On April 4, the megawatt hydrogen-fueled aviation turboprop engine AEP100 independently developed by the Hunan Power Machinery Research Institute of China Aviation Development Group successfully made its first flight at Zhuzhou Lusong Airport with a 7.5-ton unmanned transport aircraft.
During the whole flight, the engine worked normally and was in good condition. The air flight time was 16 minutes, the flight distance was 36 kilometers, the flight speed was 220 kilometers per hour, and the flight altitude was 300 meters above the ground. After completing the scheduled flight subjects, it returned smoothly and the first flight was a complete success.
According to relevant experts of China Aviation Development Group, the success of this first flight has realized the leap from technology to engineering of the independently developed megawatt hydrogen-fueled aero-engine, marking that my country has opened up the field of hydrogen-fueled aero-engines. The full technology chain from core components to complete machine integration has verified the engineering reliability of the matching of the hydrogen fuel power system and the flight platform, laying the foundation for the subsequent industrial application of hydrogen energy aviation, it is an important breakthrough in the development of green aviation power in China from technical exploration to engineering practice.
CCTV financial analysis pointed out that the success of AEP100 first flight has three breakthrough significance:
First of all, hydrogen burns extremely fast, which is several times that of kerosene, and is extremely easy to backfire and knock., Oscillation is the biggest “blocker” in the development of hydrogen-fueled aero-engine “. The success of this first flight solves the industry pain point of hydrogen combustion control.
Secondly, the AEP100 engine uses liquid hydrogen as fuel. Liquid hydrogen must be stored and transported at ultra-low temperatures, and must coexist with high-temperature turbines to achieve a balance of “ice and fire”, which is a world-class problem.
In addition, the liquid hydrogen system itself is heavy and must be extremely weight-reduced to ensure the load and range. The AEP100 engine has achieved aviation-level “weight reduction and efficiency increase” by reducing weight and improving power density “.
China Aviation Engine Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “China Aviation Development”) is a state-owned super large enterprise jointly funded by the State Council, Beijing Municipal People’s Government, Aviation Industry Corporation of China and Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. It was established on August 28, 2016. As the main body of the national “aero-engine and gas turbine” major science and technology project, AVIC is the only main body of China’s aero-engine development and production, and it is also one of the five largest aero-engine groups in the world.
