Hybrid Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and Micro Gas Turbine for Regional Jets

DOI: 10.2514/1.C031228 Although it accounts for only 4.2% of the total global warming potential, aviation-generated CO2 is projected to grow to approximately 5.7% by 2050, faster than any other sector. Rapidly emerging fuel-cell-based technologies could be developed for future replacement of onboard electrical systems in larger more-electric or all-electric aircraft. The Environmentally Friendly Inter City Aircraft Powered by Fuel Cells project, led by Politecnico di Torino in the Sixth Framework Programme, has carried out a feasibility study on all-electric intercity aircraft to provideapreliminary definition of new forms of aircraft systems thatcan be obtained byfuel cell technologies. Solid oxidefuelcellsystemscouldbeadvantageousforsomeaeronauticalapplications,duetotheir capabilityofaccepting hydrocarbons fuels with lower pollutant effects (e.g., natural gas), especially sustainable biofuels such as secondgeneration bioethanol. Inthis paper, thedesign of ahybrid solid oxidefuel cellandmicro gas turbineenergy system, as well as the simulation of complete missions of a regional jet, has been performed. The system will be discussed in twofuel configurations, natural gas andbioethanol, andthe difference in the systemstructure andregulation will be discussed. Preliminary estimations on size and weight of these new systems have been carried out. The obtained results are discussed.