3D-Printed Fuel Cells Could Reshape Sustainable Aerospace Applications

3D-printed fuel cells for aerospace

One of the greatest engineering challenges in sustainable aviation has been how to develop energy systems that are both light enough and powerful enough to replace fossil fuels. Batteries are far too heavy, while conventional fuel cells have been limited by bulky stacks and metal components. Now, researchers at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) may have cracked the code with a radical redesign of solid oxide cells (SOCs) using 3D printing and gyroid geometry.

As reported in Tech Xplore, the new Monolithic Gyroidal Solid Oxide Cell—nicknamed The Monolith—delivers over one watt per gram. This marks the first time a fuel cell design has reached the specific power needed for aerospace, and it does so using a fully ceramic, metal-free architecture that is lighter, more robust, and easier to manufacture.

From Planar to Gyroid: A Mathematical Revolution

The innovation comes from using triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS)—complex 3D geometries also found in butterfly wings and advanced heat exchangers. This gyroid structure provides a massive surface area within a small volume, enabling efficient gas flow, excellent thermal distribution, and mechanical stability, all while dramatically cutting weight. Conventional SOC stacks often contain more than 75% metal parts; the new design eliminates them entirely.

Why Aerospace Needs This

To illustrate the challenge: a commercial airplane carries about 70 tons of jet fuel. Replacing that with lithium-ion batteries of equivalent energy would require 3,500 tons—making flight impossible. Traditional fuel cells also fall short, as their heavy stacks severely limit mobility. By contrast, the Monolith offers lightweight, high-specific-power performance, finally making electricity-based propulsion viable for aircraft and spacecraft.

Dual Functionality: Fuel Cell and Electrolyzer

Beyond aerospace propulsion, the system can switch seamlessly between fuel cell and electrolysis modes. In electrolysis mode, it produced hydrogen at nearly ten times the rate of conventional SOCs, opening possibilities for renewable hydrogen production, grid storage, and even extraterrestrial missions. For example, NASA’s MOXIE project on Mars currently relies on bulky 6-ton stacks to generate oxygen; DTU’s design could deliver similar output at just 800 kg.

Resilience Under Extreme Conditions

The DTU team, led by Professor Vincenzo Esposito and Senior Researcher Venkata Karthik Nadimpalli, demonstrated that the gyroid cells withstand extreme conditions, including rapid temperature swings of 100 °C and repeated mode switching, without mechanical failure. This resilience is vital for aerospace and space applications, where systems face intense stresses and must operate reliably under dynamic environments.

Manufacturing Simplified

Another advantage lies in manufacturing. Conventional SOCs require dozens of complex steps and multiple materials that degrade over time. By contrast, DTU’s monolithic ceramic design can be produced in just five steps, with no fragile seals or metal connectors. Future improvements could include thinner electrolytes, cheaper current collectors like nickel or silver instead of platinum, and even more compact architectures.

A Future of Lightweight, Sustainable Energy

This breakthrough not only has implications for sustainable aviation but also for shipping, power generation, and renewable energy storage. By combining light weight, high efficiency, and resilience, 3D-printed gyroidal SOCs could become a cornerstone of next-generation clean energy technologies, reshaping both terrestrial and extraterrestrial applications.

Original article: https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-3d-fuel-cells-reshape-sustainable.html

This blog post was prepared with the assistance of AI technologies for content generation and formatting.

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