Successful entry: DEPTERA – TU Darmstadt
Successful entry: DEPTERA – TU Darmstadt
DEPTERA is a versatile CS-23 Level 3 flight demonstrator that investigates the dual function of DEP under real flight conditions: simultaneous thrust generation and active Gust Load Alleviation (GLA). With a maximum take-off mass of 5400 kilograms, a high-wing configuration with an aspect ratio of 13 and eight wing-mounted propulsors, the aircraft is specifically designed to address the increased gust sensitivity associated with aerodynamically efficient, high-aspect-ratio wings. A 110-kilogram liquid hydrogen storage system enables long-duration research flights. Two interchangeable propulsion modules are implemented on a shared airframe: a high-temperature PEM (HT-PEM) fuel cell drive and a hydrogen turbine-generator drive, allowing a direct comparison of both energy conversion pathways under identical conditions. The mission analysis shows that, due to its higher efficiency, the fuel cell drive enables a research phase of 162 minutes, compared with 105 minutes for the turbine-generator. A reduced-order model predicts that airflow over the ailerons achieves an 18.6 percent reduction in wing root bending moment – rising to 20.7 percent with DEP blowing – eliminating approximately 88 percent of gust-induced fatigue damage, with only a small additional torsional moment of 1.62 kilonewton-metres. DEPTERA thus demonstrates the feasibility of using DEP hardware not only for propulsion but also for structural load alleviation, laying the groundwork for forward-looking experimental flight testing.
Credit:
TU Darmstadt/DEPTERA