Airbus Introduces Cryoprop Project to Advance Superconducting Technologies in Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft
Key Ideas
  • Airbus UpNext launches Cryoprop, a new technology demonstrator to enhance superconducting technologies in hydrogen-powered aircraft.
  • The project features a two megawatt-class superconducting electric propulsion system cooled by liquid hydrogen and a helium recirculation loop.
  • Airbus aims to improve performance, weight, and fuel efficiency with superconducting technologies, building on previous milestones.
  • The Cryoprop demonstrator will assess safety, industrialization, maintenance, and operational aspects to drive innovation in superconducting components for aviation.
Airbus UpNext, a subsidiary of Airbus, has unveiled a new technology demonstrator called Cryoprop to advance superconducting technologies in electric propulsion systems for future hydrogen-powered aircraft. The project, developed by Airbus teams in Toulouse, France, and Ottobrunn, Germany, will feature a two megawatt-class superconducting electric propulsion system cooled by liquid hydrogen and a helium recirculation loop. Airbus aims to leverage superconducting technologies as a key enabler for high-power electrification in hydrogen-powered aircraft, anticipating significant weight and fuel-saving benefits. By focusing on safety, industrialization, maintenance, and operational aspects, the Cryoprop demonstrator seeks to validate the viability of superconducting technologies in aviation. This initiative will also allow Airbus to enhance its in-house expertise and foster innovation in areas such as superconducting cables, motors, cryogenic power electronics, and cooling systems, accelerating the integration of advanced technologies in future aircraft.
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