Session: 06-10 Hydrogen for Aviation & Industry

Paper Number: 154015

Integrated Design and Operation Assessment of a Preheating System for Liquid Hydrogen Fuelled Engines 

Over the past few years, the use of cryogenic liquid hydrogen (LH2) in aviation is being considered as a potential long-term solution towards emissions reduction. However, the handling and integration of the cryogenic fuel introduces major challenges on engine and fuel system level associated with the energy required to adequately condition it before combustion. Although the engine’s gas path can be a heat load source for the fuel system, the very integration of the two systems imposes significant changes to the operation of the engine. This paper aims to thoroughly investigate the design considerations of the integrated engine – fuel system for key operating conditions and identify a feasible solution space across different engine designs. To achieve this, a methodology is introduced that couples the conventional multipoint design approach followed to size high by-pass ratio turbofans with the sizing and the characterisation of fuel-to-gas path heat exchangers.

An integrated fuel system with a two-spool turbofan model are developed using the simulation environment of PROOSIS. The model is extended to accommodate the fuel system components, hydrogen properties for the fuel system flows and combustion products, utilizing suitable map correction factors. The integrated fuel system – engine are then assessed for the same thrust requirements but with different specific thrust capabilities, hydrogen delivery temperatures and heat exchanger effectiveness characterising as such the feasible solution space and identifying optimum solutions in terms of fuel burn and weight.

Presenting Author: Pavlos Rompokos Cranfield University

Presenting Author Biography: Pavlos Rompokos is a research fellow in the power and propulsion centre of Cranfield University School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacture. He received an integrated master’s degree in mechanical engineering from National Technical University of Athens and an MSc and PhD in aerospace propulsion from Cranfield University. His current field of research is the implementation of hydrogen on propulsion systems for civil aviation and is contributing to the tasks of EU and ATI funded projects.

Authors:

Pavlos Rompokos Cranfield University
Sangkeun Kang Cranfield University
Ioannis Roumeliotis Cranfield University