Engineering's Dr Christos Skamniotis will work a multi-talented group of UK academics to help aircraft engineers make hydrogen engines.
King's is coming together with academics from the University of Oxford, Imperial College and Loughborough University to help develop hydrogen-powered jet engines in a £9.5 million Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) project.
Commercial aviation, powered by fossil fuels, contributes to approximately 2.5% of global CO2 emissions and the UK is one of the top five countries in the world for passenger related emissions. To help slash these, the UK has outlined its commitment to 'Jet Zero', or net-zero aviation, by 2050.
To help realise this ambition, the EPSRC project will tackle key challenges in using cryogenic liquid hydrogen as fuel for gas turbines. By emitting water instead of aviation kerosene's CO2, hydrogen hopes to make mid-range commercial flights zero carbon.
However, the change in fuel will necessitate a rethink in traditional engine design. To be used as a fuel, hydrogen needs to be stored at cryogenic temperatures and be highly pressurised to function efficiently.
This can make it particularly difficult to use as a fuel as an engine experiences a dynamic range of temperatures when heating it up. Combined with hydrogen's very light weight and ability to diffuse rapidly this can cause embrittlement, leading to cracks in the engine. This is a cause of serious concern in the aviation sector as mid-flight engine failure could be deadly.
Designing single-use planes won't be good for anybody; what this project will do is give manufacturers confidence that their designs will not only be safe, but economically viable, allowing them to rapidly reiterate on designs that will need a radical rethink for the Jet Zero age."
Dr Christos Skamniotis
To give aircraft engineers the confidence that any prototype hydrogen engines they design will be viable and will not fail before the industry standard benchmark of 10,000 uses, Dr Christos Skamniotis will develop a toolkit that will enable manufacturers to digitally model the stresses hydrogen fuel exerts onto metal.
This will allow industry to design safe and working prototypes before committing to an expensive physical engine, helping make hydrogen aircraft more economically viable.
Dr Skamniotis said, "The climate crisis is one of the most pressing issues of our age and net zero aviation has a role to play in averting it. One of the biggest blockers to using cryogenic liquid hydrogen is the impact that multiple engine cycles have on the integrity of the engine, with the threat of failure mid-flight hanging over aircraft engineers.
"Designing single-use planes won't be good for anybody; what this project will do is give manufacturers confidence that their designs will not only be safe, but economically viable, allowing them to rapidly reiterate on designs that will need a radical rethink for the Jet Zero age."
Hydrogen-powered technology represents one of the most significant opportunities for the UK's engineering sector. EPSRC is delighted to support this ground-breaking research programme, ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of global efforts to decarbonise aviation."
Dr Andy Lawrence, Head of Engineering at EPSRC
Reflecting the importance of the project to industry, the programme benefits from substantial investment from partners such as Rolls-Royce, Airbus, Honeywell, Zeroavia, Boeing, Parker Hannifin and the European Space Agency. They will provide direct contributions such as funded studentships, valuable industrial guidance, and critical testing facilities.
Highlighting the critical need for innovation, Dr Andy Lawrence, Head of Engineering at EPSRC noted: "Hydrogen-powered technology represents one of the most significant opportunities for the UK's engineering sector. EPSRC is delighted to support this ground-breaking research programme, ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of global efforts to decarbonise aviation."
