Work

Capture, storage, and re-use of liquid hydrogen boil-off for aviation and aerospace applications

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Despite major interest in the use of liquid hydrogen as a fuel for aviation and aerospace sectors, loss of hydrogen through boil-off continues to be a hurdle as it causes financial loss, indirect greenhouse gas emissions, and safety concerns. Herein, we perform techno-economic analysis, calibrated with experimental measurements, to assess the use of sorbents to capture and condition hydrogen boil-off events in the range of 1.5 to 70 tonnes per day at launch sites and airports. We evaluate the direct delivery of captured boil-off to combustion engines and fuel cells, comparing against boil-off re-liquification and compression. Results indicate probable cost-effectiveness at delivered liquid hydrogen prices above 0.9 U.S. dollar ($) per kg H2 at airports, and above 10 $ per kg H2 at launch sites where 10% or more of hydrogen is lost to boil-off. Hydrogen boil-off can cause financial loss, environmental and safety concerns. Peng and Breunig et al. investigate the plausible ways of capturing, storing and re-using these losses in aviation and aerospace settings.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-74294-4