Hydrogen poses numerous advantages, explaining why it can be used in aviation as a fuel; numerous challenges still to be solved.
Here’s a post from WHA International that speaks the following:
- Engineers have used hydrogen in rocket fuel and hydrogen fuel cells since the early years of space exploration.
- Hydrogen has a higher specific impulse, burns cleaner, and has quick refueling potential, making it an attractive clean energy option for new aerospace application.
- Challenges to using hydrogen in aerospace include unique safety considerations, large-scale infrastructure changes, and public perception due to historical incidents
To ensure the safe handling and storage of hydrogen in aerospace applications, several specific safety measures and regulations need to be implemented. These measures are designed to mitigate the known hazards associated with hydrogen, such as fire, explosion, and asphyxiation. Here are some key safety measures and regulations:
- Purging Systems: Hydrogen systems must be purged with an inert gas, such as nitrogen, to avoid the formation of flammable hydrogen/oxygen mixtures.
- Adequate Ventilation: Proper ventilation is essential to minimize or eliminate the potential hazard of asphyxiation and the formation of combustible hydrogen/oxygen mixtures.
- Special Flame Detectors: Hydrogen burns with an almost invisible blue flame, requiring special flame detectors to detect fires effectively.
- Advanced Modeling Tools: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools can be used to simulate hydrogen release scenarios and predict the hazards, helping in the design of safe refueling procedures and infrastructure.
- Regulatory Compliance: Compliance with relevant regulations and standards is crucial. For example, the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Engines and Related Technologies Course Manual provides technical information on the use of hydrogen as a transportation fuel, covering safety aspects and maintenance.
Interestingly, we have some other posts related to this content:
- Applications Of Hydrogen Fuel In Aviation Industry:
- Highlights the potential of green hydrogen in reducing aviation’s carbon footprint, emphasizing its high specific impulse and energy density. Airbus views it as central to aviation decarbonization by 2035.
- Carbon Free Hydrogen Powered Airplanes: Universal Hydrogen and Japanese Companies Team Up:
- Discusses a collaborative effort to explore hydrogen-powered aircraft, focusing on decarbonization, sustainability, and overcoming challenges in development and infrastructure.
- Hydrogen And Sustainable Aviation Fuel For Air Travel – Decarbonization:
- Examines the aviation industry’s efforts to decarbonize through sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrogen, highlighting challenges in storage and infrastructure for hydrogen’s use in short flights and drones.
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