Preparing for Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft and Other Vehicles at Airports

Hydrogen-powered vehicles, including fuel-cell electric ground vehicles and aircraft, are emerging, and manufacturers are developing jet and turboprop propulsion systems using hydrogen as a fuel. It is estimated that hydrogen-powered aircraft could become operational around 2035. The integration of hydrogen-powered aircraft and other vehicles could be very challenging for airports, given that these new vehicles will likely require significant updates to airport infrastructure, operations, and safety protocols. Because the technology is evolving quickly, there is limited understanding of hydrogen power and considerable uncertainty about the timing and degree of market penetration of hydrogen-powered vehicles at airports. The objectives of this research are to (1) provide airports with an overview of the market for and trends related to hydrogen-powered aircraft and other vehicles; (2) develop a guide to help airports understand the potential for these activities at their facilities; and (3) identify likely facility, operational, safety, and staffing requirements needed to accommodate the transportation, use, and storage of hydrogen at airports.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5580
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $650000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 03-75

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Airport Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Project Managers:

  Griffin, Matthew

• Start Date: 20230808
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aircraft; Airports; Forecasting; Hydrogen fuels; Hydrogen storage; Market assessment
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Energy; Planning and Forecasting; Terminals and Facilities; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01889752
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 03-75
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Aug 8 2023 6:43AM