US aviation powertrain startup DeltaHawk Engines, which has developed a general aircraft piston engine powered by jet fuel, is now going forward with its efforts to upgrade it to a zero-emissions technology.
The Wisconsin-headquartered company has now successfully concluded sophisticated simulation analyses for a hydrogen-fueled version of its engine. The firm received FAA certification for its 180 horsepower DHK180 jet-fueled aircraft piston engine in May.
The firm claims that the tests have proven that DeltaHawk's versatile engine architecture is compatible with hydrogen fuel. "Though other commercial vehicle engine manufacturers have explored conversion of their ICE powerplants to hydrogen power, DeltaHawk’s testing in computer simulations is proving superior to legacy four-stroke engine architectures," said the firm.
Additionally, the company's patented engine design extends its applicability beyond aviation to various markets, including zero-emission vehicles (ZEV), commercial power applications, and diverse defense platforms.
ICE conversion
DeltaHawk chose to pursue internal combustion engine (ICE) technology with hydrogen fuel as it is a cost-effective alternative to more expensive and infrastructure-dependent fuel cell systems. A hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine exhibits greater tolerance for hydrogen impurities when compared to fuel cells. Crucially, it enables the utilization of existing expertise in ICE manufacturing and leverages extensive service networks, according to the firm.
Lower development costs, quicker time to market, and the use of mature technology that ensures durability and cost of development led the firm to prefer the route of converting its ICE engine. Furthermore, DeltaHawk claims its engine design exhibits a substantially reduced power degradation curve over time compared to current fuel cell technology, resulting in better long-term fuel economy.
The firm hopes that the development will be aided by the switch towards adopting cleaner energy sources like hydrogen power and the recent government incentives for hydrogen in commercial trucking, delivery vehicle infrastructure, and military mobility applications.
Technologically advanced
Its DeltaHawk ICE engine boasts an inverted-V engine block, turbocharging, supercharging, mechanical fuel injection, liquid cooling, direct drive, and a remarkable 40 percent reduction in moving parts compared to other engines.
DeltaHawk claims its version is more responsive and generates more usable torque compared to conventional aircraft engines in its class. In addition, the engines exhibit significantly reduced fuel consumption, resulting in a lower overall carbon footprint. The firm claims that its performance attributes make it well-suited for a diverse range of conventional aircraft and hybrid propulsion systems.
Furthermore, the engine's streamlined profile and compact dimensions enable more aerodynamic cowling designs and demand less space, all while delivering better performance, user-friendly operation, and reliability. The firm claims that its "family of engines are creating a highly reduced net carbon footprint coupled with airborne lead removal, thanks in large part to their fuel efficiency and capability to burn next generation sustainable aviation fuels (SAF)," said the firm.
Recently, NASA chose a new engine to power the hybrid propulsion system planned for its Subsonic Single Aft Engine Aircraft (SUSAN) scale flight test vehicle – a proof-of-concept electro-fan design for future regional transport aircraft. Ampaire also chose the new DeltaHawk engine for an upcoming aircraft testbed application to support NASA's Small Business Innovation Research initiative.
DeltaHawk claims that its venture into hydrogen fuel technology will further "environmental sustainability, climate neutrality, and a zero-emissions future by planning to expand our engine family to include variants that will use hydrogen fuel in aviation, commercial, and military applications," said a statement.
Originally published on Interesting Engineering : Original article