A Performance Analysis of a Fuel Cell Propulsion System with Micro Gas Turbine Under Realistic Environmental Conditions

A major challenge for aircraft fuel cell propulsion systems is to ensure that the air properties on the cathode side remain within a narrow, suitable envelope throughout the flight. The components must maintain almost constant temperature, pressure and humidity levels under widely varying ambient conditions. The choice of components must take into account the aviation-specific requirements for weight and waste heat. In this numerical study, we investigate a novel cathode air supply system for a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system which replaces the state-of-the-art electrical components used to drive the compressor in the cathode air supply system with a hydrogen-fuelled micro gas turbine. Previous studies have shown the potential of waste heat and overall cathode gas path size reduction but the off-design performance of such system is yet to be investigated. Hence, based on realistic regional aircraft flight missions and realistic atmospheric conditions, we investigate the off-design performance of the propulsion system. Therefore, a constant mass flow algorithm along cathode and gas turbine gas paths is developed and presented. Next, earth observation data are used to determine realistic boundary conditions and air contamination. Based on these data, the possible contaminant ingestion of the fuel cell is evaluated to allow for future sizing of filters for robust operation. Furthermore, the effects of realistic ambient conditions on the thermodynamic cycle yield important information about necessary revisions of the cycle design point.