Applied Electrochemical Systems

The Applied Electrochemical Systems (ASY) group focuses on developing applications for the aerospace industry. The department looks back on more than 10 years of experience in the field of electrochemical propulsion systems for aerospace applications. The main focus is on propulsion systems for commercial aviation ("all electric aircraft"). The feasibility in small aircraft has already been demonstrated in flight:

• Antares H2, maiden flight on 07.07.2009, the world's first take-off of a piloted aircraft with a pure fuel cell propulsion system.
• HY4, maiden flight 29.09.2016, entry into fuel cell-based passenger flight with the four-seater twin fuselage aircraft.

The group's focus is now on upscaling system performance into the megawatt range, enabling zero-emission propulsion of regional aircraft and thus entry into commercial aviation. In addition to high system performance, the constraints of commercial aviation pose extreme challenges in terms of power density, reliability, robustness and redundancy of the systems under variable environmental conditions. Experimental investigations in our laboratories and our test environment BALIS (homepage BALIS) as well as modeling work are used to scientifically address these challenges and find application-oriented solutions for aerospace.

In the field of space flight, the focus is on battery systems for powering near-earth satellites. The aim is to develop and qualify energy supply systems based on modern commercial components such as state-of-the-art battery cells and electronics. This is aimed at improving energy density and functionality as well as significantly reducing costs compared to the currently used proven space technology.

Our research topics at a glance:

• Development and testing of application-adapted fuel cell and battery systems
• System integration of electrochemical energy systems for aerospace applications
• Upscaling of fuel cell system and propulsion power into the megawatt range
• Model-based design of fuel cell/battery hybrid propulsion systems
• Investigation of the operational behavior of fuel cell systems and development of adapted control strategies for aerospace applications
• Development and testing of tank concepts for the storage and supply of hydrogen in aircraft 
• Investigation of ground infrastructure components and processes for the use of liquid hydrogen in aviation
• Development of battery management systems
• Qualification of battery systems for satellites