Session: 01-12 Electrified Propulsion and Novel Cycles II

Paper Number: 152664

Fuel Conditioning System Modeling for Liquid Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft 

The increasing demand for sustainable aviation fuels has prompted the exploration of hydrogen as a viable alternative for reducing carbon emissions in the aviation sector. The high gravimetric energy density of hydrogen makes it a promising candidate for future aviation fuel, offering significant potential to reduce the carbon footprint of air travel. While many articles on hydrogen aircraft design focus on the conceptual layout of fuel systems, they often lack critical details on the mass and size of key components and hydrogen boil-off during ground operation, which are vital for practical implementation. Designing an efficient cryogenic hydrogen fuel system requires considering the additional mass and volume that comes with storing hydrogen at cryogenic temperatures, along with the insulation needed to minimize heat transfer and fuel losses.

Through modelling and dynamic simulation analyses, this paper investigates the process of hydrogen fuel conditioning for gas turbines in aviation, focusing on the mass, sizing and performance of different components in fuel conditioning systems. The aircraft considered for this model consists of a 19-passenger with 700 NM range that burns hydrogen in the GT directly. The modelling of the fuel conditioning system for a hydrogen-powered aircraft includes a liquid hydrogen storage tank, cryogenic pump, valves, heat exchangers, preheaters and fuel transfer lines to the engine. The system performance has been analyzed for various tank insulation configurations with a focus on identifying operational limits and evaluating the resulting performance changes. Different insulation types were assessed to determine their effectiveness in maintaining the cryogenic temperature of liquid hydrogen and minimizing hydrogen boil-off.

Presenting Author: Avinash Renuke Malardalen University

Presenting Author Biography: I, Avinash Renuke, PhD, from the University of Genoa, Italy. I am currently working as a Researcher at Malardalen
University, Sweden. I did my master's studies from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in Thermal and Fluids
engineering. I have worked in General Electric ( Oil and Gas - Now Baker Hughes) for more than 4.5 years as
a compressor design and NPI engineer. My overarching interests lie in energy efficiency and sustainable energy solutions in energy technologies or likewise.

Authors:

Avinash Renuke Malardalen University
Konstantinos Kyprianidis Malardalen University
Dimitrios Bermperis Malardalen University
Jim Claesson Modelon AB