ACTA AERONAUTICAET ASTRONAUTICA SINICA >
Concept design and performance analysis of hydrogen fuel cell regional aircraft
Received date: 2024-04-26
Revised date: 2024-05-31
Accepted date: 2024-06-13
Online published: 2024-06-20
Hydrogen aircraft is an important development direction of the aviation industry to achieve green energy transformation. Airbus， Universal Hydrogen and other institutions are conducting research on hydrogen aircraft. Hydrogen fuel cell regional aircraft is one of the hottest development directions at the moment. Hydrogen-powered DHC-8-300 and Dornier 228 have completed their first flight and are expected to be put into commercial use by 2027. But now， the research on hydrogen regional aircraft in China mostly stays in technical exploration， and there are few studies on the overall design scheme of full-size regional aircraft platform. In this paper， a retrofit design of hydrogen fuel cell power based on the turboprop regional aircraft platform is proposed， and the performance of the hydrogen fuel cell aircraft is analyzed by simulation method. The regional aircraft with modified hydrogen fuel cell uses a hybrid energy system of liquid hydrogen fuel and lithium battery， powered by electric motors. The main disadvantages of hydrogen aircraft compared to jet aircraft are lower maximum range， seating capacity and higher operating costs. The payload of the hydrogen aircraft is equal to that of the jet aircraft. The flight efficiency of hydrogen aircraft is higher， and the carbon emissions are extremely low. With technological advances， hydrogen aircraft is expected to match or even surpass the performance of jet aircraft.
Key words： hydrogen; fuel cell; aircraft; hydrogen storage; carbon emission; operating cost; civil aviation
Yuhan JI , Fancang ZENG , Xiangyu WANG , Yuanyuan WANG . Concept design and performance analysis of hydrogen fuel cell regional aircraft[J]. ACTA AERONAUTICAET ASTRONAUTICA SINICA, 2025 , 46(9) : 630613 -630613 . DOI: 10.7527/S1000-6893.2024.30613
| 1 | 飞机之家数据库. 西飞新舟60简介［EB/OL］. （2021-01-01）［2024-03-15］. . |
| AeroChina. Introduction of MA60 ［EB/OL］. （2021-01-01） ［2024-03-15］. （in Chinese）. | |
| 2 | RETALLACK L， SHAH S， HASAN S. Commercial aircraft manufacturer strategic adoption of hydrogen decarbonisation technologies［C］∥2023 28th International Conference on Automation and Computing （ICAC）. Piscataway： IEEE Press， 2023： 1-6. |
| 3 | PETERSON D， DESANTIS D， HAMDAN M. DOE hydrogen and fuel cells program record 20004： Cost of electrolytic hydrogen production with existing technology： DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Record［R］. Washington， D.C.： Department of Energy， 2020. |
| 4 | MASSARO M C， BIGA R， KOLISNICHENKO A， et al. Potential and technical challenges of on-board hydrogen storage technologies coupled with fuel cell systems for aircraft electrification［J］. Journal of Power Sources， 2023， 555： 232397. |
| 5 | ZeroAvia Component Brochure［EB/OL］. （2023-03-13） ［2024-03-15］. . |
| 6 | Wright S， Aaltonen J. Fuel cells and novel thermal management advancements required for aviation［C］∥ 33rd Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences. Bonn： ICAS， 2022. |
| 7 | 纪宇晗， 吴佳茜， 曾凡苍. 氢燃料电池支线飞机关键技术与发展展望［J］. 航空科学技术， 2024， 35（1）： 15-24. |
| JI Y H， WU J X， ZENG F C. Key technologies and development outlook of hydrogen fuel cell regional aircraft［J］. Aeronautical Science & Technology， 2024， 35（1）： 15-24 （in Chinese）. | |
| 8 | Elliot P， Gregory K. Automotive fuel cell targets and status： DOE-20005［R］. Washington， D.C.： Department of Energy， 2020. |
| 9 | AMINUDIN M A， KAMARUDIN S K， LIM B H， et al. An overview： Current progress on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles［J］. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy， 2023， 48（11）： 4371-4388. |
| 10 | 侯绪凯， 赵田田， 孙荣峰， 等. 中国氢燃料电池技术发展及应用现状研究［J］. 当代化工研究， 2022（17）： 112-117. |
| HOU X K， ZHAO T T， SUN R F， et al. Research on the development and application status of hydrogen fuel cell technology in China［J］. Modern Chemical Research， 2022（17）： 112-117 （in Chinese）. | |
| 11 | WANG Y， PANG Y H， XU H， et al. PEM Fuel cell and electrolysis cell technologies and hydrogen infrastructure development-A review［J］. Energy & Environmental Science， 2022， 15（6）： 2288-2328. |
| 12 | Jayant M. Performance analysis of fuel cell retrofit aircraft： ICCT-2023-27［R］. Washington， D.C.： ICCT， 2023. |
| 13 | KADYK T， SCHENKENDORF R， HAWNER S， et al. Design of fuel cell systems for aviation： Representative mission profiles and sensitivity analyses［J］. Frontiers in Energy Research， 2019， 7： 35. |
| 14 | SHEN X， ZHANG X Q， DING F， et al. Advanced electrode materials in lithium batteries： Retrospect and prospect［J］. Energy Material Advances， 2021， 2021： 1205324. |
| 15 | VIGGIANO R P， DORNBUSCH D， WU J J， et al. Solid-state architecture batteries for enhanced rechargeability and safety （SABERS） for electric aircraft［J］. ECS Meeting Abstracts， 2020， MA2020-02（5）： 1012. |
| 16 | Yang Z， Lu Y， Liu X， et al. In situ synthesized dilithium rhodizonate/carbon nanotube composite cathodes for high-performance all-solid-state lithium batteries［J］. Energy Storage Materials， 2024， 72（9）： 103712. |
| 17 | Jones N. The electric-car battery revolution［J］. Nature， 2024， 626： 8. |
| 18 | SMITH L， IBN-MOHAMMED T， ASTUDILLO D， et al. The role of cycle life on the environmental impact of Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 based solid-state batteries［J］. Advanced Sustainable Systems， 2021， 5（2）： 2000241. |
| 19 | JANEK J， ZEIER W G. Challenges in speeding up solid-state battery development［J］. Nature Energy， 2023， 8： 230-240. |
| 20 | ULVESTAD A. A brief review of current lithium ion battery technology and potential solid state battery technologies［DB/OL］. arXiv preprint： 1803，04317；2018. |
| 21 | 前瞻产业研究院. 2024年中国动力锂电池价格变化趋势观察［EB/OL］. （2024-02-18）［2024-03-15］. . |
| CIPIR. 2024 China power lithium battery price change trend observation［EB/OL］. （2024-02-18） ［2024-03-15］. （in Chinese）. | |
| 22 | Martin L. The race to decarbonize electric-vehicle batteries： M&C-2023-2-23［R］. Chicago： Mckinsey， 2023. |
| 23 | IVANOV N S， ZHURAVLEV S V， KHARKINA O A， et al. Electric machines with high specific power［J］. Russian Electrical Engineering， 2022， 93（10）： 621-630. |
| 24 | ALTOUQ S， FONG C， NORMAN P， et al. Technology maturity roadmaps of power system components for eVTOL aircraft： White paper September 2022［R］. Glasgow： Technology and Innovation Centre， 2022. |
| 25 | Pratt & Whitney Canada. PW 100/150 Turboprops ［EB/OL］. （2022-08-01） ［2024-03-15］. . |
| 26 | DE GRAAF S， BAHRS V， TARBAH N， et al. H2Electra-a platform for comparative analysis of integration concepts for hydrogen-based electric propulsion in regional aircraft［J］. Journal of Physics： Conference Series， 2024， 2716（1）： 012007. |
| 27 | GAO Y， JAUSSEME C， HUANG Z， et al. Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft： Hydrogen-electric hybrid propulsion for aviation［J］. IEEE Electrification Magazine， 2022， 10（2）： 17-26. |
| 28 | LI Q H， LIU Z Q， SUN Y， et al. A review on temperature control of proton exchange membrane fuel cells［J］. Processes， 2021， 9（2）： 235. |
| 29 | NICOLAY S， KARPUK S， LIU Y L， et al. Conceptual design and optimization of a general aviation aircraft with fuel cells and hydrogen?［J］. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy， 2021， 46（64）： 32676-32694. |
| 30 | 马洪安， 付淑青， 吴宗霖， 等. RP-3航空煤油燃烧特性及其反应机理构建综述［J］. 航空发动机， 2021， 47（1）： 25-31. |
| MA H A， FU S Q， WU Z L， et al. Review of combustion characteristics and reaction mechanism construction of RP-3 aviation kerosene［J］. Aeroengine， 2021， 47（1）： 25-31 （in Chinese）. | |
| 31 | MEKHILEF S， SAIDUR R， SAFARI A. Comparative study of different fuel cell technologies［J］. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews， 2012， 16（1）： 981-989. |
| 32 | VERSTRAETE D. Long range transport aircraft using hydrogen fuel［J］. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy， 2013， 38（34）： 14824-14831. |
| 33 | Ultra-lightweight LH 2 Storage for LH 2 Powered Aircraft and Other Vehicles［EB/OL］. （2024-04-10） ［2024-05-15］. . |
| 34 | SUN T Y， SHRESTHA E， HAMBURG S P， et al. Climate impacts of hydrogen and methane emissions can considerably reduce the climate benefits across key hydrogen use cases and time scales?［J］. Environmental Science & Technology， 2024， 58（12）： 5299-5309. |
| 35 | STAACK I， SOBRON A， KRUS P. The potential of full-electric aircraft for civil transportation： From the Breguet range equation to operational aspects［J］. CEAS Aeronautical Journal， 2021， 12（4）： 803-819. |
| 36 | SHIRLEY C M， SCHETZ J A， KAPANIA R K， et al. Tradeoffs of wing weight and lift/drag in design of medium-range transport aircraft［J］. Journal of Aircraft， 2014， 51（3）： 904-912. |
| 37 | Scholz D， Nita M. Preliminary sizing of large propeller driven aeroplanes［J］. Brno： Czech Republic， 2008： 1-19. |
| 38 | Shahwan K. Operating cost analysis of electric aircraft on regional routes［J/OL］. Linkoping University Electronic Press， （2021-12-17） ［2024-03-15］. . |
| 39 | BORER N K， BLAESSER N J， PATTERSON M D. Regulatory considerations for future regional air mobility aircraft： AIAA-2023-3294［R］. Reston： AIAA， 2023. |
| 40 | Glossary of Terms. ICAO data plus［EB/OL］. （2022-04-16）［2024-03-15］. . |
| 41 | Bower G. Vahana configuration trade study［EB/OL］. （2017-01-01）［2024-03-15］. . |
| 42 | BOLAM R C， VAGAPOV Y， ANUCHIN A. Review of electrically powered propulsion for aircraft［C］∥2018 53rd International Universities Power Engineering Conference （UPEC）. Piscataway： IEEE Press， 2018： 1-6. |
| 43 | Roskam J. Airplane design part VIII ［M］. DARcorpora tion， 2005. |
| 44 | KOTTAS A T， BOZOUDIS M N， MADAS M A. Turbofan aero-engine efficiency evaluation： An integrated approach using VSBM two-stage network DEA［J］. Omega， 2020， 92： 102167. |
| 45 | 中华人民共和国交通运输部. 2021年民航行业发展统计公报［EB/OL］. （2022.06.07）［2024-03-15］. . |
| Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China. 2021 Civil aviation industry development statistical bulletin［EB/OL］. （2022.06.07） ［2024-03-15］. （in Chinese）. | |
| 46 | 王知. 2021从统计看民航［M］. 北京： 中国民航出版社， 2022： 31-33. |
| Wang Z. Statistical data on civil aviation of China［M］. Beijing： China Civil Aviation Publishing House， 2022： 31-33 （in Chinese）. | |
| 47 | 孙旭东， 成雪蕾， 王树萌， 等. 中国新能源风光发电制氢成本动态测算［J］. 洁净煤技术， 2023， 29（6）： 1-10. |
| SUN X D， CHENG X L， WANG S M， et al. Dynamic cost analysis of hydrogen production from wind power and photovoltaic power［J］. Clean Coal Technology， 2023， 29（6）： 1-10 （in Chinese）. | |
| 48 | Liu W. Roberto B. Zhu S， Green Hydrogen in China： A roadmap for progress： WEF-2023-6［R］. Tianjin： World Economic Forum， 2023. |
| 49 | Noyan O. Global hydrogen review 2022： IEA-2022-9［R］. Paris： International Energy Agency， 2022. |
| 50 | EDENHOFER O， MADRUGA R， SOKONA Y， et al. Renewable energy sources and climate change mitigation： IPCC-2018-3［R］. Washington， D.C.： Department of Energy， 2022. |
| 51 | International Civil Aviation Organization. Annex 16 environmental protection， Volume IV， carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation （CORSIA） ［EB/OL］. （2023.07.31）［2024-03-15］. . |
/
| 〈 |
|
〉 |
CJA