Liquid Hydrogen for Aircraft Propulsion System
A dedicated student team is working to accelerate sustainable aviation by developing a hydrogen-powered aircraft
AeroDelft, a fully student-run and student-owned non-profit foundation based in Delft, worked hard and dedicated to overcome the technical and logistical challenges that come with using liquid hydrogen as a fuel. The liquid hydrogen needs to be stored at -253 Celsius and brought to room temperature to make it able to access the fuel cell. In the fuel cell the hydrogen is combined with oxygen. The result is electricity to drive the propulsion system and water as a byproduct.
Hydrogen gas is dangerous for its flammability and volatility. Together with Cryoworld the AeroDelft team developed a vacuum-insulated tank and a custom-built electric heat exchanger capable of handling a 300 °C temperature gradient. The entire system is operable from distance, includes dedicated venting and safety redundancies, and was integrated in collaboration with TNO and liquid hydrogen supplier Air Products. Navigating strict safety regulations and coordinating across partners, the team designed and tested the system using liquid nitrogen and gaseous hydrogen before successfully validating it with liquid hydrogen.
More information at TU Delft
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