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An integrated conceptual design framework for hydrogen-powered aircraft: propulsion, thermal management and environmental performance

Leonor Santos, Frederico Afonso
September 11, 2026
Published Date

Research Abstract & Technology Focus

Abstract The future of aviation depends on energy transition and environmental mitigation. Hydrogen-powered aircraft offer the potential to eliminate carbon emissions during flight, but their integration poses major challenges in storage, thermal management, and pollutant emissions. This study explores the conceptual design of a hydrogen-powered aircraft with focus on thermal management. A computational framework was developed to evaluate propulsion and thermal management systems integration, liquid hydrogen storage implications, and mission level emissions. Parametric analyses and multi-objective optimisation explore how design variables affect take-off mass, thermal efficiency, fuel consumption, and emissions. Results show hydrogen turbofan propulsion is technically feasible, offering benefits in fuel consumption, thermal storage, and in-flight CO $$_2$$ emissions. However, challenges remain due to large tank volumes and emissions of nitrogen oxides and water vapour, which may increase the likelihood of contrail formation at cruise altitudes.
Propulsion Turbofan Engineering Conceptual design Environmental science Thermal
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Correlated Market Trend: Aerospace Engineering

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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What is the core focus of the research titled 'An integrated conceptual design framework for hydrogen-powered aircraft: propulsion, thermal management and environmental performance'?

This literature focuses on: Abstract The future of aviation depends on energy transition and environmental mitigation. Hydrogen-powered aircraft offer the potential to eliminate carbon emissions during flight, but their integration poses major challenges in storage, thermal ...

Are there open-source GitHub repositories related to An integrated conceptual design framework for hydrogen-powered aircraft: propulsion, thermal management and environmental performance?

Yes, open-source projects like gsd-build/gsd-2 (A powerful meta-prompting, context engineering and spec-driven development system that enables agents to work for long periods of time autonomously...) are actively building upon these concepts.

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What other academic literature is closely related to 'An integrated conceptual design framework for hydrogen-powered aircraft: propulsion, thermal management and environmental performance'?

Yes, highly correlated activity was mapped. An entry titled 'Critical impact of thermal management systems on on-board systems in hydrogen-powered aircraft' discusses this: Abstract Hydrogen-powered aircraft offer a promising pathway to reduce the aviation sector's climate impact, with fuel cells providing high-efficie...

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Commercial Realization

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