Crashworthiness design of hydrogen-powered regional aircraft with liquid hydrogen tanks

In recent decades, hydrogen-powered aircraft have emerged as a pivotal solution for decarbonizing aviation. However, their structural crashworthiness is compromised by unique deformation mechanisms, notably the “W”-shaped failure mode in the aft fuselage where liquid hydrogen tanks are installed—a risk insufficiently addressed in prior studies. This investigation evaluates the effect of a keel beam design on mitigating these deformations. A finite element model of a regional aircraft with liquid hydrogen tanks in the aft fuselage was developed, simulating a vertical crash at 9.14 m/s. The baseline configuration (without keel beam) exhibited significant bending and a distinct “W”-shaped collapse, severely jeopardizing tank integrity. We hypothesized that keel beam integration would enhance local rigidity and suppress deleterious deformations. Simulations confirmed that the keel beam eliminates the “W”-shaped mode, reduces tank deformation by over 30 %, and maintains passenger acceleration within safe thresholds. These findings provide a novel design strategy for enhancing the crashworthiness of next-generation hydrogen-powered aircraft.