Project Acronym

MIMOSA - Multiscale system-oriented design of a fuel-cell powered regional aircraft

(Multiskaliger systemorientierter Entwurf von brennstoffzellenbetriebenen Regionalflugzeugen)

Project Objectives‍

• Development of a prototypical simulationenvironment for multiscale, system-oriented aircraft design

• Increasing modelling efficiency during theconcept phase of system-based aircraft development

• Design of propulsion systems with fuel cellsand electric drive train with higher overall efficiency

Consortium

• PACE Aerospace Engineering and Information Technology GmbH

• AVL Deutschland GmbH

• Technische Universität Berlin

• Deutsche Aircraft GmbH

Project Description

Purpose

The Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in Europe (ACARE) has set a clear ambition: achieving climate-neutral aviation with net zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. Reaching this goal requires transformative propulsion technologies, with hydrogen-based fuel cell systems expected to play a central role.

To make informed decisions in the earliest development phases, aircraft designers need new capabilities to evaluate unconventional concepts before entering costly detailed design.

The LuFo VII 1 project MIMOSA addresses this need by developing an integrated, multiscale digital simulation environment that tightly connects preliminary aircraft design with high fidelity fuel cell and thermal management modelling. This enables robust system assessment at a stage when design freedom—and the potential impact of decisions—is highest.

Project at a Glance

Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, MIMOSA brings together leading expertise across multiple fields:

• PACE: overall aircraft and systems simulation

• AVL: high-fidelity fuel cell and thermal management modelling

• TU Berlin: aircraft design

• Deutsche Aircraft: OEM integration, requirements definition, and validation in real-world aircraft design workflows

The project connects the preliminary design platform for aircraft and on-board systems Desmo with the system simulation tool AVL CRUISE™ M for high-fidelity fuel-cell and thermal-management simulations, enabling consistent, multi-scale evaluation of new propulsion concepts.

Fuel cell-powered regional aircraft—especially using renewable hydrogen—have the potential to achieve up to 100% CO₂ reduction, while also offering significant noise and local-emission advantages, alongside an estimated 5% improvement in overall propulsion efficiency.

Features and Objectives

Led by PACE, MIMOSA investigates how high fidelity fuel cell simulation tools (e.g., AVL CRUISE M) can be integrated with the Desmo preliminary design platform to exploit synergies between component-level and aircraft-level modelling.

Custom digital interfaces will enable structured data exchange at exactly the resolution required for multiscale simulation. This ensures a seamless connection from individual components—such as fuel cell stacks and thermal subsystems—to the behaviour of the complete aircraft.

By closing the design loop across all scales, MIMOSA allows engineers to efficiently narrow the design space, avoid unpromising configurations early, and evaluate multiple system architectures to identify the best-performing and most efficient concepts.

Through this integrated approach, MIMOSA supports:

• faster and better-informed design decisions

• optimised fuel-cell propulsion architectures

• a strong foundation for the transition to zero carbon regional aviation

Role of Deutsche Aircraft

Overview

Deutsche Aircraft plays a central role in ensuring that the MIMOSA simulation environment and modelling concepts align with the practical needs, constraints, and workflows of a commercial aircraft manufacturer. As the OEM partner, Deutsche Aircraft ensures the relevance, applicability, and realism of all project outcomes.

Scope of Work

HAP 1 – Requirements Definition & Conceptual Modelling

In the initial project phase, Deutsche Aircraft:

• develops detailed requirements for the multiscale software environment

• contributes to the conceptual design of the modelling and simulation framework

• collaborates with TU Berlin to model both conventional and advanced reference aircraft

• provides essential OEM input, including:

- aircraft-level requirements

- operational scenarios

- evaluation criteria

- reference aircraft configurations

- calibration data

- propulsion system architectures

This ensures that the software solution is aligned with real-world aircraft design needs and operational requirements.

HAP 2 – System Integration, Testing & Evaluation

In the second phase, Deutsche Aircraft:

• tests and evaluates all developed system interfaces

• verifies modelling concepts and simulation workflows

• contributes OEM expertise to define and refine the interfaces between participating software packages

This validation step ensures that all tools can be integrated into realistic aircraft development environments.

HAP 3 – Application Scenarios & Future Use Cases

Together with TU Berlin, Deutsche Aircraft develops:

• relevant application scenarios

• evaluation criteria for future regional aircraft powered by fuel cell systems

This ensures that results of MIMOSA can be applied to practical decision-making for next generation low emission aircraft.