The growth in air transport and the ambitious targets in emission reductions set by advisory agencies are some of the driving factors behind research towards new fuels for aviation. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) could be both environmentally and economically beneficial. However, its implementation in aviation has technical challenges that needs to be quantified. This paper assesses the application of LNG in civil aviation using an integrated simulation and design framework, including Cranfield University’s aircraft performance tool, Orion, and engine performance simulation tool Turbomatch, integrated with an LNG tank sizing module and an aircraft weight estimation module. Changes in tank design, natural gas composition, airframe changes, and propulsion system performance are assessed. The performance benefits are quantified against a Boeing 737–800 aircraft. Overall, LNG conversion leads to a slightly heavier aircraft in terms of the operating weight empty (OWE) and maximum take-off weight (MTOW). The converted aircraft has a slightly reduced range compared to the conventional aircraft when the maximum payload is considered. Compared to a conventional aircraft, the results indicate that although the energy consumption is increased in the case of LNG, the mission fuel mass is decreased and CO2 emissions are reduced by more than 15%. These benefits come with a significant reduction in fuel cost per passenger, highlighting the potential benefits of adopting LNG for aviation.

Liquid hydrogen (LH2) has long been seen as a technically feasible fuel for a fully sustainable greener aviation future. The low density of the cryogenic fuel would dictate the redesign of commercial aircraft to accommodate the large tanks, which are unlikely to be integrated within the whole internal volume of the wing. In the ENABLEH2 project, the morphological aspects of a LH2 aircraft design are discussed and a methodology for rapid concept comparative assessment is proposed. An exercise is then carried on to down-select short-to-medium range (SMR) and long-range (LR) concepts, able to carry 200 passengers for 3000 nmi and 414 passengers for 7500?nmi respectively. The down-selection process was split into two phases with the first considering 31 potential airframe architectures and 21 propulsion-system arrangements. The second phase made the final down-selections from a short-list of nine integrated design concepts that were ranked according to 34 criteria, relating to operating cost, revenue, noise and safety. Upon completion of the process, a tube and wing design with the tanks integrated into extended wing roots, and a blended-wing-body design were selected as the best candidates for the SMR and LR applications respectively. Both concepts feature distributed propulsion to maximise synergies from integrating the airframe and propulsion systems.

Liquid hydrogen (LH2) has long been seen as a technically feasible fuel for a fully sustainable greener aviation future. The low density of the cryogenic fuel would dictate the redesign of commercial aircraft to accommodate the large tanks, which are unlikely to be integrated within the whole internal volume of the wing. In the ENABLEH2 project, the morphological aspects of a LH2 aircraft design are discussed and a methodology for rapid concept comparative assessment is proposed. An exercise is then carried on to down-select short-to-medium range (SMR) and long-range (LR) concepts, able to carry 200 passengers for 3000 nmi and 414 passengers for 7500 nmi respectively. The down-selection process was split into two phases with the first considering 31 potential airframe architectures and 21 propulsion-system arrangements. The second phase made the final down-selections from a short-list of nine integrated design concepts that were ranked according to 34 criteria, relating to operating cost, revenue, noise and safety. Upon completion of the process, a tube and wing design with the tanks integrated into extended wing roots, and a blended-wing-body design were selected as the best candidates for the SMR and LR applications respectively. Both concepts feature distributed propulsion to maximise synergies from integrating the airframe and propulsion systems.

Liquid hydrogen (LH2) has long been seen as a technically feasible fuel for a fully sustainable greener aviation future. The low density of the cryogenic fuel would dictate the redesign of commercial aircraft to accommodate the large tanks, which are unlikely to be integrated within the whole internal volume of the wing.In the ENABLEH2 project, the morphological aspects of a LH2 aircraft design are discussed and a methodology for rapid concept comparative assessment is proposed. An exercise is then carried on to down-select short-to-medium range (SMR) and long-range (LR) concepts, able to carry 200 passengers for 3000 nmi and 414 passengers for 7500 nmi respectively.The down-selection process was split into two phases with the first considering 31 potential airframe architectures and 21 propulsion-system arrangements. The second phase made the final down-selections from a short-list of nine integrated design concepts that were ranked according to 34 criteria, relating to operating cost, revenue, noise and safety. Upon completion of the process, a tube and wing design with the tanks integrated into extended wing roots, and a blended-wing-body design were selected as the best candidates for the SMR and LR applications respectively. Both concepts feature distributed propulsion to maximise synergies from integrating the airframe and propulsion systems.

Designing commercial aircraft to use liquid hydrogen (LH2) is one way to substantially reduce their life-cycle CO2 emissions. The merits of hydrogen as an aviation fuel have long been recognized, however, the handling of a cryogenic fuel adds complexity to aircraft and engine systems, operations, maintenance and storage. The fuel tanks could account for 8–10% of an aircraft’s operating empty weight, so designing them for the least added weight is of high significance. This paper describes the heat transfer model developed in the EU Horizon 2020 project that is used to predict heat ingress to a cylindrical tank with hemispherical end caps with external foam insulation. It accounts for heat transfer according to the state of the tank contents, the insulation material properties, the environment, and the dimensions of the tank. The model also estimates the rate of pressure change according to the state of the fuel and the rate at which fuel is withdrawn from the tank. In addition, a methodology is presented, that allows for tank sizing taking into consideration the requirements of a design flight mission, the maximum pressure developed, and the fuel evaporated. Finally, the study demonstrates how to select optimal insulation material and thickness to provide the lightest design for the cases where no gaseous hydrogen is extracted, and where some hydrogen gas is extracted during cruise, the latter giving gravimetric efficiencies as high as 74%.