OVERLEAF project aims to develop a liquid hydrogen storage tank to facilitate hydrogen-powered aviation; funded by Horizon Europe.
Here’s an article posted in Innovation News Network that talks about OVERLEAF’s breakthrough in Liquid Hydrogen.
According to the article,
- The OVERLEAF project is developing a cutting-edge liquid hydrogen storage tank to enhance the transition to hydrogen-powered aircraft.
- The mass of liquid hydrogen tanks must decrease by 50% to make them feasible for aircraft use.
- Airbus is currently developing commercial zero-emission aircraft powered by hydrogen.
The OVERLEAF project is exploring several innovative materials and technologies to develop a low-pressure cryogenic liquid hydrogen storage tank for aircraft that significantly reduces weight and volume compared to current systems:
Functional and High-Performance Materials
- Advanced materials are used to create the storage tank that are expected to enable a gravimetric index (GI) higher than 60% for 500kg of liquid hydrogen, allowing for a 50% reduction in tank mass compared to existing technologies.
Thermal Insulating Materials
- Thermal insulating materials are being integrated into the tank design to maintain the cryogenic temperatures required for liquid hydrogen storage while minimizing boil-off losses.
- The insulation system is critical for ensuring the hydrogen remains in liquid form and reducing the overall weight of the tank.
Hydrogen Leak Detection Sensors
- These sensors use patented hydrogen sensing materials that can operate at cryogenic temperatures to provide real-time safety monitoring.
Structural Health Monitoring
- In addition to leak detection, the project is developing structural health monitoring systems to assess the condition of the tank over time, especially under the extreme temperature changes during refueling.
- Monitoring the degradation of the tank materials is essential for ensuring long-term safe operation.
Disruptive Tank Design
- The project is pursuing a disruptive low-pressure liquid hydrogen storage tank design that is currently under patent review.
- This novel architecture aims to seamlessly integrate the tank into the aircraft fuselage, reducing weight and volume by using the fuselage as the outer tank structure.
By combining these innovative materials, sensors, and tank design concepts, the OVERLEAF project is working to overcome the key technical barriers that have prevented widespread adoption of liquid hydrogen storage in aircraft. The targeted 50% reduction in tank mass could enable hydrogen-powered aviation to become a viable and sustainable alternative to traditional kerosene-fueled aircraft.
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