Passenger Aircraft Design towards Lower Emissions with SAF, LH2, and Batteries
Channel: Dieter Scholz
Date: 25/01/2022

Passenger Aircraft Design towards Lower Emissions with SAF, LH2, and Batteries (Pros & Cons) 

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter Scholz, MSME, Professor for Aircraft Design, Head of the Aircraft Design and Systems Group (AERO), Hamburg University of Applied Sciences 

We consider that use of SAF is mainly a question of its availability and price. For engineers, it is a matter of sourcing primary energy involved in producing SAF – not to forget that SAF is only sustainable, if the CO2 is really taken out of the atmosphere in fuel production, which is intended to be put back into the atmosphere during flight. LH2 requires new (or modified) aircraft that are less efficient than conventional aircraft. Calculations show about 40% more fuel consumption (by energy) for LH2. This adds to the demand of LH2 for sourcing more primary energy. Batteries for electric flights suffer from their weight (as we already know). In addition, there are interesting aircraft design questions arising from issues such as: higher number of propellers and propeller integration into the airframe. It is explained, why hybrid electric or turbo electric solutions have clear disadvantages. There are also the non-CO2 effects. Here we shall consider flying lower especially with LH2 aircraft, but also with kerosene/SAF aircraft.