Page 43 - World Airnews Magazine March 2021
P. 43
FEATURE SAF
would add another (US) $64.5 billion place in the machine tool industry. In productivity without major invest- GREEN HYDROGEN OPENS
throughout the decade. early stages we’ll see some of the ob- ments in new machine tools.
• Patrick Dunne Vice President Applica- vious applications becoming common- The goal is to improve factory process-
tion Development, 3D Systems place, such as predicting unplanned es using the latest in artificial intelli- NEW MARKET
Many aerospace designers and maintenance events before they occur. gence, automation, and advanced work
engineers have grown up in a world The digital twin still needs develop- holding to bring down costs.
where 3D printing always existed and ment to achieve significant market The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to
consider it to be a standard mode of adoption. This technology will have an light the immediate need for manufac-
manufacture, not some emergent nov- impact in the not-too-distant future. turers to build greater responsibility,
elty. Engineers at the cutting-edge of Blockchain for manufacturing will pro- flexibility, adaptability, and capability ising demand for cleaner fuels
problem-solving are turning to additive vide secure communications amongst into their manufacturing operations Racross Europe's roads and skies is
manufacturing (AM) tools to problem teams in a world where cyber-attacks and determine how well-positioned opening market opportunities for utilities
solve and enable step changes in prod- are becoming increasingly pervasive. they are to respond to future disrup- and renewables developers eyeing a stake
uct and platform performance. Automation will become a must in most ti ons. in the green hydrogen economy.
The fundamental value propositions of shops. It can take many forms; it’s not The current disruption is an opportu- In France, utility Engie SA recently
AM are now widely known, under- just robots. Bar feeders, pallet pools, nity to learn, improve, and reshape announced the country's largest produc-
stood, and appreciated. It’s fast, flexi- and flexible manufacturing systems are manufacturing for the future. The tion unit for green hydrogen, made with
ble, massively reduces part count, and a few that increase productivity. result will be a more effective and renewable energy, at Total SE's La Mède
by embracing the philosophy of design In times of accelerated change, it’s efficient system operating at a greatly biorefinery. The former petroleum site
for additive manufacturing (DfAM), important to resist the urge to over- increased pace. makes hydrotreated vegetable oil, or HVO, a
engineers can access levels of optimi- complicate things. Get back to basics • Dr. Charles Krueger - CEO, BigLever premium biodiesel produced with hydrogen.
sation that are capturing the attention and ensure your foundation is sound. Software HVO is considered engine- and cli-
of strategic leadership teams within Control the things in your control. Digital twins, or virtual representations mate-friendly and is increasingly derived
many of the aerospace primes. Some Focus on where you are in the contin- of physical systems, are emerging as from used cooking oil, rather than rape-
of these initial expressions of advanced uum of automation, using data, and a key trend in aerospace engineering seed or soybeans, or controversial palm
design engineering have triggered a understanding the drivers in your busi- and manufacturing. By having a digital oil which causes deforestation. Swedes
surge in creative thinking that’s now ness. 2021 will be a transitional year, rendition of each product deployed, Vattenfall AB and Preem AB are planning
energizing the aerospace community. preparing manufacturing to once again organisations can further continu- a similar project - an electrolyser unit at
A small optimisation in design can lead our economy to prosperity. ously engineering initiatives, improve Preem's Lysekil refinery in Sweden, which
have a surprising impact on overall • Timothy Wachs - President, Hainbuch efficiency and product quality, mitigate also makes HVO. In Canada, Hydro-Québec acteristics and rising emissions targets for in the short term, with government incen-
system performance. Ultra-advanced America potential loss, and monitor deployed is also working on a green hydrogen biofuel road transport set by the European Com- tives and demand dictating future produc-
cooling architectures designed into the We are all in unfamiliar territory, products. project with technology from Germany's mission, demand for HVO will grow through
external skins of hypersonic systems meandering through the path of Digital twins can be combined with Thyssenkrupp AG. to 2030, according to the International tion. But some airlines are already getting
on board.
enable capability previously consid- uncertainty together. Each of us is artificial reality (AR) software to Energy Agency.
ered impossible. struggling with how we find common simulate product variations and put The refining sector, the first priority for Finland's national airline Finnair Oyj is
Letting recursive machine algorithms ground moving forward in our personal them through their paces to uncover European lawmakers in the transition to As fuel quality standards limit the amount among the pioneers in the sector, pledging
dynamically analyze and engage in lives and within our unique business potential incompatibilities or defects green hydrogen, represents about half of biofuel permitted in the diesel and to blend more sustainable alternatives
structural design iteration is gener- challenges to get to the other side of before a product is developed. of the global demand for the fuel, using gasoline sold at pumps, biofuels with high into its kerosene mix to reduce emissions.
ating complex structures lighter and the COVID-19 pandemic. Product line engineering (PLE) auto- around 35 million metric tonnes in 2020, emissions savings like HVO will be essential Finnair expects to spend €10 million on
stronger than anything possible with A recent survey of manufacturers and mates managing product variation and according to S&P Global Platts Analytics' to remain compliant with climate targets. sustainable aviation fuel annually by the
traditional approaches. Exploratory job shops throughout North America complexity across the engineering and Hydrogen Market Monitor. "Regulation on transport is becoming end of 2025 and has teamed up with refiner
side projects are becoming standard showed that their number one priority manufacturing lifecycle. Feature-based Most of that hydrogen is produced with tougher and tougher to comply with. It's Neste Oyj, the world's largest supplier of
methods of design and manufactur- in 2021 is to improve ‘flexibility’ to PLE adds a model-based represen- fossil fuels. important to be ready for this," Colas said. the product, to help boost fuel supply.
ing, and we expect to see AM become reduce non-cutting times. tation of the common and varying "HVO is in the midst of a growth spurt. But getting ready for large-scale green Refiner Preem has a collaboration agree-
a primary go-to for state-of-the-art Throughout 2020, the common theme features shared across the product line There was a flurry of HVO news in 2020 hydrogen deployment at refinery sites is ment with Swedish airline SAS AB, which
optimisation. is many companies saw an opportunity with corresponding digital twins that as several large refiners announced plans no easy feat. The sector needs a reliable also wants to use the fuel.
• Jim King President and COO, Okuma to evaluate their current processes to include all the features and materials to enter this burgeoning field," said Corey stream of the gas, so volatility from renew- Engie is currently building a green hy-
America Corp. identify where they were still relying contained in each product. For exam- Lavinsky, director of global biofuels at S&P ables generation will have to be managed. drogen production unit at Neste's biofuel
It’s time to take inventory of what on outdated processes and where they ple, a digital twin allows a manufactur- Global Platts recently. There are also fresh safety considerations: refinery in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.
we’ve learned and could make improvements to increase er to identify the exact configuration As more refineries are converted from Hydrogen is extremely flammable and The biofuel-maker also invested in German
what technologies of an avionics system to petroleum to biofuels, the demand for refineries work at intense heat. electrolyser company SunFire GmbH last
will enable us to be quickly identify which bespoke green hydrogen solutions for HVO The industry has developed some solu- year, in a bid to develop green hydrogen
more competitive airplanes contain a production is expected to follow. tions already, but government subsidies are solutions for the production of green syn-
in post-COVID man- particular feature to fa- Spain's Repsol SA, for instance, has still needed for projects like the venture at thetic fuels.
ufacturing. cilitate fixes and improve pledged to double HVO production to La Mède. "With public money we will be "Currently, sustainable aviation fuel of-
Virtual communica- quality control. 600,000 tonnes by 2030, and add green able to go to bigger scale," Colas said. fers the only viable alternative to fossil liq-
tion tools increase With Internet of Things hydrogen to its processes. ELECTRIC SKIES uid fuels for powering commercial aircraft,"
the speed of busi- (IoT) sensors, manu- HVO's strong emissions reduction creden- Neste President and CEO Peter Vanacker
ness. It’s not only facturers can track the tials can make it a profitable product, as bio- Colas described the switch to renewable said last year.
possible to evaluate status, use, and perfor- fuels in Europe are valued and traded largely hydrogen as a future-proofing of hard-to- "Neste's sustainable aviation fuel is fully
technology without mance of each product on the basis of their ability to avoid emis- abate sectors. compatible with the existing jet engine
sending staff and the overall product sions. Switching from grey hydrogen, made Aviation is one such sector, and HVO is a technology and fuel distribution infrastruc-
on the road, it’s family. Continuous engi- with natural gas, to green hydrogen shrinks key ingredient in sustainable aviation fuel. ture when blended with fossil jet fuel."
sometimes more neering can dynamically the carbon footprint of the biodiesel further, Greening the fuel mix is seen as the only Renewable hydrogen developers are
desirable. Even ma- improve product fam- meaning the fuel fetches higher prices. way to reduce fuel-based emissions from hoping to see the success of wind and solar
chine runoffs can ilies with updates and "It makes plenty of sense to use renew- jet engines. cost reductions repeated with hydrogen.
be accomplished enhancements, as well able hydrogen to make biofuels," said "The growth of sustainable aviation fuels "The question of when depends on the
virtually. as to effectively perform Julien Colas, hydrogen developer in Engie's will be tremendous; there are big things to industry," Colas said. "Before 2030 it will
Artificial intelli- predictive and preven- dedicated business unit. come," Colas said. be possible to have a large-scale positive
gence (AI) has a tive maintenance. Q
Owing to its favourable technical char- Lavinsky expected volumes to be smaller business case in renewable hydrogen." Q
World Airnews | March 2021 World Airnews | March 2021
— 40 — — 41 —
