Siemens digital twin could help refuel hydrogen jets
Digital twinning is synonymous with Industry 4.0 and could see widespread use in manufacturing and beyond, but a new initiative by Siemens and Protium could see it used to aid in the refuelling of hydrogen aircraft.
The point of the project is to rapidly refuel hydrogen jets and digitalise the development of green aircraft in line with the UK's goals of achieving net-zero aviation by 2050.
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The twin displays a digital render of the aircraft's refuelling system to explore options and work towards continued optimisation of systems, which could reduce the need for expensive prototyping.
Hydrogen jets are often touted as the future of aircraft over electrification. The only byproduct of green hydrogen use is water vapour, so it presents a far cleaner alternative than fossil fuels and less risk and longer range than electricity.
However, current technology is limited and innovations are needed to make hydrogen-powered aeroplanes commercially viable.
“This approach to designing refuelling systems will increase confidence and understanding in the capabilities of emerging hydrogen technology, increase uptake across the UK and accelerate the transition to zero-emission flight and tackle climate change”, Protium's director of innovation and policy Jen Baxter said.
Protium will be leveraging its experience in bringing low-carbon hydrogen across a number of sectors, including aviation, transport and consumer goods.
Digital twinning technology does exactly what its name suggests, presenting a digital version of something real. In this case, the twin mirrors the inside of a jet engine and its systems.
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The twinning technology is being supplied by Siemens Process Automation, one of Siemens subsidiaries.
“Siemens is working extensively with clean energy innovators to help bring new technologies to market as rapidly as possible. We are very excited to be working with Protium to reduce time-to-market in the challenging area of zero-emission flight", Siemens' Bart de Groot said in a statement.
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