Semi-Physical Method for the Mass Estimation of Fuselages carrying Liquid Hydrogen Fuel Tanks in Conceptual Aircraft Design

Abstract

Hydrogen-powered aircraft can contribute to the effort of reducing aviation´s climate impact. A better understanding of the hydrogen storage with respect to airframe integration is required to improve the predictive qualities of overall aircraft design studies. This paper presents recently developed disciplinary models and their synthesis into overall aircraft design. The focus is the assessment of non-integral liquid hydrogen tanks and their impact on fuselage structures. The introduction of loads analysis and analytical design of primary fuselage structures is able to capture more design sensitivities and reduces the uncertainties compared to a design process that fully relies on empirical methods. Particularities due to unconventional fuel tank integrations for instance in the back of the fuselage are reviewed and quantified by means of the presented tool landscape.