A Study on Lightweight Construction and Hydrogen Fuel Tanks for Air Taxis

Abstract

In the midst of the corona pandemic, the importance and individuality of people's movement is emerging as an even more important factor. In addition, as environmental issues are becoming a major concern these days, we must develop more environmentally friendly means of transportation. There are two major approaches for eco-friendly operation and reduction of operating costs, especially for aircraft. First, there is a way to increase the fuel efficiency of the aircraft by reducing the structural weight and increasing the aerodynamic efficiency. Fiber composites, which are widely used for the lightweight design of aircraft, have great potential to reduce the weight of structures [1]. The second is to replace the fuel used in aircraft with more eco-friendly elements, such as batteries and hydrogen, rather than conventional jet fuel. Many air taxis are aimed at the use of electric propulsion in the short term, but given the need for long-distance and frequent operation, hydrogen's high energy density and fast fuel recharging make it more ideal than batteries. Since most air taxis are designed to operate in urban areas, the space requirements of hydrogen infrastructure in urban operation are lower, faster, and cost-effectively expandable compared to batteries. In this presentation, I would like to suggest the direction we should take and introduce the development direction of various aviation industries currently being studied in Germany.