Innovative Liquid Hydrogen System for Green Aviation Advancements
Key Ideas
  • Researchers at FAMU-FSU College of Engineering develop a liquid hydrogen storage system for zero-emission aviation, addressing fuel storage, cooling, and delivery control in a single integrated design.
  • The system achieves a gravimetric index of 0.62, significantly improving fuel mass utilization compared to conventional designs, and effectively manages thermal requirements by using liquid hydrogen as both a coolant and fuel.
  • The innovative design eliminates the need for mechanical pumps by controlling hydrogen flow through tank pressure adjustments, enabling real-time regulation to meet varying power demands during flight phases.
  • Future steps include experimental validation at FSU's Center for Advanced Power Systems as part of NASA's Integrated Zero Emission Aviation program, aiming to advance clean aviation technologies in collaboration with partner universities.
Researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering have designed a liquid hydrogen storage and delivery system to facilitate zero-emission aviation. The system integrates fuel storage, cooling, and delivery control, allowing hydrogen to serve as a clean fuel and coolant for critical power systems on electric-powered aircraft. The study, published in Applied Energy, focuses on a design tailored for a 100-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft utilizing hydrogen fuel cells and turbine-driven superconducting generators. By optimizing cryogenic tanks and subsystems, the team achieved a gravimetric index of 0.62, enhancing fuel mass utilization. The system efficiently manages thermal requirements by utilizing liquid hydrogen for both cooling and fuel purposes, eliminating the need for mechanical pumps. Tank pressure adjustments control hydrogen flow to meet power demands during different flight phases. Future plans involve experimental validation of the system at FSU's Center for Advanced Power Systems under NASA's Integrated Zero Emission Aviation program in collaboration with partner universities, aiming to advance clean aviation technologies.
ADVANCEH2

Our vision is to be the world's leading online platform for advancing the use of hydrogen as a critical piece needed to deliver net-zero initiatives and the promise of a clean H2 energy future.

© 2025 AdvanceH2, LLC. All rights reserved.