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Propulsion and Energy

Cryogenic fuels in aviation

By Chuming Wei and Bhupendra Khandelwal|December 2023

The Terrestrial Energy Systems Technical Committee works to advance the application of engineering sciences and systems engineering to the production, storage, distribution and conservation of energy for terrestrial uses.

Decarbonizing the transportation sector necessitates alternatives comparable to conventional liquid fuels with zero or as low as possible carbon content. Cryogenic fuels like hydrogen and natural gas are possible solutions, a crucial consideration for these fuels is their high volumetric and gravimetric energy densities. Liquification is required to maximize the volumetric energy density. Cryogenic technology is also advancing its energy efficiency. Linde of Ireland, Air Liquide of France and Chart Industries of Georgia predict that the cryogenic equipment market will be a $400 billion industry by 2033.

This year, the aviation sector witnessed groundbreaking strides toward sustainable flight, with several companies leading the charge by retrofitting existing aircraft to run on hydrogen. California-based ZeroAvia flight tested a 19-seat aircraft in January. The aircraft took off  from Cotswold Airport in the United Kingdom, one of its turboprop engines replaced by a combination of batteries and hydrogen fuel cells; the other engine used conventional kerosene. Batteries and hydrogen each contributed 50% to powering the aircraft’s left side during its 10-minute journey. Universal Hydrogen of California has retrofitted an ATR-72 and a De Havilland Dash 8-300 with a similar aim. The Dash 8 set a record in March as the largest aircraft to take flight propelled by hydrogen fuel cells. In the United Kingdom, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions prepared to unveil its converted nine-seat Britten-Norman demonstrator.

Airbus continued cryogenic hydrogen tank development at its Zero Emission Development Centre in Bristol, U.K. Cryogenic fuel storage is pivotal to the company’s plans to have a hydrogen-powered passenger airliner flying by 2035. Plans call for Airbus has ground tests and, starting in 2026, flight tests with the ZEROe demonstrator. Simultaneously, its Advanced Superconducting and Cryogenic Experimental Powertrain Demonstrator initiative is delving into the potential of superconducting materials and cryogenic temperatures in aircraft electrical propulsion systems.

In June, GKN Aerospace in the U.K. and Embraer announced a partnership to develop a hydrogen flight demonstrator powered by GKN’s advanced fuel cell concept, which uses a cryogenically cooled electrical system for superior efficiency. Such advancements not only cater to aircraft in the 100-plus passenger segment but also open the door for potentially larger models.

In June, Narendra Joshi of the SafeAvia Ltd. consultancy presented the progress made and the need for cryogenic renewable natural gas-powered aviation in a panel session at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Turbo Expo in London. He said it is important to solve the immediate problem of sustainability in aviation and that cryogenic renewable natural gas is an immediate solution. He also pointed out that production and pricing of sustainable aviation fuel is not at par with industry demands and that some other sustainable option is needed. He also questioned the operational viability of cryogenic hydrogen.

In July, phase one of the program CHEETA, Center for High-Efficiency Electrical Technologies for Aircraft, concluded. Funded by NASA and led by Phil Ansell from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, researchers are studying cryogenic liquid hydrogen in collaboration with Boeing, General Electric and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.

September saw the U.K.’s aviation giants — easyJet, Rolls-Royce and Airbus among them — form the Hydrogen in Aviation alliance. Advocating hydrogen as a key to decarbonize aviation, the alliance highlighted the work of its various members. Also in September, German company H2FLY reported the world’s first piloted flight of an aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen. The company flew its HY4 demonstrator from Maribor, Slovenia, powered by a hydrogen-electric fuel cell system using liquid hydrogen.

2023 Year in Review

Aerospace Design and Structures

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Researchers advance probabilistic analysis for greater efficiency and safety

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Unique material innovations reduce costs in manufacturing

A blue and white Boeing airplane flying with mountains and clouds in the background.

Structures tested; modeling developed

Aerospace Outreach

An airbus a330 aircraft, featuring a blue and white livery, takes off from an airport with a control tower in the background.

Industry sees increased profits, major acquisitions

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50 years after Apollo 11, the world took note

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Astronauts again launch from U.S. soil

Aerospace Sciences

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Micro-perforations reduce drag; demonstrating machine learning for vortex identification

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Drone registration, reusing first stages

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From micro-vortex generators to supersonic parachute dynamics, researchers glean deeper insights

Aircraft Technology, Integration and Operations

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Influx of private capital marks another potential hypersonic inflection point

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737 MAX 10, NASA’s Ingenuity and others make first flights

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Hypersonics research accelerates across 3 continents

Engineering and Technology Management

Solar Impulse 2

A year that caught public’s notice

Virgin Galactic’s second SpaceShipTwo

Accelerating change on systems engineering tenets

Atmospheric picture of space

A century ago, aviation became an industry

Information Systems

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Advancing technologies for safety-critical applications

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Progress in autonomy: space robotics, satellite systems, air traffic control

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Low-Earth orbit megaconstellations reach record capacity

Integration

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Advanced air mobility aircraft developers prepare for passenger service

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Unmanned aircraft systems make research and business advances

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Marching toward the 2030 vision of CFD

Program Committees

Atmospheric picture of space

Hypersonics changing the world

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Electric efforts gaining power

solar-powered Aquila high-altitude unmanned aircraft

Unmanned integration efforts gain speed

Propulsion and Energy

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Powering missions to Earth’s moon and other planetary moons

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Lighting fires that can’t be extinguished

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Progress made toward nuclear propulsion, in-situ resource utilization

Space and Missiles

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Another year of advances for tethers community

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Progress for human life support in Earth orbit and in Mars atmosphere

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Missile defense tests show progress

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Cryogenic fuels in aviation