New Cryogenic Storage Breakthrough for Hydrogen Aviation
- HYSKY Society
- May 29
- 2 min read
A team at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering has unveiled a pioneering design for a cryogenic liquid hydrogen storage and delivery system that could significantly accelerate the shift to zero-emission aviation. Tailored for 100-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft, the system not only stores fuel but also uses hydrogen’s extreme cold to cool power systems — reducing hardware complexity while optimizing performance.
Engineering Zero-Carbon Hydrogen Aviation
The study, published in Applied Energy, was led by Dr. Wei Guo of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at FAMU-FSU. The design is an all-in-one solution for fuel storage, thermal regulation, and delivery control — all critical for electric-powered aircraft relying on both hydrogen fuel cells and superconducting generators.
“Our goal was to create a single system that handles multiple critical tasks: fuel storage, cooling and delivery control,” Guo explained. “This design lays the foundation for real-world hydrogen aviation systems.”
Hydrogen, with its high energy density and zero-carbon emissions, is a promising fuel for aviation. However, its low volumetric density poses a storage challenge. The FSU team addressed this by designing cryogenic tanks optimized via a system-level gravimetric index — a new metric that includes the entire fuel delivery system’s weight. Their configuration achieved an impressive 0.62 gravimetric index, meaning 62% of the system’s total weight is usable hydrogen fuel.
Cryogenic Hydrogen Without the Pumps
Avoiding the complications of mechanical pumps, the researchers designed a passive flow system powered by pressure control — using hydrogen gas injection and vapor venting. This setup ensures the right fuel flow rates for different flight phases, supporting power demands up to 16.2 MW during takeoff.
The thermal integration is equally sophisticated. Liquid hydrogen first cools superconducting components like motors and cables, then warms gradually as it absorbs heat from higher-temp systems before reaching the fuel cells. This staged design doubles hydrogen’s role as both fuel and coolant — an elegant solution to multiple engineering hurdles.
“Not only did we show that it’s feasible, but we also demonstrated that you needed to do a system-level optimization for this type of design,” Guo added.
What's Next?
The next step will be experimental validation. A prototype will be developed and tested at Florida State University’s Center for Advanced Power Systems. The project is a key part of NASA’s Integrated Zero Emission Aviation program, with collaborators from Georgia Tech, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Tennessee, and University at Buffalo. FSU leads efforts in hydrogen storage, thermal management, and power systems.
Other notable contributors include graduate student Parmit Singh Virdi and faculty members Lance Cooley, Juan Ordóñez, Hui Li, and Sastry Pamidi. Research was conducted at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory with support from the National Science Foundation and the State of Florida.
For more information
(Top image: Credit — FAMU-FSU College of Engineering)
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