Investigating the kinetics of the catalytic para to orthohydrogen conversion and its application for cooling in liquid hydrogen systems

Liquid hydrogen, the cold fuel at -253 Celsius, is a promising lightweight fuel to power sustainable aviation though hydrogen’s expensive liquefaction process means maximising its energy extraction is critical for viability. This thesis explored the value proposition of using liquid hydrogen fuel as a coolant for aircraft motors. Experiments measured the amount of cooling available in liquid hydrogen and an engineering model was developed to quantify liquid hydrogen’s value proposition as a motor coolant. Experiments revealed a synergy where the magnetic field produced by the motor could increase the rate of cooling delivered by liquid hydrogen by 46%.