Hydrogen Flights Set to Revolutionize Air Travel

Liquid hydrogen requires a larger tank volume than today’s aviation kerosene but is at the same time lighter and contains more energy per kilogram of fuel. Credit: Cranfield University

By 2045, nearly all short-range flights could be hydrogen-powered, with significant advancements in technology driving efficiency and range. Sweden may start hydrogen flights by 2028, aiming for major global adoption by 2050.

Hydrogen-powered flight would offer new opportunities for fossil-free travel, and technological advancements in the field are moving fast. New studies from

Heat exchanger with exhaust gas preheater, developed according to the new concept. Credit: GKN Aerospace

Potential of Hydrogen-Powered Aviation

Short and medium-range hydrogen-powered flights are the closest to being realised. A recently published study from Chalmers shows that hydrogen-powered flights have the potential to meet the needs of 97 percent of all intra-Nordic flight routes and 58 percent of the Nordic passenger volume by 2045.

For this study, the researchers assumed a maximum flight distance of 750 miles and the use of an existing aircraft model adapted for hydrogen power. The study, led by doctoral student Christian Svensson in Grönstedt’s research group, also showcased a new fuel tank that could hold enough fuel, was insulated enough to hold the super-cold liquid hydrogen, and at the same time was lighter than today’s fossil-based fuel tank systems.

Tomas Grönstedt, Professor at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and Director of the competence centre TechForH2. Credit: Chalmers University of Technology | Mia Halleröd Palmgren

Hydrogen and Hydrogen Flight:

• Hydrogen, H2, is an invisible, odorless, volatile gas that liquefies at about -250 degrees

  Carlos Xisto, Associate Professor, Division of Fluid Mechanics, Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology. Credit: Sören Håkanlind

“Every degree increase in temperature reduces fuel consumption and increases range. We were able to show that short- and medium-haul aircraft equipped with the new heat exchanger could reduce their fuel consumption by almost eight percent. Considering that an aircraft engine is a mature and well-established technology, it is a very good result from a single component,” says Carlos Xisto, Associate Professor at the Division of Fluid Mechanics at Chalmers, and one of the authors of the study.

The researchers also note that with more optimization, this type of heat exchanger technology in a regular Airbus A320 commercial aircraft could provide an improved range of up to ten percent, or the equivalent of the Gothenburg-Berlin route (approximately 450 miles).

Tomas Grönstedt, Professor at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and Director of the competence center TechForH2. Credit: Chalmers University of Technology | Anna-Lena Lundqvist

Collaborative Efforts and Industry Outlook

The work to develop solutions for hydrogen aviation of the future is taking place on a broad front, with governments, universities and private companies working together. In Sweden, the innovation cluster, Swedish Hydrogen Development Centre (SHDC), brings together key players, including industry leaders and experts from academia. At a recent SHDC seminar, researchers from Chalmers presented their work and several commercial companies testified to major investments in hydrogen flights in the coming years. Whilst the technology is well advanced, the challenges lie rather in the large investments required, and in developing infrastructure, business models and partnerships to be able to produce, transport and store the hydrogen so that the transition to hydrogen flight is possible. A total transition is expected to require around 100 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually.

“There are industry expectations that 30–40 percent of global aviation will be powered by hydrogen by 2050. It is likely that for a number of years to come, we will need a mix of aircraft that run on electricity, less environmentally harmful e-jet fuel and hydrogen. But every aircraft that can be powered by hydrogen from renewable energy reduces carbon dioxide emissions,” says Grönstedt.

Within TechForH2, there are good conditions to take on the hydrogen challenge, and with a budget of SEK 162 million (equivalent USD 15.5 million), the competence centre can contribute to the development of a number of different research areas that link hydrogen and heavy transport.

References:

“Compact heat exchangers for hydrogen-fueled aero engine intercooling and recuperation” by Alexandre Capitao Patrao, Isak Jonsson, Carlos Xisto, Anders Lundbladh and Tomas Grönstedt, 28 January 2024, Applied Thermal Engineering.
DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.122538

“Hydrogen fuel cell aircraft for the Nordic market” by Christian Svensson, Amir A.M. Oliveira and Tomas Grönstedt, 4 March 2024, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.02.382

Funding: Swedish Energy Agency, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, Swedish Research Council