Operational assessment and optimisation of a test bench for an electric-driven turboprop

In 2020, Airbus presented the first full hydrogen-powered aircraft concept to the public. This aircraft is fully electric, using hydrogen fuel cells and a propeller propulsion system. These fuel cells work by transforming the hydrogen into electricity through a chemical reaction. The by-product of the reaction is simple H2O, resulting in almost zero active emissions. This ambitious project is a concrete and challenging response to the global challenges of climate change and air pollution, recognising the urgency of adopting sustainable solutions to ensure a greener and more resilient future for generations to come. To ensure the success of this project, the main components of the propulsion system that will power the demonstrator’s engine are tested in the Airbus E-Aircraft System House (EAS) site in Ottobrunn, Munich. This is the largest test house for alternative propulsion systems and fuels in Europe. As expected, a number of complex and multiple challenges arose during the testing of the initial configuration of this carbon-neutral engine. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to present the investigation and subsequent solution implemented following a significant challenge encountered during the testing activities, regarding the way the bench was designed to emulate the propeller characteristics and integrate with the other systems of the engine. The first part of the document describes the test bench architecture, which the previous knowledge is fundamental for a proper understanding of the problematic analysed. The role of each test bench component is examined, explaining its functionality and how it interacts with other test bench elements. The core of the paper describes the origins of the problematic that arose during a test and the subsequent investigation carried out to gain a deeper understanding and to perform a better analysis. Once the investigation and the first analysis is complete, the next section of the paper focuses on the evaluation and the comparison of different potential solutions for the problematic. The last section of this paper regards the implementation and the final examination of the solution with several consideration of other possible implementations.