HTPEM Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology Development

The objective of this Phase II effort is to expand upon the development of the design of a 500 kW-class turbocharged HTPEM hydrogen fuel cell system for use in manned aircraft with energy density five times greater than current batteries.  This effort leverages past and ongoing IR&D and AFWERX Phase I STTR and Phase II SBIR investment in turbocharged HTPEM hydrogen fuel cell technology including system design, architecture development, and ground-based fuel cell component lab tests.  Successful development of airborne HTPEM fuel cell technology will enable eVTOL to meet customer requirements, eliminating battery risks while posturing the technology for DoD applications such as distributed logistics, rescue, and MEDEVAC.  FAA certification of HTPEM fuel cell technology on the PA-890 will open broader aviation and ground-based applications of this transformative technology. The research and development of high reliability light weight electric power systems that leverages the superior energy density of hydrogen is a key enabler for the development and deployment of eVTOL platforms.  The proposed research to advance the development of an airborne turbo air-cooled HTPEM hydrogen fuel cell power system will be conducted to assure adequate thermal management and evaluation of failure modes and their impact to system performance and safety.