Ballard, ACME deal for wireless telecom backup in India

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 75 KB
• Volume: 2008
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1464-2859
• DOI: 10.1016/s1464-2859(08)70265-7

✦ Synopsis

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of the DLR German Aerospace Center, to drive forward the use of fuel cell technology in civil aircraft.

Before it went to Berlin, the A320 Fuel Cell Demonstrator aircraft successfully performed another fuel cell test. During a flight over a dedicated test area in France, an improved fuel cell system provided power for the aircraft's electric motor pump, which is connected to the 'blue' hydraulic circle and successfully moved the aircraft's ailerons, rudder and other flight control systems.

The test flight was part of Airbus's ongoing research activities to evaluate the potential use and environmental benefits of fuel cell technology. The improved Michelin fuel cell system is more robust and delivers a higher peak performance (more than 20 kW) to cover higher loads. It is also able to instantly deliver full electrical power at low operating temperatures.

The first flight experiments were made last July, in which the function of the fuel cells under flight conditions was tested and demonstrated. The system worked consistently below 3g, with enough in store for a standby system. Since February the same fuel cell system has been used to power a hydraulic circuit pump, with sufficient power to steer the aircraft.