Conceptual Design of a Hydrogen-Propelled Aircraft with Distributed Electric Propulsion

The growing interest in environmental sustainability motivates the search for disruptive technologies and concepts. However, the lack of conceptual design methods capable of capturing the effects of new propulsive technologies is the main obstacle, often due to the absence of industrial data to support research. In this context, the Clean Sky 2 ELICA (ELectric Innovative Commuter Aircraft) project aims to fill this gap, supporting research with industrial expertise and exploiting a 19-seat commuter aircraft as a technological test bed. This paper aims to present the main results obtained in the investigation of the potential of a full-electric propulsion entirely based on fuel cell systems. After an overview of the main propulsion system modeling techniques used to pursue the objective, three different configurations will be compared, each with a different powerplant, aerodynamic characteristics and weights. The comparison will allow to highlight the real benefits of the aero-propulsive interaction, including effects impossible to quantify except with an approach based on flight mission simulation.