Honeywell’s 1MW hydrogen powertrain demonstrator advances through early ground testing

Honeywell Aerospace (HON) is making steady progress on NEWBORN, an EU Clean Aviation-funded programme developing a 1-megawatt-class fuel cell powertrain for aviation, with early ground testing now under way in the Czech Republic.

The project, launched in 2023, aims to reach technology readiness level (TRL) 4 — a measure of technological maturity — by its scheduled conclusion at the end of March next year.

Testing of the power-generation system, which combines fuel cell stacks with balance-of-plant and thermal management equipment, began in late August at a purpose-built facility at the UJV Nuclear Research Institute in Rez, near Prague. Project lead Ondrej Kotaba said the system had completed 22 runs averaging about 30 minutes each by mid-September, with further optimisation work planned before the unit is shipped to Italy.

At Pipistrel’s test site in Gorizia, the power-generation system will be combined with a 1MW electric motor, controllers and inverters developed by the University of Nottingham, a hydrogen storage and supply system from Aciturri/Sonaca, and a battery pack from Pipistrel. The electric motor, now in its third iteration after rework to address issues including rotor overheating, is undergoing testing in the UK.

The powertrain has been designed around Pipistrel’s conceptual 19-seat Miniliner aircraft, with scalability from 250kW to 2MW. Design choices reflect that reference aircraft: the nine-bladed, 3m-diameter propellers spin at 1,200rpm, optimised for low noise and slower than the roughly 2,100rpm take-off speed of a comparable in-production 19-seater, influencing the electric motor and gearbox design.

At the core of the system are three fuel cell stacks supplied by Sweden’s PowerCell, each delivering around 300kW gross — roughly 200-250kW net — and described as the largest stacks currently in existence. They operate at approximately 100°C, higher than the typical 80°C, which simplifies heat rejection to ambient air.

Honeywell shares closed recently at $206.54, down 1.0% from the previous close of $208.63, valuing the company at roughly $65.5 billion.

Source: original release.

What to watch

• Completion of power-generation system testing in the Czech Republic and shipment to Pipistrel’s Gorizia site in Italy
• Integration of the full powertrain, including motor, hydrogen storage and battery components
• Project milestone status as NEWBORN approaches its March-end conclusion and TRL 4 target
• Potential announcements regarding flight test planning