SBIR-STTR Award

Hydroplane Ltd. and the University of Houston will conduct a joint research program to support the technology development of a hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) power plant (PP) for general aviation, urban air mobility, and VTOL aerial platforms. These vehicles, once electrified with fuel cells and an electric motor can support a range of commercial transportation, humanitarian aid, and government use cases with emission free, lower noise, and significantly lower operational cost. By integrating commercially available and novel HFC component technologies on a single engine aircraft test-bed, we will minimize development cost and risk as well as maximize performance, energy efficiency, and enable a first to market electric aviation platform. The HFC power plant will have a modular architecture enabling commercialization with various aircraft OEMs including eVTOL and general aviation platform from 150 kW (Single Engine Land) to MW applications (eg. VTOL rotorcraft, gyrocopters, titl-rotors).The range of such vehicles will be extended to at least >200km and >1 hour endurance.

Hydroplane Limited is Developing a Modular 150 kW Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant for the General Aviation (GA), Urban Air Mobility (UAM), and DoD Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) markets. We are developing novel technology from the component, to fuel cell stack, to aircraft system level to overcome thermal limitations, reduce unit cost, improve performance, and enhance durability. Battery powered aerial vehicles are range limited, have a low payload fraction, thermal stability concerns, and reduced operational efficiency for the commercial and military customer. Our fuel cell aviation power plant mitigates all of the above. Aerial platforms fitted with our powerplant will have >20% improvement in range, endurance, and payload over batteries. We enable operational efficiency of eVTOL platforms to be similar to avgas fueled with lower maintenance costs and reduced carbon footprint.