The aviation industry is leading the way to fossil fuel free transportation through the design and development of fuel systems for the future of sustainable aircrafts.
Hemanth Kumar, our next pathbreaker, Fuel Systems Engineer, solves challenges alongside some of the world’s most innovative minds to enable Liquid Hydrogen ( LH2) commercial aircrafts a reality!
Hemanth talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about the field of cryogenics and the various challenges that need to be solved to make this technology commercially feasible.
For students, apart from applying for roles, get out there, attend many events, make yourself visible and get the exposure! Your network could be your greatest strength.
Hemanth, Your background?
I grew up in Madurai, studied in various schools from Pre-KG to 9th standard. I am probably one of the few people who changed schools every 2 to 3 yrs! Mahatma and Le Chatelier were the schools I spent most of my childhood years in. Then after 9th standard a major turn of events happened in my life. My dad is a physiotherapist and my mom is a housewife .
I migrated to the UK with my family. They initially left me in the mahatma hostel in Alagar Kovil but I could not survive after 1 quarter there! I went on my quarterly leave in October 2009 to visit my parents and then decided to stay there to begin a new chapter in my life. Initially it was very challenging, the language, the culture, the people…..I really wanted to go back to India. Then after persuasion from my mother I decided to stay back and pursue my higher studies in the UK. From 9th till 13th which is equivalent to 12th in India I studied in Longcroft School in Beverley, England.
What did you do for graduation/post graduation?
I did Maths, Physics and Product Design as my subjects in 12th. I then moved to Coimbatore to continue my undergraduate in BS Aeronautical science, and finally to the UK to study MSc in Aerospace Vehicle Design at Cranfield University! Quite a journey it has been!
My hobbies are watching history documentaries, I am a massive history buff and also love politics. I go to the gym regularly as they say a healthy body is equal to a healthy mind. Aerospace and working in this industry has always been my dream since 10th standard. I did a couple of internships/work placements at BAE Systems and Air India during school and college time which further reinforced my passion for this industry and helped me secure a career ultimately.
What made you choose this career?
As I mentioned before, it is something I have always wanted to pursue since 10th standard. There is no particular influence or key event that shaped my interests but somehow it just sprung up on me and never left … .But it could also be that my dad wanted to get into the aviation industry when he was a student but never managed to due to pressure from his parents to pursue medicine.
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path
An internship at Air India was part of my final year thesis in the undergraduate program. Myself and a couple of others were given a contact by the college to follow up with regards to the internship. We called the contact working as a manager at Air India MRO department and requested the opportunity. After a few back and forth messages/providing our credentials, the manager decided to give us the opportunity. It was an unpaid internship. We were allocated in different departments, I was in the engine overhaul department. It was a one month internship in the engine overhaul department studying the characteristics of various turbofan engines and maintenance procedures. I analysed characteristics and maintenance of Engines such as PW 4000, CFM 56, GE 90 and GENx. I investigated maintenance/inspection of APS5000 APU and Gearbox to enhance knowledge of processes involved. I got trained in procedures of efficient Turbine Blade maintenance and balancing. I also examined significance of Dynamic Balancing of engine assembly and Static Balancing of compressor rotor, supervised the process of borescope inspection for GENx and GE-90 engines, and compiled the logbook to capture various procedures entailed in an engine overhaul of CFM-56
I got a bursary of £3000, so my tuition fee reduced from £23000 to £20000. I had to include a short submission (1 page) highlighting my academic and other achievements, reasons for choosing to study at Cranfield and my financial need. The Cranfield Scholarship is generally a small award toward tuition fee costs and will likely be a maximum of £4,000.
The initial steps were to find the right subjects needed for me to achieve my goals. Following that I wanted to get myself the right exposure through work placements and internships.
The placements apart from giving me an insight into the jobs, also connected me with influential people in the industry. Then I just stuck to my grit and studied until I reached my goal. Another great initiative is to attend trade events or become a member of a recognised society e.g. RAeS in the aviation sector. More than the marks and the fancy graduation certificates, the thing that really helps secure a job in today’s world is contacts and your network. As they say, your net worth is your network.
How did you get your first break?
I was unfortunately a part of the first COVID batch to graduate. Post covid years, the UK economy was quite tough. I graduated in 2021 Feb and got my first job in 2022 Feb where I am still working. Till then I did various stints working at Amazon as a warehouse operative, and as Pharmacy Assistant in a well known retail store. I was quite selective in the roles I applied for and it was always a limbo between visa sponsorships and job availability. I was rejected numerous times but I kept applying with unwavering determination. After around 50 applications, I got the interview call for my current role in Jan 2022. It is a role I would have never even imagined in my wildest dreams.
I was happy to take up any systems engineering role in the aviation industry. But god had other plans…I got the opportunity not just to work in the aviation industry but with the best known company in this sector and in a revolutionary project. I am referring to the ZEROe project at Airbus working on the design and development of the hydrogen powered aircraft that will change the future of aviation as well as contribute to a sustainable future. I currently work in a demo project within the ZEROe sphere called GOLIAT. It is a European funded project working on the design and development of a fuel system for the future of sustainable aircrafts. I am working alongside a team to prove to the industry that fueling with Liquid hydrogen is feasible technically and operationally. In these 4 years I have worked on various levels of the aircraft development process from System level all the way to equipment development for the cryo aircraft. I have recently also taken up the project manager role managing more than £1.2 million worth of projects.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
The main challenge was not just the visa requirements but also that I had to go through interviews with no experience and a pure academic background. Many aerospace roles, even those for entry levels expect a minimum of 2 to 3 yrs of experience. The exceptions to these are graduate programmes but they rarely offer visa sponsorships.
The only way for me to distinguish myself amongst the thousands of other grads was to show that even though I had no experience I am a fast learner and that I can adapt quickly . So I kept my RAeS membership to attend many CPD(Continuous Professional Events) lectures, technical webinars to keep my knowledge up to date about the current affairs in the industry, attended trade conferences in the aviation sectors to build my network, and kept applying consistently to roles that suited my skills.
Tell us about your current role. What problems do you solve?
I currently work in a team that develops the test rigs to show LH2 (Liquid Hydrogen) refuelling is possible. Cryogenics is a very niche and challenging topic, it was a steep learning curve for someone like me coming from an aerospace design background with little to no knowledge of cryogenic technologies. To give you the perspective, hydrogen is useful in aerospace in liquid form to give a meaningful range if we are to replace the current A320 fuel with hydrogen. Gaseous hydrogen can only be used for regional aircrafts like ATRs. Although LH2 has good gravimetric density, its volumetric density is quite poor. Approximately, one needs nearly 10 times more volume of hydrogen fuel than current aviation fuel to provide the same amount of energy for the journey. Also Hydrogen stays in liquid state only between -253 and -259 degrees celsius, which is a mere 6 degrees celsius margin we have to work with before it turns into gas. These are some of the challenges that we need to be solved to make this technology technologically feasible. Then comes the challenge of commercial and operational feasibility which other teams are working on. In terms of engines, I do not have much knowledge, but companies like Rolls Royce & GE are working to develop this technology. The current engines have to be modified to accommodate hydrogen as a fuel instead of Jet A1. The components also have to be redesigned to factor for hydrogen characteristics like permeability and embrittlement.
How does your work benefit society?
As I mentioned before I work in a futuristic project that will revolutionise the aviation industry and help the transition towards sustainable skies. It will greatly reduce carbon emissions by the aviation industry. I also work as a union representative at work as part of the biggest trade union in the UK. I am part of the national and regional delegation that helps people in the sector.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
This role is my first job and it is very close to my heart as I am not just doing my dream job but also making a positive impact on society. I get the rare opportunity to give back to the society that has given me so much.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
Stay motivated, it may seem impossible at the beginning but just focus on your goal and keep at it no matter what may come … .you will reach there eventually. Also know that “ It is who you know that matters more than what you know in today’s competitive world”, so apart from applying for roles from the comfort of your laptops/computer, get out there, attend many events, make yourself visible and get the exposure! Trust me it works all the time!
Future Plans?
I intend to stay in my current role and keep contributing to the project. Personally I am planning to take on more management positions and move up the corporate ladder so I can get involved in driving the key decisions that shape the industry! Let’s see what happens! Thanks for giving me this opportunity.