UBC Okanagan and Unilia partner to develop aviation hydrogen fuel cells

Researchers from UBC Okanagan and BC-based Unilia Fuel Cells Inc. are collaborating on a 10.6 million dollar project to develop lightweight and durable hydrogen fuel cell technology specifically for aviation.

The initiative aims to address the unique challenges of aircraft propulsion, which requires substantial power delivery while maintaining low weight and reliability across varying temperatures and operating conditions. The project includes a 3.7 million dollar contribution from the Initiative for Sustainable Aviation Technology (INSAT), which is supported by the Government of Canada.

While hydrogen fuel cells are already being used to replace diesel generators in various sectors due to their lack of exhaust emissions, current fuel cell stacks used in automotive and heavy-duty industries do not yet meet the specific weight and performance requirements for commercial flight. The research will involve modeling fuel cell-battery hybrid configurations and testing materials under flight-relevant conditions.