Conceptual Design and Evaluation of Air Inlets of Fuel Cell-Powered Electric Aero Engines for Regional Aircraft

Abstract

Hydrogen fuel cell-powered electrified propulsion systems hold great promise for the development of sustainable aircraft. However, the integration of fuel cells into aircraft presents unique challenges, particularly in the context of air inlet systems. Key development priorities are to ensure a constant supply of air to the fuel cells and to efficiently manage the transfer of waste heat from the fuel cells. This paper investigates different air inlet systems using analytical methods. Firstly, concepts are identified by analysing the state of the art in air inlet design. Secondly, promising concepts are selected through a qualitative evaluation. Finally, the most promising concept is sized for the given topology. The results of this research highlight the importance of careful air inlet design in order to achieve operability and acceptable performance with fuel cell powered aero engines. The performance and sizing data obtained from the performed analytical calculations can serve as a general basis for the preliminary design of scoop inlets and annular inlets for fuel cell-powered aircraft.