Organisation Name
Cranfield University
Acronym
CU
Country
United Kingdom
Web site
Description of the organisation
Cranfield University (CU) is a specialist postgraduate institution focused on technology, management, and applied research, with strong global industry and academic partnerships. Founded in 1946 as the College of Aeronautics, it has expanded into engineering, sustainability, and advanced aerospace innovation. Its research airport provides a unique platform for developing future aviation technologies, including digital aviation, aircraft design, and airspace management.
CU contributes to the CRYOSTAR project through expertise in hydrogen for aviation and aircraft crashworthiness, combining numerical and experimental research. The university is a major hydrogen research hub, building an integrated ecosystem covering production, storage, propulsion, materials, aircraft design, and airport operations across multiple sectors.
A £69 million investment has established the Cranfield Hydrogen Integration Incubator (CH2i), supporting net-zero aviation through new research facilities, hydrogen testbeds, and upgraded airport infrastructure for hydrogen-powered aircraft demonstrations. Funded by Research England and numerous industry partners, CH2i strengthens Cranfield’s leadership in hydrogen innovation. The university also leads hydrogen initiatives within the UK and EU aerospace research community and contributes to Civil Aviation Authority working groups on propulsion, certification, and airport operations.
Role in the CRYOSTAR Project
Cranfield University (CU) plays a multidisciplinary technical and WP lead role across the CRYOSTAR project. In WP1 (T1.5), CU supports data management, dissemination, and scientific communication. Within WP2 (T2.1), CU contributes modelling expertise to define liquid-hydrogen (LH₂) crash scenarios and hazard assessments. In WP4 (T4.1, T4.2, T4.3, T4.4, T4.6, and T4.7), CU provides key leadership in developing advanced thermal, sloshing, structural, and crash simulation capabilities, including fluid-structure interaction modelling, finite-element crash analysis, and LH₂ safety evaluation for novel aircraft tank configurations. CU leads T4.2 on sloshing analysis and supports Digital Thread development using validated multi-fidelity models. In WP5, CU contributes to experimental test planning and safe procedure definition informed by modelling outcomes. In WP6 (T6.7, T6.8), CU leads lessons learned and best-practice activities and supports certification roadmaps with the UK Civil Aviation Authority, strengthening validation and future certification pathways.
Team members involved
Name
Prof. Bobby Sethi
Position in organisation
Professor and Head of the Low Emissions Technologies and Combustion (LETC) Group and Co-Chair of the Cranfield University Hydrogen Strategy Committee
Role in CRYOSTAR
CU’s Principal Investigator
Name
Prof. Vassilios Pachidis
Position in organisation
Professor and Head of the Centre for Propulsion and Thermal Power Engineering
Role in CRYOSTAR
Technical Consultant
Name
Dr. Paul Holborn
Position in organisation
Senior Research Fellow in System Design for Hydrogen Leakage, Ventilation and Safety
Role in CRYOSTAR
CU’s Co- Investigator and CU WP task lead on LH2 safety and hazards
Name
Dr. Neys Schreiner
Position in organisation
Lecturer in Low Emission Propulsion and Cryogenic Engineering
Role in CRYOSTAR
CU WP task lead for thermal and sloshing modelling
Name
Dr. David John Rajendran
Position in organisation
Senior Lecturer in Aero System Design for Future Propulsion Architectures
Role in CRYOSTAR
CU WP task lead on fluid-structural interaction, thermal analysis and flow simulations
Name
Prof. Ioannis Roumeliotis
Position in organisation
Professor of Gas Turbine and Thermo-Fluid Systems Performance
Role in CRYOSTAR
Technical Consultant
Name
Dr. Xiaodong Xu
Position in organisation
Senior Lecturer in Lightweight Materials and Structures
Role in CRYOSTAR
CU WP task lead for structural static and dynamic modelling, crash model analysis
Name
Mr. Nicolás Capmany De Fuentes
Position in organisation
Research Assistant in Liquid Hydrogen Thermal and Fluid Modelling
Role in CRYOSTAR
Researcher (thermal, fluid-structural and sloshing modelling)
Name
Dr. Yize Liu
Position in organisation
Research Fellow in Low Emissions Aircraft Propulsion System Evaluation
Role in CRYOSTAR
Researcher (LH2 safety and hazard modelling)