AeroDelft, a fully student-run and student-owned non-profit foundation based in Delft, has become the first student team in the world to design, build, and test an electric aircraft propulsion system (powertrain) using liquid hydrogen as its energy source. The successful test was conducted in collaboration with TNO at their liquid hydrogen facility in Ypenburg, The Hague. It marks a significant milestone in the team’s mission to prove and promote liquid hydrogen as a viable and sustainable alternative to conventional aviation fuels.
Working with liquid hydrogen presents unique technical and logistical challenges. It must be stored at -253 °C and conditioned to room temperature before entering the fuel cell, which combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water as its only byproduct. This combines the hazards of cryogenics with the flammability and volatility of hydrogen gas. To address this, AeroDelft developed a vacuum-insulated tank, co-designed with Cryoworld, and a custom-built electric heat exchanger capable of handling a 300 °C temperature gradient. The entire system is operable from distance, includes dedicated venting and safety redundancies, and was integrated in collaboration with TNO and liquid hydrogen supplier Air Products. Navigating strict safety regulations and coordinating across partners, the team designed and tested the system using liquid nitrogen and gaseous hydrogen before successfully validating it with liquid hydrogen.
Photo of TUDelft
Press release https://tinyurl.com/ymajp2es
