Of all the various renewable energy sources under development, hydrogen represents the so-called “holy grail” in the effort to eliminate carbon emissions from future aircraft, say many scientists. But while the technology exists today to build a hydrogen-powered aircraft, prompting several startup enterprises to develop fuel-cell-based vehicles for the burgeoning advanced air mobility (AAM) sector, for example, scaling the production and distribution of hydrogen for the wider air transport market presents its own set of challenges.
With several companies working to advance fuel cell technology using hydrogen gas for generally small aircraft, the application of liquid hydrogen, or LH2, appears to carry the most promise for larger airliners due to its superior energy density and versatility. The use of liquid hydrogen stored in a cryogenic tank onboard to power turbine engines presents the most feasible means of introducing a passenger-carrying aircraft to the market, according to many experts in the field.
