Large-scale LH2 pipeline infrastructure concept for airports

TL;DR

This paper proposes a large-scale LH2 pipeline infrastructure for airports, emphasizing subcooling and vapor management to support hydrogen-powered aviation and ground support equipment.

Contribution

It introduces a pipeline infrastructure concept with modeling and simulation showing the importance of recycling and pump operation for maintaining LH2 subcooling.

Findings

Recycling of LH2 is essential to maintain subcooling.

Pump operation prevents flashing and vapor formation.

Vapor generated can be utilized by ground support equipment.

Abstract

Infrastructure and processes for handling of liquid hydrogen (LH2) is needed to enable large-scale decarbonization of aviation with hydrogen aircraft. At large airports, pipeline and hydrant systems will be important for a mature hydrogen-powered air travel market. As the vaporization of LH2 is a challenge in fuel handling, the pipeline infrastructure must be designed and operated such that the fuel is subcooled. Through modelling and simulation of aircraft tanks refuelling by a pipeline infrastructure concept, it is found that continuous recycling of LH2 within the system is needed to maintain subcooling, and the pump operation is important for preventing flashing. With the proposed concept, some hydrogen vapor is formed in the aircraft tank, but the vapor can be utilised by hydrogen-powered ground support equipment.