Student team achieves liquid hydrogen flight breakthrough
AeroDelft successfully tested its liquid hydrogen-powered electric aircraft propulsion system.
Published on May 9, 2025
© AeroDelft
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AeroDelft, one of Delft University of Technology's (TU Delft) student teams, successfully designed and tested an electric aircraft propulsion system using liquid hydrogen as an energy source. It is the first student team to do so. The successful test was conducted at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO)'s liquid hydrogen test facility in Ypenburg, The Hague. It was a significant milestone in the team's mission to prove and promote liquid hydrogen as a viable and sustainable alternative to conventional aviation fuels.
The student team, founded in 2018, consists of over 60 members with diverse backgrounds and nationalities. AeroDelft is committed to making aviation more sustainable through liquid hydrogen technology and is developing its own aircraft, the Phoenix. The team aims to fly it on gaseous hydrogen in 2025 and liquid hydrogen next year.
The challenges of hydrogen
Working with liquid hydrogen presents unique technical and logistical challenges. It must be stored at -253°C and then reheated to room temperature. The hydrogen is then combined with oxygen in a fuel cell, generating electricity and emitting only water. This process combines the risks of cryogenic temperatures with the flammability and volatility of hydrogen gas. To manage this, AeroDelft— in collaboration with Cryoworld—developed a vacuum-insulated tank and a custom electrical heat exchanger capable of handling a temperature difference of 300°C.
The system is remotely operable, equipped with special venting systems, and includes built-in safety features. It was integrated in collaboration with TNO and liquid hydrogen supplier Air Products. Before the liquid hydrogen test, the system was extensively tested with liquid nitrogen, gaseous helium, and gaseous hydrogen.
AeroDelft's mission
Since 2018, AeroDelft has been working on Project Phoenix. The team has flown a battery-electric drone and conducted tests with gaseous hydrogen. While both techniques are sustainable and widely used in road transport, they do not meet aviation performance standards. Liquid hydrogen, with its high energy density per mass and volume, offers a promising alternative, despite significant technical, logistical, and safety challenges.
Davide Mangini, Chief of Liquid Hydrogen Propulsion, said: "Seeing the propeller turn, powered by a liquid hydrogen system we've worked on for years, was one of the most impressive moments of my life. All the pressure and the late nights came together in that moment. It works, and we made it happen together."
Wadeke Tieleman, Team Manager, said: "This test shows what is possible when students fully commit to a mission they believe in. Everyone on this team shares a passion for sustainable aviation. By now, they are among the most experienced students in the world in working with hydrogen, and they will carry this experience into their future careers, which makes us incredibly proud."
With this successful test, AeroDelft is the first student team to operate an electric propulsion system on liquid hydrogen—a significant step toward sustainable aviation. The team will now analyze the collected data, further develop the system on an absolute scale, and continue preparations for the first manned test flight of their liquid hydrogen-powered electric aircraft.
