© Fraunhofer IAPT
As part of its efforts to achieve climate-neutral aviation by 2050, Fraunhofer IAPT is working within a consortium on innovative heat exchangers. The experts in additive manufacturing are leveraging the technology’s high design flexibility and the weight reduction offered by lightweight construction.
Coordinated by Fundacion CIDITEC, the exFan project brings together 10 partners from 5 EU countries working on a hydrogen-powered aircraft. In a subproject, Fraunhofer IAPT is developing a new heat exchanger to cool the fuel cell and recover heat for the propulsion system.
Fraunhofer IAPT’s contribution to the development of the innovative propulsion system includes the following steps:
The exFan project aims to develop new technologies for energy storage, conversion, and distribution in aircraft with hydrogen and electrified propulsion systems. This includes technologies for heat dissipation, thermal management, and energy recovery in the megawatt range, as well as simulation tools, validation methods, and control concepts for a megawatt-class hydrogen- and electric-powered powertrain for aircraft.
The targeted innovations are intended to secure a leading and pioneering role for the European aviation industry and pave the way toward climate-neutral aviation. At the same time, savings in operating costs are intended to maintain the industry’s global competitiveness.
Project Name:
exFan
Novel recuperation system to maximize exergy from anergy for fuel cell powered geared electric aircraft propulsion system
Project Partners:
Grant Number:
G.A. 101138184
Project Duration:
01.12.2023 – 30.11.2027
Funding:
European Union
Additive manufacturing enables the production of extremely complex geometries with large surface areas. The exFan project is evaluating the use of additive manufacturing with the goal of achieving significantly better heat transfer with considerably lower weight and more compact dimensions—a decisive factor in reducing energy consumption.
Additively manufactured heat exchangers enhance the efficiency of hydrogen propulsion systems by utilizing waste heat from fuel cells and associated components to generate additional thrust. In addition, reduced material and energy consumption during manufacturing, along with weight reduction, can lower CO₂ emissions over the entire life cycle.
For use in hydrogen environments and in the exFan project, alloys such as titanium (e.g., Ti6Al4V) or aluminum (e.g., AlSi10Mg) are primarily used.
A combination of process simulations, optimized pressure parameters, and extensive Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) - like computed tomography - ensures the quality and aerospace suitability of the heat exchangers.
