Air breathing PEM Fuel Cells in Aviation

Abstract

Aviation industry and governing bodies have set out to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of aviation. This has led research groups to explore disruptive paths of innovation for aircraft and a trend to the electrification of onboard systems in more electric and all electric aircraft. Providing the required electric power using a fuel cell and battery hybrid architecture not only promises the reduction of carbon emissions and noise but also allows for system level optimizations using synergy effects from a multi-functional system-integration that aircraft design could benefit from. System voltage, power output and behavior depends on a number of parameters, like ambient pressure, temperature, requested amount of oxygen remaining in the cathode exhaust of the fuel cells, etc.. While small aircraft, like the HY4, are currently being or have been built using this technology, understanding this behavior is crucial to a successful application of fuel cells in aviation.