On February 18, 2025, the starting signal was given for the new research project "H2-Endo", funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK), in which the Institute for Aircraft Production Technology is also involved. As part of the national aviation research program (LuFo VI-3), four partners are working together to develop endoscopy inspection for future hydrogen-based aircraft engines and thus make an important contribution to climate-neutral aviation.
The consortium consists of the companies IT Concepts GmbH (network coordination), 3D.aero GmbH and Leder Elektronik Design GmbH (LED) as well as the TU Hamburg. The aim of the consortium is to create a modular kit for ATEX-certified 3D endoscopes with which components, tanks and connection points in hydrogen aircraft engines can be examined flexibly and safely - even in potentially explosive environments.
The IFPT will in particular research MRO processes (maintenance, repair and overhaul) as well as automatic data evaluation. In this context, the institute analyzes the damage patterns that will occur in hydrogen-carrying components in the future and develops methods for AI-supported identification and classification of such damage. In addition, the findings from the process analysis will flow directly into the technical design of the endoscope kit so that the new technology can be optimally integrated into future maintenance processes.
The project will run until the beginning of 2028. The close cooperation between the partners is intended to ensure that the resulting endoscopy solutions meet industrial requirements and fit seamlessly into the market for future hydrogen-based aviation engines.
Ole Schmedemann, M.Sc.
ole.schmedemann@tuhh.de
www.ifpt-tuhh.de
