Momentum 🌍 Largest Hydrogen Highway to Link America and Europe: 10 Million Metric Tons and a...
Inside this Issue 🌿 Gevo to Acquire Red Trail Energy Assets in North Dakota, Including Operating Low-carbon Ethanol Production and Carbon Sequestration Facilities, Expanding Platform for Sustainab...
Inside this Issue 💡 1PointFive's South Texas Direct Air Capture Hub Awarded U.S. Department of Energy Funding 🔗 H2 Clipper's Patented 'Hydrogen Ledger' Uses Blockchain Technology to Track Purity a...
UNDO Lands Groundbreaking Carbon Removals Financing Deal in 'Global First'
UK carbon removal start-up UNDO has secured an innovative debt financing deal, supported by significant corporates like British Airways and Standard Chartered, to accelerate the expansion of its en...
Say Goodbye to EVs – This Water-Hydrogen Engine Will Change Everything in Automotion
Honda launches a model identical to the Dodge Challenger – here’s when you can buy it Neither Toyota nor Hyundai – JD Power confirms the list of most reliable cars on the US market. Chevy an...
New Technology Transforms Captured Carbon Into Clean Energy Source
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed an innovative electrochemical cell that efficiently converts captured carbon dioxide (CO2) into formate, a green fuel. This new system,...
Holcim Invests in Sublime Systems to Scale Up Innovative Low-carbon Technology
Startup developed proprietary CO2-free electrochemical process to produce low-carbon cement Investment covers Sublime’s first commercial manufacturing facility, giving Holcim a large share of ...
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.