Hydrogen-powered aircraft design

This white paper looks at hydrogen-powered aircraft design and examines the challenges facing aerospace engineers who are designing sustainable aircraft. It investigates the use of hydrogen-powered jet engines and hydrogen fuel cell technology in driving next-generation propulsion systems and their implications for subsystems, culminating in the need to reimagine aircraft configurations.

Download the PDF to learn about using a digital twin to reimagine aircraft configurations for sustainable flight.

Green aviation

Switching to carbon-neutral propulsion systems is a top priority for aircraft manufacturers. When it comes to green aviation, aerospace engineers are caught between market demand and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) carbon dioxide emissions goals. They are tasked with designing next-generation aircraft capable of transport with the capacity, speed and range of kerosene-fueled jet engines but without the environmental impact.

Hydrogen aircraft technology

Green aviation efforts have brought some exciting challenges to aircraft development. Read this white paper to learn more about the potential of hydrogen aircraft technology. Aerospace companies are currently performing extensive evaluations, in some cases creating concepts and prototypes of hydrogen and hydrogen-hybrid aircraft. These activities are the beginning of a decades-long effort of reimagining aircraft configurations and addressing materials, supply chains, energy production, distribution and logistics networks, airport fuel deliver systems and more.

Hydrogen-powered aircraft challenges

One of the bigger challenges of hydrogen-powered aircraft is that it’s new territory for many engineers. Designing a burner for a hydrogen gas turbine, for instance, requires special features and structures. Then there’s the nature of hydrogen, which burns much faster and hotter than kerosene. It is also necessary to understand the fluid dynamics along with any stresses that occur at thermal boundary conditions of hydrogen and electric-powered propulsion systems – including the operational phenomena they encounter such as flashbacks, thermoacoustics, thermal gradients and embrittlement.

Simcenter software supports hydrogen aircraft

Simcenter software supports hydrogen aircraft development with digital twin technology to give aerospace engineering organizations the ability to optimize aircraft performance using virtual and physical testing on the fluid, thermal, mechanical and other system domains impacted by green aviation. Simcenter is part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, a comprehensive and integrated portfolio of software, hardware and services.

Using Simcenter, engineers can build a digital twin to accurately predict aircraft performance, optimize designs and innovate faster with greater confidence. Within the Simcenter environment, system simulation modeling capabilities enable the evaluation of engine architecture, gas turbines, fuel storage, fuel cells, batteries and other components along with their weight.

Read this white paper to learn more.