[Paper Review] Hydrogen as a Renewable Energy Carrier for Commercial Aircraft

Caleb Amy, Alex Kunycky|arXiv (Cornell University)|Oct 12, 2019

Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems44 references4 citations

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the feasibility of using green hydrogen as a renewable energy carrier for commercial aviation, focusing on converting LAX airport to hydrogen fuel infrastructure. It demonstrates through a techno-economic analysis that hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft could achieve lower total operating costs than conventional jet fuel aircraft, provided green hydrogen is produced via scalable electrolysis and efficient liquefaction technologies are deployed at scale.

ABSTRACT

This report starts with the state of the art of electrolysis and liquefaction technology, and then presents a techno-economic case study of converting LAX airport to hydrogen fuel. The main conclusion is that a path exists to hydrogen passenger aircraft having a lower total cost than those powered by jet fuel.

Motivation & Objective

• To assess the technical and economic viability of replacing jet fuel with green hydrogen in commercial aviation.
• To evaluate the current state of electrolysis and hydrogen liquefaction technologies for large-scale airport deployment.
• To conduct a case study on converting LAX airport into a green hydrogen fueling hub for commercial aircraft.
• To compare the total cost of ownership (TCO) of hydrogen-powered versus jet-fuel-powered commercial aircraft.
• To identify key infrastructure and technology pathways enabling a sustainable, cost-competitive hydrogen aviation ecosystem.

Proposed method

• Conducted a techno-economic analysis of green hydrogen production using proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis at scale.
• Modeled the energy and capital requirements for liquefying green hydrogen at LAX using advanced cryogenic processes.
• Evaluated the infrastructure needs for storing, distributing, and refueling hydrogen at an international airport like LAX.
• Projected aircraft-level performance and fuel consumption for hydrogen-fueled narrow-body and wide-body commercial aircraft.
• Calculated total cost of ownership (TCO) for hydrogen-powered versus conventional jet-fuel-powered aircraft using lifecycle cost modeling.
• Assessed the impact of renewable electricity pricing, electrolyzer efficiency, and liquefaction energy penalties on overall system economics.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can green hydrogen produced via electrolysis at scale achieve lower total cost of ownership than conventional jet fuel for commercial aircraft?
• RQ2 What are the key infrastructure and energy conversion challenges in deploying green hydrogen at major international airports like LAX?
• RQ3 How do the efficiency losses in hydrogen liquefaction and storage affect the overall well-to-wake energy and cost balance?
• RQ4 What role do economies of scale and renewable electricity prices play in making green hydrogen competitive with kerosene-based jet fuel?
• RQ5 What are the technical and economic trade-offs between different electrolysis technologies and hydrogen storage methods for aviation applications?

Key findings

• The study finds that green hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft can achieve a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) than conventional jet-fuel-powered aircraft when produced using low-cost renewable electricity and efficient electrolysis.
• Liquefaction of green hydrogen at scale introduces a significant energy penalty, but this can be mitigated through high-efficiency cryogenic systems and optimized refueling logistics.
• The cost of green hydrogen production via PEM electrolysis is projected to decline to below $2/kg under favorable renewable electricity prices and scale-up conditions.
• LAX airport infrastructure conversion to hydrogen fueling is technically feasible and economically viable over a 20-year horizon, assuming $0.03/kWh renewable electricity and 60% system efficiency.
• The total well-to-wake energy cost of hydrogen-powered flight is higher than jet fuel, but the lower fuel cost and reduced carbon pricing exposure can offset this over time.
• The study identifies a critical threshold: green hydrogen becomes cost-competitive with jet fuel when electricity costs are below $0.03/kWh and electrolyzer capital costs are under $300/kW.