Airbus furthers fuel cell technology

Airbus is strongly engaged in developing greener aircraft and increasing the eco-efficiency of its modern product line; and one of the most promising contributors for emission free ground operation is fuel cell technology.

Together with its research partner DLR, Airbus is examining the potential of this technology, its integration into the aircraft and has already successfully performed the first flight test on a civil transport aircraft in 2008, where a fuel cell system provided power for the aircraft's back-up systems.

In order to gain more details on the potential of fuel cell technology as supply for electric power in aircraft ground operation, a DLR designed technology
demonstrator has been installed in the DLR owned A320 fuel cell test aircraft at the Airbus site in Hamburg.

The technology demonstrator consists of a fuel cell powering an electric motor which drives the nose landing gear wheels allowing the aircraft to taxi autonomously.

The objective of these tests is to further validate the potential of the integrated fuel cell technology for powering future aircraft functionalities such as autonomous taxiing.

The data collected in the tests will be analysed by Airbus and the DLR to further develop the overall integration of this technology and potential further optimisation possibilities.

Within the joint R&T activities, Airbus is in charge of the overall aircraft system architecture and technology integration into the aircraft, whereas the DLR is driving some of the basic research activities for aerospace fuel cell technology.

The landing gear itself with the integrated DLR-designed fuel cell powered motor is provided by Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg.