Authors: Sergio Bagarello, Dario Campagna, Ivano Benedetti
Publication Date: 6 August 2024
Category: SAF
Article Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773153724000768?via%3Dihub
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geits.2024.100224
Abstract (Official): The aviation industry is facing challenges related to its environmental impact and thus the pressing need to develop aircraft technologies aligned with the society climate goals. Hydrogen is emerging as a potential clean fuel for aviation, as it offers several advantages in terms of supply potential and weight specific energy. One of the key factors enabling the use of H2 in aviation is the development of reliable and safe storage technologies to be integrated into aircraft design. This work provides an overview of the technologies currently being investigated or developed for the storage of hydrogen within the aircraft, which would enable the use of hydrogen as a sustainable fuel for aviation, with emphasis on tanks material and structural aspects. The requirements dictated by the need of integrating the fuel system within existing or ex-novo aircraft architectures are discussed. Both the storage of gaseous and liquid hydrogen are considered and the main challenges related to the presence of either high internal pressures or cryogenic conditions are explored, in the background of recent literature. The materials employed for the manufacturing of hydrogen tanks are overviewed. The need to improve the storage tanks efficiency is emphasized and issues such as thermal insulation and hydrogen embrittlement are covered as well as the reference to the main structural health monitoring strategies. Recent projects dealing with the development of onboard tanks for aviation are eventually listed and briefly reviewed. Finally, considerations on the tank layout deemed more realistic and achievable in the near future are discussed.
GAT Editor’s Comments:
– Developing reliable and safe storage technologies integrated into aircraft design is key for enabling the use of H2 in aviation
– Tank materials and structural design are important areas of study, along with integrating the H2 fuel system into existing or entirely new aircraft designs
– Gaseous and liquid H2 storage each present their own challenges and will require more research into materials to enable higher storage tank efficiency
– Other factors such as hydrogen embrittlement and thermal insulation also need to be studied
