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Hydrogen-powered aircraft
A hydrogen-powered aircraft is an aeroplane that uses
hydrogen fuel as a power source. Hydrogen can either be burned in
a jet engine or another kind of internal combustion engine, or can
be used to power a fuel cell to generate electricity to power a
propeller. Unlike most aircraft, which store fuel in the wings,
hydrogen-powered aircraft are usually designed with the hydrogen
fuel tanks inside the fuselage.

According to research at the Pennsylvania State University in In 2008, the Boeing Fuel Cell
2006, large commercial hydrogen aircraft could be built by 2020 Demonstrator achieved straight-
but "will probably not enter service until closer to 2040."[2] In the level flight on a manned mission
nearer term, interest has grown in using fuel cell aircraft as powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.[1]
personal air vehicles.

The European Union's research project in cooperation with Airbus and 34 other partner companies
dubbed CRYOPLANE assessed the technical feasibility, safety, environmental compatibility and
economic viability of using liquid hydrogen as an aviation fuel. This was concluded in 2002 (with the
final report published in 2003).[3]

As of 2021, ZeroAvia is actively developing aircraft with a fuel cell powertrain "capable of carrying up
to 20 passengers about 350 nautical miles".[4] Airbus presented three concept planes, planning
deployment around 2035: a 100-passenger turboprop, a 200-passenger turbofan, and a futuristic
design based around a blended wing body.[4] Hydrogen aircraft using a fuel cell design are zero
emission in operation, whereas aircraft using hydrogen as a fuel for a jet engine or an internal
combustion engine are zero emission for CO2 but not for NOx.[a]

Contents
Properties of hydrogen
Design considerations
History
Proposed aircraft
Historical
Current
See also
Notes
References
External links

Properties of hydrogen
Hydrogen has a specific energy that is 3 times higher than traditional jet fuel, but a lower energy
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density. In aircraft carbon fiber tanks are

used, which can sustain a pressure of 700
bar. Cryogenic liquid hydrogen is also
used.

If hydrogen is available in quantity from

low-carbon energy sources such as wind
or nuclear, its use in aircraft will produce
fewer greenhouse gases (water vapor and
a small amount of nitrogen oxide) than
current aircraft. Currently very little
hydrogen is produced using low-carbon
energy sources, and there are several
serious obstacles to the use of hydrogen
in aircraft and other vehicles.[6] Due to Energy density of fuels: horizontal per mass, vertical per volume.
the way it is produced, and the relative
inefficiencies of its production given
current technology, hydrogen is more expensive than fossil fuels.

Liquid hydrogen is one of the best coolants used in engineering, and it has been proposed to use this
property for cooling intake air for very high speed aircraft (see precooled jet engine), or even for
cooling the aircraft's skin itself, particularly for scramjet-powered aircraft.[7]

Design considerations
Liquid hydrogen has about four times the volume for the same amount of energy of kerosene based jet-
fuel. In addition, its highly volatile nature precludes storing the fuel in the wings, as with conventional
transport aircraft. Therefore, most liquid hydrogen aircraft designs store the fuel in the fuselage,
leading to a larger fuselage length and diameter than a conventional kerosene fuelled aircraft. This
lowers the performance due to the extra wetted area of the fuselage. The larger fuselage size causes
more skin friction drag and wave drag. On the other hand, hydrogen is about one-third of the weight of
kerosene jet-fuel for the same amount of energy. This means that for the same range and performance
(ignoring the effect of volume), the hydrogen aircraft would have about one-third of the fuel weight.
For a Boeing 747-400 type aircraft, this would reduce the takeoff gross weight from 360,000 to
270,000 kg (800,000 to 600,000 lb). Thus, the performance of a hydrogen-fueled aircraft is a trade-
off of the larger wetted area and lower fuel weight. This trade-off depends essentially on the size of the
aircraft. The above excludes the extra weight of the hydrogen tanks.

History
In February 1957, a Martin B-57B of the NACA flew on hydrogen
for 20 min for one of its two Wright J65 engines rather than jet
fuel.[8] On 15 April 1988, the Tu-155 first flew as the first hydrogen-
powered experimental aircraft,[9] an adapted Tu-154 airliner.

Boeing converted a 2-seat Diamond DA20 to run on a fuel cell.[10]

It first flew on April 3, 2008.[11] The Antares DLR-H2 is a
hydrogen-powered aeroplane from Lange Aviation and the German
The hydrogen-powered Tu-155
aerospace center.[12] In July 2010, Boeing unveiled its hydrogen
prototype made its first flight on 15
powered Phantom Eye UAV, that uses two converted Ford Motor
April 1988.
Company piston engines.[13]

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In 2010, the Rapid 200FC concluded six flight tests fueled by gaseous hydrogen. The aircraft and the
electric and energy system was developed within the European Union's ENFICA-FC project
coordinated by the Politecnico di Torino.[14] Hydrogen gas is stored at 350 bar, feeding a 20 kW
(27 hp) fuel cell powering a 40 kW (54 hp) electric motor along a 20 kW (27 hp) lithium polymer
battery pack.

On January 11, 2011, an AeroVironment Global Observer unmanned aircraft completed its first flight
powered by a hydrogen-fueled propulsion system.[15]

Developed by Germany’s DLR Institute of Engineering

Thermodynamics, the DLR HY4 four-seater was powered by a
hydrogen fuel cell, its first flight took place on September 29,
2016.[16] It has the possibility to store 9 kg (20 lb) of hydrogen,
4x11 kW fuel cells and 2x10 kWh batteries.[17]

In August 2021 the UK Government claimed it was the first to have

a Hydrogen Strategy. This report included a suggested strategy for
hydrogen powered aircraft along with other transport modes.[18] the hydrogen fuel cell-powered HY4

Proposed aircraft

Historical
▪ Lockheed CL-400 Suntan 1950's concept liquid hydrogen aircraft that was dropped in favour of the
SR-71
▪ Liquid hydrogen was proposed for use on the scramjet-based National Aerospace Plane.
▪ AeroVironment Global Observer
▪ Tupolev Tu-155

Current
▪ Project Fresson
▪ Reaction Engines Skylon orbital hydrogen fuelled jet plane
▪ Reaction Engines A2 antipodal hypersonic jet airliner
▪ DLR Smartfish
▪ Boeing Phantom Eye
▪ The Cryo-V [19]
▪ ZeroAviaHyFlyer (fuel-cell)[20]
▪ Universal Hydrogen
▪ Aerodelft

In September 2020, Airbus announced plans for three different hydrogen-fuelled concepts, collectively
known as ZEROe, with the aim of developing zero-emission aircraft that could enter commercial
service by 2035.[21] The aircraft are powered using hydrogen internal combustion (gas turbine) rather
than hydrogen fuel cells.[22]

In March 2021, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) – the UK SME leading the Project Fresson
consortium – announces it will exploit recent advances in hydrogen fuel cell technology to develop a
commercially viable, retrofit powertrain solution for the nine-passenger Britten-Norman Islander
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aircraft by September 2022.[23] Demonstrating that sustainable propulsion technology has a clear
route to market, the Cranfield Aerospace Solutions-led consortium’s technology programme will
accelerate the journey to zero-emissions passenger-carrying service. Project Fresson is supported by
the ATI Programme, a joint Government and industry investment to maintain and grow the UK’s
competitive position in civil aerospace design and manufacture. The programme, delivered through a
partnership between the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), Department for Business, Energy &
Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Innovate UK, addresses technology, capability and supply chain
challenges.

See also
▪ Electric aircraft
▪ Emerging aviation fuels
▪ Hyfish

Notes
a. the burning of Hydrogen in air leads to the production of NOx. I.e. the H2 + O ->H20 reaction in a
nitrogen-rich environment also causes the production of NOx.[5]

References
1. Robertson, David (2008-04-03). "Boeing tests first hydrogen powered plane" (http://business.times
online.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article3675188.ece). The Times. London.
2. Maniaci, David C. "Operational Performance Prediction of a Hydrogen-Fueled Commercial
Transport" 2006 symposium paper (http://www.engr.psu.edu/symposium2006/papers/Session%20
3E%20-%20Energy/Maniaci.doc) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20060905121155/http://w
ww.engr.psu.edu/symposium2006/papers/Session%203E%20-%20Energy/Maniaci.doc)
2006-09-05 at the Wayback Machine
3. Airbus Deutschland "Liquid Hydrogen Fuelled Aircraft - CRYOPLANE Final Technical Report" 2003
(http://www.airneth.com/index.php/doc_view/10-cryoplane-system-analysis-liquid-hydrogen-fuelled-
aircraft-final-technical-report.html?format=raw&tmpl=component)
4. Henderson, Caspar (7 April 2021). "The hydrogen revolution in the skies" (https://www.bbc.com/fut
ure/article/20210401-the-worlds-first-commercial-hydrogen-plane). bbc.com. BBC. Retrieved
5 August 2021.
5. Mike Menzies (23 September 2019). "Hydrogen: The Burning Question" (https://www.thechemicale
ngineer.com/features/hydrogen-the-burning-question/). The Chemical Engineer. Institution of
Chemical Engineers.
6. "Hydrogen aircraft" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120618193511/http://www.h2-vehicles.com/hydr
ogen-aircraft.htm). H2 Vehicles. Archived from the original (http://www.h2-vehicles.com/hydrogen-a
ircraft.htm) on 2012-06-18. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
7. Segal, Corin (2010). The Scramjet Engine Processes and Characteristics. Cambridge University
Press. p. 4. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511627019 (https://doi.org/10.1017%2FCBO9780511627019).
ISBN 9780511627019.
8. Guy Norris (October 1, 2020). "Will Contrails Be Hydrogen Fuel's Achilles' Heel?" (https://aviationw
eek.com/aerospace/emerging-technologies/will-contrails-be-hydrogen-fuels-achilles-heel). Aviation
Week.
9. Dieter Scholz, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (19 November 2020). "Design of Hydrogen
Passenger Aircraft" (https://www.fzt.haw-hamburg.de/pers/Scholz/dglr/hh/text_2020_11_19_Hydro
genAircraft.pdf) (PDF).

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10. "Boeing Prepares Fuel Cell Demonstrator Airplane for Ground and Flight Testing" (https://web.archi
ve.org/web/20070429113951if_/http://www.boeing.com/phantom/news/2007/q1/070327e_nr.html)
(Press release). Boeing. March 27, 2007.
11. "Boeing Flies First Fuel Cell-Powered Airplane" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080406204719if_/h
ttp://www.boeing.com:80/news/releases/2008/q2/080403a_nr.html) (Press release). Boeing. April
3, 2008.
12. "DLR motor glider Antares takes off in Hamburg – powered by a fuel cell" (https://www.dlr.de/conte
nt/en/downloads/news-archive/2009/20090707_dlr-motor-glider-antares-takes-off-in-hamburg-pow
ered-by-a-fuel-cell_18278.pdf) (PDF) (Press release). DLR. 7 July 2009.
13. "Boeing Unveils Unmanned Phantom Eye Demonstrator" (https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2010-07-
12-Boeing-Unveils-Unmanned-Phantom-Eye-Demonstrator/) (Press release). Boeing. July 12,
2010.
14. "ENFICA-FC" (http://www.enfica-fc.polito.it/).
15. "Global Observer, AeroVironment's Extreme Endurance Unmanned Aircraft System, Achieves
Historic First Hydrogen-Powered Flight" (https://www.avinc.com/resources/press-releases/view/glo
bal_observer_aerovironments_extreme_endurance_unmanned_aircraft_system_a) (Press
release). AeroVironment. Jan 11, 2011.
16. "Fuel cell aircraft HY4 makes maiden flight" (https://www.theengineer.co.uk/fuel-cell-aircraft-hy4-m
akes-maiden-flight/). The Engineer. 30 September 2016.
17. "Vil ha kortdistanse flytrafikk over på hydrogen" (https://www.tu.no/artikler/vil-ha-kortdistanse-flytrafi
kk-over-pa-hydrogen/396172) (in Norwegian). Teknisk Ukeblad. 21 June 2017.
18. "UK Hydrogen Strategy" (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uplo
ads/attachment_data/file/1011283/UK-Hydrogen-Strategy_web.pdf) (PDF). UK Government.
August 2021.
19. The Cryo-V Final DSE Report (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342716771_The_Cryo-V_
Silent_and_Climate-Neutral_Medium_Range_Aircraft_Final_DSE_Report), June 30, 2020
20. ZeroAvia Conducts UK's First Commercial-Scale Electric Flight (https://fuelcellsworks.com/news/ze
roavia-conducts-uks-first-commercial-scale-electric-flight/), June 23, 2020
21. "Airbus reveals new zero-emission concept aircraft" (https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-rele
ases/en/2020/09/airbus-reveals-new-zeroemission-concept-aircraft.html) (Press release). Airbus.
21 September 2020.
22. Tidey, Alice (21 September 2020). "Airbus unveils concepts for zero-emission planes powered by
hydrogen" (https://www.euronews.com/2020/09/21/airbus-unveils-concepts-for-zero-emission-plan
es-powered-by-hydrogen). euronews.
23. "PROJECT FRESSON TO DELIVER WORLD'S FIRST TRULY GREEN PASSENGER CARRYING
AIRLINE SERVICES USING HYDROGEN FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY" (https://www.cranfieldaero
space.com/2021/project-fresson-hydrogen/) (Press release). CAeS. 30 March 2021.

External links
▪ Bjorn Fehrm (February 7, 2020). "Bjorn's Corner: Why e in ePlane shall stand for environment,
Part 8" (https://leehamnews.com/2020/02/07/bjorns-corner-why-e-in-eplane-shall-stand-for-environ
ment-part-8/). Leeham News.
▪ Dan Thisdell (9 July 2020). "Forget batteries, is hydrogen the holy grail for carbon-free commercial
aviation?" (https://www.flightglobal.com/air-transport/forget-batteries-is-hydrogen-the-holy-grail-for-
carbon-free-commercial-aviation/139150.article). Flightglobal.

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