Multi-objective optimization of airfoils with integral tubular high-pressure tanks for hydrogen storage

Reducing the environmental impact of air transport is one of today's most important challenges in aviation industry and research. A promising key enabler is the use of hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels. The development of hydrogen-powered aircraft poses new engineering challenges due to its low volumetric energy density requiring high-pressure or cryogenic storage. If the volume in the wing shall be further used for storing hydrogen under high pressure, new demands arise to airfoil design. The present work focuses on this issue by presenting a multi-objective optimization approach aiming for airfoils with both low drag and high volume for internal tubular high-pressure tanks. This allows to directly address the new design objective and to find novel airfoil shapes providing the best compromise between aerodynamic efficiency and high storage volume for pressurized hydrogen. The resulting optimization problem is solved using Evolutionary Algorithms. For an efficient aerodynamic evaluation, the open source viscous-inviscid panel method XFOIL is used. An application example, based on the flight conditions of a general aviation aircraft, demonstrates the applicability of the method. Comparisons of the resulting aerodynamic characteristics obtained by XFOIL with RANS simulations confirm the feasibility of the results. • Storing pressurized hydrogen in aircraft wings creates new demands for airfoils. • A multi-objective airfoil optimization approach is proposed. • Objectives are minimization of drag and maximization of hydrogen storage capacity. • A nested optimization approach allows solving the multi-objective problem efficiently. • Comparison with RANS simulations confirms the feasibility of the results.