We are pleased to announce that we are participating as a subcontractor in the public-funded BeHyPSy research project (air-cooled fuel cell system for aviation with a special focus on lightweight system design). Together with ZBT (Zentrum für BrennstoffzellenTechnik GmbH) and other partners, we are creating a technological milestone for the future of aviation.
Progress for aviation: Lightweight fuel cell systems with air cooling
High-performance fuel cell systems have so far generally relied on liquid cooling—a reliable but comparative heavy system. For unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and light aircraft, however, every gram counts. This is exactly where BeHyPSy comes in:
ZBT and its project partners are developing a particularly lightweight, air-cooled fuel cell system specifically for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, drones) and aircraft with a takeoff weight of 25 to 2000 kg.
According to the ZBT, the goal is “to develop, integrate and test an innovative propulsion system” that not only offers high performance but can also be scaled for use in other future aviation applications. This opens up significant market potential for sustainable aviation propulsion systems.
Technological features of the project
1. Air cooling instead of liquid cooling – a paradigm shift
The fuel cell system does not require liquid cooling. This significantly reduces weight and installation space. The requirements for air management are increasing accordingly – a central development focus of the consortium.
2. Multiphase electric motor for maximum reliability
A multiphase electric motor is powered by a multi-stack fuel cell system. This increases the reliability and availability of the overall system.
Our part in the project: Making super light metallic bipolar plates
As a long-time machine builder and expert in hydroforming and metal forming processes, ZBT is relying on us as a supplier for this project. Specifically, Graebener® produces the thin titanium foil bipolar plates needed for the air-cooled fuel cell stacks in our production lab.
Our services cover the entire process chain from coil to the finished bipolar plate, e.g.:
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Forming of metal foils by means of hydroforming
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Laser cutting
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Laser welding
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Straightening of welded plates
We also accompany the development process with our engineering expertise:
Working closely with ZBT, we analyze the technical feasibility limits of the innovative design and evaluate the extent to which process-reliable and batch-resistant manufacturing can be reliably ensured.
Through this, we are providing an important support to the development of lightweight fuel cell technology – a field in which we can fully utilize our more than 20 years of experience in the production of metallic bipolar plates.
Enabling innovation together
We are proud to contribute our expertise in production technology to BeHyPSy—a project that is leading the way in sustainable, emission-free aviation propulsion.