Hydrogen is one of aviation's most promising fuel alternatives in the coming years. However, to store it, a large and light vessel is needed.

The solution to this problem can be the carbon fibre fuel tank. Composite structures provide significant weight savings, which is crucial in this application. However, despite its superior performance, the hydrogen molecules permeate through the CFRP tank wall. Hence, researchers must first understand the driving phenomena to design a safe and robust hydrogen tank. The only proven way to do this is through experiments, but they must also be carefully considered to deliver representative results.

In this research, the question of how to perform the permeation and leakage testing of the CFRP laminates to accurately represent the behaviour of a full-scale hydrogen tank is being answered. The numerical analysis method has been used to evaluate different testing parameters and aid the development of the new testing rig. This thesis is the collaboration between the TU Delft and the DLR.