Nottingham goes deep on cryogenics for H2FlyGHT programme

Cryogenics is a vital area of R&D for hydrogen flight, as extreme low temperatures allow for hydrogen to be stored with much greater energy density in liquid form. The new £5.3m Nottingham project will focus on the development, manufacture and test of a new cryogenic hydrogen-electric propulsion system. Led by the university’s Power Electronics, Machines and Control (PEMC) research group, the project will support the full motor design, as well as cryogenic inverter technology development. 

Engineers at the university will deliver this research at a new hydrogen propulsion systems facility on campus. This will feature a cryogenics lab for low temperature loops to increase electrical system efficiencies, a systems integration lab, and an altitude environment chamber capable of testing a megawatt fuel cell together with battery and electrical motor systems. According to the university, the hardware labs will be connected to a digital twinning lab to optimise design and operational performance.