Natural gas fired Combined Cycle (CC) power plants are currently the backbone of EU electrical grid, providing most of regulation services necessary to increase the share of non-programmable renewable sources into the electrical grid. As a consequence, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Utilities are investigating new strategies and technologies for power flexibility. On the other hand, existing cogenerative CCs are usually constrained by thermal user demand, hence can provide limited services to the grid. At the same time, CHP plants are highly promoted for their high rate of energy efficiency (> 90%) and combined with district heating network are a pillar of the EU energy strategy. To un-tap such unexploited reserve of flexibility, and to further enhance turn-down ratio and power ramp capabilities of power oriented CCs, this project proposes the demonstration of an innovative concept based on the coupling of a fast-cycling highly efficient heat pump (HP) with CCs. The integrated system features thermal storage and advanced control concept for smart scheduling. The HP will include an innovative expander to increase the overall efficiency of the HP. In such an integrated concept, the following advantages are obtained: - the HP is controlled to modulate power in order to cope with the CC primary reserve market constraints; - the high temperature heat can be exploited in the district heating network, when available; low temperature cooling power can be used for gas turbine inlet cooling or for steam condenser cooling, thus reducing the water consumption; - in both options, the original CC operational envelope is significantly expanded and additional power flexibility is achieved. In general, the CC integration with a HP and a cold/hot thermal storage brings to a reduction of the Minimum Environmental Load (MEL) and to an increase in power ramp rates, while enabling power augmentation at full load and increasing electrical grid resilience and flexibility.

This thematic topic focuses on the design of a 19 passenger commuter aircraft based on alternative propulsion concepts (hybrid/electric) targeting near-zero CO2 emissions. A full design loop is required, evaluating a range of design options, resulting in a mature conceptual design for the selected design. The design should be compliant with the new level 4 FAR23 / CS23 regulation. HECARRUS employs methods suitable for analyzing advanced technologies implemented for propulsion and power generation, and takes full advantage of the latest advances in aerospace, electrification and autonomous technologies in a hybrid-electric propulsion strategy to couple the most efficient turbines with generators providing electric power and recharging batteries in several competent technologies, to cover a broad spectrum of these applications. The ultimate idea of the project will be to design a hybrid-electric system with a power output in the range of 1 MW utilizing two engines (two thermal cores) as the propulsive units of a 19-passenger short haul aircraft. With a focus on the key propulsion sub-systems, aircraft structure and performance that interfaces with existing conceptual design frameworks, this project will aim at full design space exploration of the various hybrid-electric concepts at low TRL level. It is underlined that the technologies described and investigated in view of this proposal are complementary to engine core technologies currently under investigation in other EU projects. In other words, the potential fuel efficiency benefits from HECARRUS can be stackedup to efficiency benefits from other projects as all the technologies gradually mature for entry into service by 2030.