Energy transition in aviation: the role of cryogenic fuels

Review (2020)
Author(s)

A. Gangoli Rao (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)

F. Yin (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)

H.G.C. Werij (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)

Research Group
Flight Performance and Propulsion
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace7120181 Final published version
More Info
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Publication Year
2020
Language
English
Research Group
Flight Performance and Propulsion
Issue number
12
Volume number
7
Article number
181
Pages (from-to)
1-24
Downloads counter
255
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Institutional Repository
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Abstract

Aviation is the backbone of our modern society. In 2019, around 4.5 billion passengers travelled through the air. However, at the same time, aviation was also responsible for around 5% of anthropogenic causes of global warming. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation sector in the short term is clearly very high, but the long-term effects are still unknown. However, with the increase in global GDP, the number of travelers is expected to increase between three-to four-fold by the middle of this century. While other sectors of transportation are making steady progress in decarbonizing, aviation is falling behind. This paper explores some of the various options for energy carriers in aviation and particularly highlights the possibilities and challenges of using cryogenic fuels/energy carriers such as liquid hydrogen (LH
2) and liquefied natural gas (LNG).