NZ company tests composite liquid‍-‍hydrogen aircraft refuelling tanks

New Zealand and Australian companies developing and deploying liquid-hydrogen technologies to enable Australasia’s first hydrogen-electric flights say they have made a significant step forward in the transition to zero-emission aviation.

Fabrum, AMSL Aero and Stralis Aircraft have successfully filled aviation tanks with liquid hydrogen produced and stored on-site for the first time at an international airport in preparation for pre-flight testing.

Fabrum designed and manufactured the advanced composite liquid-hydrogen tanks for the aircraft companies AMSL Aero and Stralis Aircraft. The refuelling was successfully completed at Fabrum’s dedicated liquid-hydrogen test facility at Christchurch Airport, developed in partnership with the airport at its renewable energy precinct.

“Our lightweight composite tanks, together with our hydrogen liquefier and refuelling systems, are critical enablers for hydrogen-powered flight,” said Christopher Boyle, Managing Director of Christchurch-based Fabrum. “By bringing all the elements together for the first time on site at an international airport — producing, storing, and dispensing liquid hydrogen into composite aviation tanks as a fuel — we’re proving that liquid-hydrogen technologies for aircraft are now available and that hydrogen-electric flight will soon be a reality in Australasia.”

Sydney-based AMSL Aero is the developer of a hydrogen-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft known as Vertiia.

“Vertiia is the world’s first eVTOL designed from inception to be powered by hydrogen for long-range, cargo and passenger operations,” said Dr Adriano Di Pietro, CEO. “Vertiia must be as light as possible to achieve its 1000 km range, 500 kg payload and 300 km/h cruising speed. Liquid hydrogen is the lightest zero-emission method of storing energy for long-distance flight; no other technology currently comes close.

“With Fabrum, we have demonstrated the key steps in that process: from producing liquid hydrogen, to filling our ground transport container, then filling the tanks that we will install to our aircraft before our first liquid hydrogen flights next year. This is a major milestone.”

Brisbane-based Stralis Aircraft is a developer of high-performance, low-operating-cost hydrogen-electric propulsion systems.

"It’s fantastic to see more of Fabrum’s hydrogen technologies unveiled and tested,” said Bob Criner, CEO. “We are working with Fabrum to develop onboard tanks for our fixed-wing test aircraft to supply hydrogen to our hydrogen-electric propulsion system. We’re excited to see Fabrum’s hydrogen fuel dispensing systems for these onboard tanks proven out in testing. This is a vital step toward our first liquid hydrogen test flights.”

Pioneering liquid hydrogen technologies unveiled

Boyle says that Fabrum, AMSL Aero and Stralis Aircraft are demonstrating that liquid-hydrogen fuel is a credible alternative for the aviation industry. The liquid-hydrogen technologies and aviation projects in the spotlight at the testing event included:

• Fabrum — triple-skin aviation fuel tanks: Fabrum’s composite manufacturing techniques are the culmination of over two decades of research and development in the fields of cryogenics and composites. Its proprietary triple-skin liquid hydrogen tank technology provides enhanced thermal insulation and fast refuelling compared to conventional double-skin tank designs, delivering up to 70% faster refuelling times and an 80% reduction in boil-off losses during refuelling.
• AMSL Aero — liquid-hydrogen storage Dewar and onboard aviation fuel tanks: AMSL Aero received composite onboard aviation tanks developed by Fabrum, which will be installed on its Vertiia aircraft for long-range flights. The cryogenic Dewar stores liquid hydrogen (with a boiling point much lower than room temperature).
• Stralis Aircraft — liquid-hydrogen storage Dewar and onboard aviation fuel tanks: Stralis Aircraft’s lightweight hydrogen-electric propulsion system will be powered by liquid hydrogen from Fabrum’s cryogenic aviation tanks, which are mounted on the wings of its fixed-wing test aircraft. Stralis expects its hydrogen-electric propulsion system will enable travel up to ten times further than battery-electric alternatives and save 20–50% on operational costs compared to fossil fuel. Its first hydrogen test flight is expected to take off in Australasia within six months.
   

Image: AMSL Aero's Vertiia VTOL aircraft. Supplied.