Hydrogen propulsion is crucial for achieving zero carbon emissions in commercial
aviation. The aircraft’s power can be generated through hydrogen combustion in a
gas turbine engine and electricity through the fuel cell. Though promising, it
poses several challenges for implementation, such as the large volume and
structural modification required to carry cryogenic liquid hydrogen (LH2). Also,
the current jet fuel system used in commercial aviation needs significant
changes to incorporate hydrogen aircraft. The primary objective of this study
was to analyze the Hypothesis related to Liquid Hydrogen Aircraft, which will
help define the hydrogen fuel system. The theories were:
A pressurization system is essential to maintain the
LH2 tank pressure within the safe
limit,
Gaseous hydrogen transformed
from Liquid Hydrogen is suitable for tank
pressurization,
Possible to maintain
Cryogenic tank conditions during night non-operation
time.
A simplified Aircraft Hydrogen system was modeled and analyzed for 120 minutes of
flight operation and 360 minutes of ground non-operation. The analysis shows
that tank insulations are crucial in deciding tank pressurization and cryogenic
equilibrium.
