HySky Pod

Can liquid hydrogen aviation work with technology that exists today?

In Episode 81 of HYSKY Monthly, we sit down with Duuk Niemantsverdriet and Arthur Romanelli Chaves of AeroDelft to go inside Project Phoenix—the student-led effort working to demonstrate hydrogen-electric flight and help advance the technology, safety practices, and certification pathways needed to make hydrogen aviation a reality.

AeroDelft has already demonstrated its full-scale hydrogen-electric powertrain and completed a gaseous-hydrogen taxi test at an operational airport. Now, the team is working toward the next major milestones: gaseous hydrogen flight and, ultimately, liquid hydrogen flight.

We get into the engineering behind the aircraft, including its fuel-cell powertrain, hydrogen storage, thermal management, cryogenic LH₂ system, heat exchanger, hydrogen venting, and the transition from gaseous to liquid hydrogen. Duuk and Arthur also explain why some of the hardest challenges aren't simply technical—they involve safety, certification, infrastructure, regulation, and building confidence in hydrogen as an aviation fuel.

The conversation also explores AeroDelft's unusual model: a rotating student team taking on challenges normally associated with major aerospace companies, supported by an ecosystem of aviation, engineering, research, hydrogen, and technology partners.

In this episode: Project Phoenix • Liquid vs. gaseous hydrogen • Hydrogen fuel cells • Cryogenic LH₂ storage • Thermal management • Hydrogen safety • Aircraft certification • Hydrogen infrastructure • The economics of hydrogen • The future of zero-emission aviation

HYSKY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the decarbonization of aviation and aerospace through connection, community, advocacy, awareness, and education.

Subscribe for more conversations with the engineers, founders, researchers, policymakers, and organizations building the future of hydrogen aviation.

#HydrogenAviation #LiquidHydrogen #AeroDelft #ProjectPhoenix #Hydrogen #Aviation #SustainableAviation #FuelCells #Aerospace #HYSKY

Dr. Nicholas Ingarra, an engineer, shares his journey from childhood to earning a doctorate, discussing curiosity, faith, and the limits of artificial intelligence.

Takeaways

• Journey to success
• Curiosity and faith
• Limits of AI

Chapters

• 00:00 The Journey Begins
• 01:42 Exploring Curiosity and Faith
• 01:54 The Limits of AI

Valentine Moroz, the COO of Softinway, discusses the development of software and machinery for energy and propulsion systems. The conversation explores topics such as hydrogen, aviation, AI, engineering, and the process of turning ambitious ideas into working technology. Additionally, it delves into building a company with family and finding purpose in a world shaped by machines.

Takeaways

• Exploring the potential of AI and engineering
• The dynamics of building a family business

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Softinway
• 00:31 The Promise and Limitations of AI and Engineering
• 01:01 Building a Company with Family

Are hydrogen fuel cells a better fit for aviation than batteries?

In HYSKY Monthly #80, Dr. Nicholas Ingarra of Munro Defense breaks down how batteries and hydrogen fuel cells really behave in aircraft applications—and why the way we model battery efficiency matters.

We cover:

✈️ Why fuel cell aircraft can make sense for longer-range and higher-payload missions
🔋 Why battery efficiency should be modeled dynamically, not as one constant number
⚡ The difference between energy storage and on-demand power generation
🌡️ Why thermal management is critical for both batteries and fuel cells
💧 The water-management challenges still facing PEM fuel cells
🧊 Battery charging, temperature limits, and real-world aircraft operation
📊 Power density, energy density, efficiency, and aircraft design tradeoffs
🚀 Where batteries, fuel cells, and hydrogen combustion each fit in aviation

The takeaway: aviation probably won’t have one universal propulsion solution. Batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, and combustion technologies each have strengths—and the right answer depends on the mission.

Featuring Dr. Nicholas Ingarra, Munro Defense
Presented by HYSKY Society

#HydrogenAviation #FuelCells #ElectricAviation #BatteryTechnology #Aviation #Hydrogen #eVTOL #Aerospace #SustainableAviation

The conversation begins with technical difficulties and preparations for the webinar, followed by the setup of the webinar and welcoming of participants. The host introduces HySky Society and Dr. Barry Prince, who presents on the importance of liquid hydrogen in aviation. The conversation explores the challenges and solutions in cryogenic fuel tanks, emphasizing the ideal composite tank considerations, triple skin tank advantages, system considerations for liquid hydrogen storage, and the establishment of a liquid hydrogen test facility in Christchurch. The key takeaways include the potential for liquid hydrogen in aviation, the importance of lightweight composite tanks, and the role of small-scale hydrogen liquefiers in technology development.

Takeaways

• Preparation and technical setup are crucial for a successful webinar
• Liquid hydrogen plays a significant role in the future of sustainable aviation Potential for liquid hydrogen in aviation
• Importance of lightweight composite tanks

Chapters

• 00:00 Technical Difficulties and Preparations
• 03:32 Setting Up the Webinar
• 12:30 Welcoming Participants
• 15:18 Introduction to HySky Society
• 18:29 Introduction of Dr. Barry Prince
• 19:39 Presentation by Dr. Barry Prince
• 35:09 Importance of Liquid Hydrogen in Aviation
• 43:59 Challenges and Solutions in Cryogenic Fuel Tanks
• 54:31 Triple Skin Tank Advantages
• 59:54 System Considerations for Liquid Hydrogen Storage
• 01:05:48 Liquid Hydrogen Test Facility in Christchurch
• 01:09:17 Takeaways and Future Developments
• 01:10:25 Q&A Session
• 01:26:02 Composite Tank Material and Certification

See FEV Aerospace live at FlyingHY 2026: https://www.hysky.org/flyinghy2026

Huge thanks to our sponsor, Unither Bioelectronics: https://unither.aero/en/

Register for live webinars free:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regis...

Follow FEV Aerospace:
🔹 Website: https://www.fev.com
🔹 LinkedIn:   / fev-group  
🔹 FEV Aerospace: https://www.fev.com/en/industries/aer...

Meet the Speakers:

Ben Chiswick
Business Development Director
FEV North America

Satyam Joshi, PhD
Technical Leader
FEV North America

Can automotive hydrogen fuel cell technology power the next generation of aircraft?

In this HYSKY Monthly webinar, experts from FEV Aerospace explore how decades of automotive fuel cell development can be adapted and optimized for aviation applications. The discussion examines the challenges of increasing power density, reducing system weight, improving thermal management, integrating liquid hydrogen storage, and designing propulsion systems for eVTOL and advanced air mobility aircraft.

Drawing on FEV's extensive experience across automotive, rail, marine, and aerospace sectors, the presenters demonstrate how hydrogen fuel cell technology is evolving from ground transportation to sustainable flight.

🚀 Topics Covered:

✔️ Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Aviation
✔️ Automotive-to-Aerospace Technology Transfer
✔️ eVTOL Hydrogen Propulsion Systems
✔️ Fuel Cell Power Density Optimization
✔️ Liquid Hydrogen Storage
✔️ Thermal Management Challenges
✔️ Bipolar Plate Design & Lightweighting
✔️ Multi-Stage Compressors for High Altitude Flight
✔️ Aircraft Systems Engineering
✔️ Fuel Cell Dominant vs Battery Dominant Architectures
✔️ Aircraft Mission Modeling & Optimization
✔️ Advanced Air Mobility Applications

The conversation with Val Miftakhov from Zero Avia covers the company's changes, government impact, and regulatory challenges in the aviation industry. Val discusses the company's shift to the UK, the role of the new administration, and the heavy government dependency for certification. The conversation also explores the need for structural changes in regulation and the challenges with traditional regulatory processes.

Takeaways

• Zero Avia's shift to the UK and the impact of the new administration
• The heavy government dependency and challenges with traditional regulatory processes

Chapters

• 00:00 Changes at Zero Avia
• 01:16:20 Impact of Government and Policy
• 01:22:09 Structural Changes for Regulation

See Val Miftakhov live at FlyingHY https://www.hysky.org/flying-hy

Huge thanks to our sponsor, Unither Bioelectronics https://unither.aero/en/

What happens when one of hydrogen aviation's most influential pioneers steps down from the company he founded?

In Episode #15 of HYSKY Pod, Danielle McLean sits down with Val Miftakhov, founder of ZeroAvia, to discuss his departure as CEO, the realities of certifying hydrogen aircraft, the impact of changing political landscapes on climate technology, and his next stealth AI energy venture.

But this conversation quickly goes far beyond aviation.

Val shares stories from his childhood in Siberia, the physics teacher who changed his life, his thoughts on AI, consciousness, digital immortality, mind uploading, the future of humanity, entrepreneurship, and why he believes the most transformative technologies of our lifetime are still ahead of us.

This is one of the most philosophical, futuristic, and thought-provoking episodes of HYSKY Pod yet.

Watch, subscribe, and join the conversation shaping the future of energy, aviation, AI, and humanity.

KEY POINTS FOR QUICK NAVIGATION:

01:25 Welcome & ZeroAvia leadership transition
02:30 Why Val stepped down as CEO of ZeroAvia
04:22 Funding challenges, politics & the new administration
05:45 Val's stealth AI and energy startup revealed
09:08 Growing up in Belarus and Siberia
10:56 The physics teacher who changed his life forever
16:38 Digital immortality, mind uploading & living forever
20:13 Home labs, AI models & building local LLMs
38:14 God, consciousness & the origins of the universe
48:06 Favorite physicists, Oppenheimer & scientific leadership
58:32 Building startups, failures & creating new industries
01:02:08 Hydrogen aviation, certification & government regulation
01:10:34 The UK's Hydrogen Sandbox explained
01:11:02 The future of transportation & autonomous mobility
01:12:37 A future of abundance, AI & humanity's purpose

TOPICS DISCUSSED

* ZeroAvia
* Hydrogen aviation
* Sustainable aviation
* Fuel cell aircraft
* AI energy systems
* Grid balancing
* Digital immortality
* Consciousness
* Mind uploading
* Artificial intelligence
* Large language models
* Entrepreneurship
* Startup leadership
* Physics
* Future technology
* Autonomous transportation
* Climate technology
* Aviation certification

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Subscribe for conversations with the pioneers building the future of hydrogen, aviation, energy, AI, and advanced technology.

#HYSKYPod #ZeroAvia #ValMiftakhov #HydrogenAviation #Hydrogen #FuelCells #SustainableAviation #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureTech #ClimateTech #EnergyTransition #Aviation #CleanEnergy #Podcast

The conversation explores the world of sustainable aviation fuels, covering topics such as market size, regulatory requirements, feedstocks, and the future of the market. Siegfried Knecht, CEO of the Aviation Institute for Renewable Energy in Germany, provides insights into the potential and challenges of sustainable aviation fuels.

Takeaways

• Sustainable aviation fuels are a promising alternative to conventional jet fuels, with the potential to power all aircraft.
• Regulatory requirements, market size, and feedstock availability are key factors influencing the growth of sustainable aviation fuels.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Sustainable Aviation Fuels
• 07:46 Potential for Sustainable Aviation Fuels to Power All Aircraft
• 12:47 Current Premium Price for Sustainable Aviation Fuels
• 21:07 Competition and Concerns about Feedstocks
• 28:27 Evolution of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Market

Discover the future of aviation with hydrogen fuel cell technology! In this video, aerospace engineer Dr. Anita Sengupta shares insights on how hydrogen can revolutionize air travel, offering three times the energy density of traditional fuels.

Takeaways

• Hydrogen fuel cell technology offers significant energy density and potential for longer endurance in aircraft.
• The infrastructure for hydrogen fueling and the cost comparison with traditional aviation fuels are key challenges for the widespread adoption of hydrogen in aviation.

Chapters

• 00:00 Pricing and Environmental Impact of Hydrogen Fuel