flight demonstration of a Liquid HYdrogen load-bearing tank in an unmanned cargo platform

The "fLHYing tank" project, formally titled "Flight demonstration of a Liquid HYdrogen load-bearing tank in an unmanned cargo platform," is aimed at advancing lightweight hydrogen storage systems in aviation. This project is coordinated by Pipistrel Vertical Solutions DOO in Slovenia and runs from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2025, with a total budget of approximately €3.95 million, out of which €2.99 million is funded by the EU under the Climate, Energy, and Mobility program.

Key Objectives:

1. Flight Testing: The primary goal is to flight-test a 1,000-liter flight-load-bearing vacuum-insulated composite liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank in the Pipistrel Nuuva V300 cargo UAV.
2. Technology Maturation: The project focuses on the disruptive maturation of lightweight LH2 storage systems, aiming for rapid knowledge acquisition on the flight operation of LH2 tanks.
3. Digital Twin Development: Calibration of a fluid-dynamic, thermal, and structural digital twin of a composite LH2 tank using flight test data to advance towards digitalized certification of aeronautical technologies.

Expected Impact:

• Accelerated Innovation: By fast-tracking the flight testing of a relevant-scale composite LH2 storage system, the project aims to significantly reduce the risk, cost, and time to market for revolutionary technologies in the aeronautical industry.
• Comprehensive Understanding: Achieving a comprehensive understanding of the behavior of LH2 tanks in the flight environment within a minimal timeframe, thus supporting the goals of the Clean Aviation Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda.