To address the growing need for sustainable aviation, hydrogen fuel cell technology is being explored as a promising alternative to conventional kerosene-based propulsion systems. Compared to hydrogen combustion, hydrogen fuel cells offer a significant environmental advantage by producing zero nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) in their exhaust. For commercial viability, aircraft design must optimize both range and payload, which in the context of hydrogen fuel cell propulsion translates to maximizing system efficiency and minimizing propulsion system weight. Achieving these objectives requires accurate and flexible system modeling tools.

This thesis focuses on the development of a new hydrogen fuel cell system modeling library in Modelica, named AeroFCS. The library is a joint effort between zepp.solutions and Delft University of Technology and is designed to be compatible with the existing DeSimECS Modelica library developed by the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. The choice of Modelica, an acausal modeling language, enables flexible system configurations by allowing input-output modifications without component model adjustments. The AeroFCS library includes a custom fuel cell model and a validated humidifier model. These are integrated with compressor, intercooler, and turbine models from DeSimECS to simulate a complete fuel cell air supply system. Additionally, a verified two-phase medium model is used to simulate humid gas properties. A Python-Modelica interface is developed to facilitate simulation post-processing and to support future system optimization studies. System simulations are conducted under specific environmental conditions and across a range of fuel cell operating pressures and currents. Operational maps are generated to assess compressor pressure ratios and mass flow rates. These maps help identify regions of optimal performance by plotting system efficiency and net power between the surge and choke lines of the compressor. Results indicate that the highest efficiencies are achieved at high pressure ratios, close to the surge limit of the compressor, for any given system power.

The AeroFCS library offers a foundational tool for simulating and optimizing hydrogen fuel cell propulsion systems, and future work will focus on improving model fidelity and increasing model functionality.

This report was written as part of the Design Synthesis Exercise, a 10 week project in which groups of 10 members create a design to obtain their bachelor’s degree at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. AirEco’s task is to design and develop a revolutionary and sustainable solution for the future of longrange commercial aviation.
This report deals with the final design, in which a longrange commercial (150250 passengers) aircraft with a propulsion system based on renewable energy principles is proposed...