Session: 01-03: Modeling and Simulation

Paper Number: 140522

140522 - Preliminary Design and Modelling of a Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft Fuel System 

Abstract: 

Addressing the pressing challenge of reducing carbon emissions necessitates the development of aircraft powered by renewable energy sources. Among potential solutions, transitioning from kerosene to hydrogen combustion is a promising strategy for sustainable aviation in a future where ‘green hydrogen’ is readily available. An aircraft’s fuel system manages fuel storage, transfer, and distribution throughout all flight phases, and meters fuel to the engines to control their thrust and speed. Conventional gas turbine aircraft fuel system components have been optimised to be lightweight, compact, and capable of working with liquid fuels (i.e. kerosene-based fuels). Among them, each engine’s fuel metering unit (FMU) includes a fuel metering spool valve, bypass valve, actuator valve, pressurizing valve, and shut-off valve, and is required to accurately control the fuel flow delivered to the engine and adjust the angle of the compressor inlet guide vanes. Hydrogen aircraft fuel systems might follow a similar architecture, with hydrogen stored on-board as a liquid (LH₂) at low temperature. However, controlling the flow of liquid hydrogen poses challenges, especially in maintaining cryogenic conditions in the supply line. This constraint can be relieved by vaporizing the LH₂ upstream of the metering system using heat exchangers. Consequently, it is necessary to adapt the system components to handle gaseous hydrogen (GH₂). In this context, this paper provides a preliminary investigation into modelling a potential architecture and the main components of future hydrogen aircraft fuel systems, building upon a previous comprehensive Simulink model of a conventional aircraft fuel system. Firstly, the layout of the conventional aircraft fuel system is presented. Then, the necessary system changes are proposed to obtain a potential architecture of a future aircraft fuel system. Finally, a detailed model of the novel architecture is given, and results under specific operating conditions are shown and discussed, offering insights into the differences in system performance between kerosene and hydrogen powered aircraft.

Presenting Author: Francesco Sciatti Polytechnic University of Bari

Presenting Author Biography: Francesco Sciatti, born in Fasano, Italy, on August 25, 1992, completed his Mechanical Engineering degree with top honors from the Polytechnic of Bari in 2021. His Master’s thesis, which focused on Fluid Automation, involved simulating a lung ventilator for intensive care units using Matlab/Simulink. Subsequently, he secured the CESIRA research scholarship, enabling his contribution to a project centered on extracting nutraceutical substances from carobs. During the same year, he collaborated with professors R. Amirante and P. Tamburrano from the Department of Mechanics, Mathematics, and Management at the Polytechnic of Bari. Their scientific research spanned various areas, including servovalves, proportional valves, piezoelectric actuators, lung ventilators, and aircraft fuel systems. Beginning his Ph.D. journey at the Polytechnic University of Bari in October 2021, he focused on developing fast-actuation piezo-systems for advanced fluid power technologies. In October 2022, he commenced a collaboration with the prestigious Centre for Power Transmission and Motion Control at the University of Bath (UK), under the guidance of Prof. A.R. Plummer. This collaboration has allowed him to expand his expertise in hydraulics, control systems, and smart actuators through both experimental and numerical analyses on piezoelectric pumps. He is currently in the final stages of completing his Ph.D., having authored 5 scientific papers and co-authored 6 others.

Authors:

Francesco Sciatti Polytechnic University of Bari
Vincenzo Di Domenico Polytechnic University of Bari
Lazzaro Zagaria Polytechnic University of Bari
Dami Adeyemi University of Bath
Paolo Tamburrano Polytechnic University of Bari
Andrew R. Plummer University of Bath
Nathan Sell University of Bath
Elia Distaso Polytechnic University of Bari
Riccardo Amirante Polytechnic University of Bari