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Test centre established for hydrogen aviation
A consortium of companies is collaborating on creating a hydrogen avia- tion test and service centre at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington. The new centre will focus on the test flight and certification of Universal Hydrogen’s retrofit conversion of a Dash-8 regional turboprop aircraft, scheduled for entry into commercial ser- vice in 2025. The hydrogen powertrain comprises electric propulsion units (EPUs) from Everett-based magniX and fuel cells from Plug Power. Seattle-based AeroTEC will lead aircraft conversion, flight test and certification activities, draw- ing on its own extensive experience with electric avia- tion and expertise from across the aerospace sector. The conversion work for US-based airlines, including flight test and continuing airworthiness support would be based in AeroTEC’s Moses Lake facility. AeroTEC’s Moses Lake facility has long been a favoured location for electric aviation projects, having recently flown a battery-powered 9-passenger Cessna
208B “eCaravan”, also powered by a magniX EPU. Univer- sal Hydrogen’s Dash-8 conversion will be the first commer- cially-relevant hydrogen-powered aircraft, serving 41 to 60 passengers on routes up to 1,000km. Hydrogen fuel for the aeroplanes will be supplied using modular capsules that can be transported to airports using the existing freight network and on-air- port cargo handling equipment, requiring no new infrastructure. “The decarbonisation of aviation through hydrogen is critical for a zero- carbon economy,” said Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug Power. “From its days as a World War II air training centre to what it is today for alternative fuel development and flight testing, Moses Lake has led the way in aviation, energy and innovation.”
DASH 8 regional aircraft are prime candidates for conversion to hydrogen fuel cell power
2021 /// Test House Directory Extra \\\ 21
thruster completes ground testing
A total of 350 ground test cycles have been successfully performed on the Momentus microwave electrothermal thruster (MET) as part of its ground endurance testing. The thruster improves on earlier designs by
incorporating several innovations to the nozzle to extend its total lifetime. The thruster is expected to extend spacecraft range and pave the way for ultra-long-life thrusters needed for future reusable vehicles. Momentus is developing the Vigoride launch vehicle to support services in low-Earth orbit with options for 30W, 550W and 750W thrusters. The ground test campaign is expected to serve as a stepping stone to future in- space demonstrations, which the company is targeting to begin with its inaugural flight of Vigoride slated for no earlier than June 2022. Vigoride’s first flight is expected to provide essential on-orbit functional proof of principle and performance verification data for its technology.
electrothermal
Microwave
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