Review of the Feasibility and Constraints of Hydrogen-Powered Flight

The use of hydrogen either in its liquid form or as a fuel cell has been of great interest to engineers in the aviation industry. The implementation of hydrogen in aircraft requires possible major infrastructure changes, such as the synthesis of hydrogen being improved and scaled up. This paper goes over multiple options of hydrogen synthesis, their production methods, and their benefits in that form. Hydrogen embrittlement is also mentioned as a possible issue for the storage, transport, and usage of hydrogen in aviation, and the potential flight range of hydrogen aircraft is explored in more detail. The theoretical flight ranges calculated for a mid-sized hydrogen aircraft were most possible around the 100 mile range, a flight from LAX to SAN being 110 miles. While hydrogen is a promising solution with its high energy density and reduced effect on the environment, there will need to be improvements in the efficiency of production and usage, as well as further research and testing.