Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft: Concepts, Technologies, and Environmental Impact

Civil aviation has an outsized social and economic influence and is indispensable in the global economy. However, aircraft have a negative impact on the environment. Society needs revolutionary aircraft technology to meet environmental goals and sustain the civil aviation industry. Hydrogen aircraft have the potential to fly existing routes with no carbon emissions and reduce or eliminate other emissions. In the long term, hydrogen aircraft appear to be the most compelling alternative to today's kerosene-powered aircraft. Using hydrogen also enables novel technologies, such as fuel cells and superconducting electronics, which could lead to aircraft concepts that are not feasible with kerosene. Hydrogen aircraft introduce technical challenges. While they appear technically feasible, they require further development of hydrogen storage tanks, fuel systems, and propulsion technologies.