November 22, 2011 — Ottawa, Ontario
In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has partnered with Boeing Commercial Airplanes to address the safe utilization of hydrogen in a custom-designed fuel cell system, which could provide reliable auxiliary power as a targeted concept for future commercial aircraft.
“This demonstration project creates new commercial opportunities for Canadian hydrogen and fuel cell solutions as well as for technology developers, manufacturers and suppliers along the aerospace supply chain,” said Maja Veljkovic, Director General at the NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation. “NRC looks forward to continuing its work with Boeing and other companies to de-risk complex technology solutions.”
The NRC oversees this research being carried onboard a grounded Boeing 737 at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) Aerospace Technology Campus. NRC researchers have helped successfully transfer a new fuel cell system to the commercial aerospace sector, while addressing very rigorous integration and safety requirements. This involved transferring compressed hydrogen from a mobile fuelling cart to a storage cylinder onboard the aircraft and then operating the system to power the rear galley and brew coffee. Building on experiences gained in ground transport and mobile applications, technology readiness demos are key to advancing fuel cells for aviation use.
