Liquid hydrogen storage, thermal management, and transfer-control system for integrated zero emission aviation (IZEA)

The rapid growth of the aviation sector underscores the urgent need to reduce carbon and contrail emissions, key contributors to climate change. Hydrogen, with its high specific chemical energy, emerges as a promising clean fuel alternative. To promote sustainable aviation, we propose an innovative design for a liquid hydrogen storage, thermal management, and transfer-control system tailored for Integrated Zero Emission Aviation (IZEA). Our design harnesses the cooling power of liquid hydrogen to manage the temperature and thermal loads on essential power system components. By regulating the pressure in the storage tank, we demonstrate the feasibility of delivering the required hydrogen mass flow rates—up to 0.25 kg/s—to meet a peak power demand of 16.2 MW for a prototype 100-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft, while efficiently cooling the power system using practical heat exchangers. Through comprehensive system-level optimization, we have identified the optimal tank and heat exchanger configurations that maximize the overall gravimetric index to a value of 0.62, where the index is defined as the ratio of the hydrogen fuel mass to the total mass of the fuel, storage tank, and thermal management system. Our findings emphasize the critical importance of system-level optimization in determining key design parameters, paving the way for zero-emission aviation technologies and advancing environmental sustainability in the aviation industry. • Designed an integrated system combining liquid hydrogen storage, thermal management, and transfer control for hybrid-electric aircraft. • Optimized a system-level fuel gravimetric index to 0.62, ensuring efficient hydrogen storage and utilization in aviation. • Leveraged liquid hydrogen’s dual functionality as both a fuel source and a cooling agent for power systems. • Developed counterflow heat exchangers for effective thermal management of superconducting and other power components. • Regulated tank pressure to maintain consistent hydrogen flow and cooling during varying flight conditions. • Demonstrated significant potential for reducing carbon emissions and contrails in aviation. • Provided a scalable solution for adopting hydrogen as a sustainable aviation fuel.