IE-FLIGHT hydrogen fuel cells enabling zero emission-aviation
IE-FLIGHT™ is is our high-power product line for the aviation sector. From 200kW to multi-megawatt scale, these systems have been developed to achieve zero-emission flight for eVTOL, Part-23 and Part-25 aircraft serving sub-regional and regional markets.
Hydrogen fuel cells offer a zero-emission power source for future sustainable aircraft and are a competitive technology for aircraft potentially up to 100 seats.
From 2019 to 2026 – under the ATI-funded H2GEAR programme – Intelligent Energy have been developing the IE-FLIGHT™ fuel cell system, offering class-leading current and power densities within an optimised packaging. This built an effective foundation for application in future propulsion or APU applications.
In 2025, Intelligent Energy launched project HEIGHTS – a £17 million Government backed aerospace programme. This involves taking the cell technology from H2GEAR and deploying it into a new 300kW system.
Evaporatively cooled fuel cell technology
IE-FLIGHT hydrogen fuel cell systems feature a new, higher temperature heat rejection architecture delivering reduced heat exchanger size, lower aerodynamic drag, and high gravimetric power density. This is achieved through the use of evaporatively cooled technology.
Benefits of IE-FLIGHT fuel cells
- Zero emissions
- Market-leading fuel cell system power densities
- Scalable for multi-MW fuel cell installations
- Reduced liquid coolant storage requirement
- Best-in-class transient response compared to conventional fuel cell systems
- Patented direct water injection cooling technology – no external humidification required
- High-temperature heat rejection enabling smaller heat exchangers compared to competition
Applications
- Sub-regional aircraft
- Regional aircraft
- eVTOL applications
- APUs
