Energy comparison in terminal area for narrow body, SAF and LH2 aircraft

Abstract

The aviation industry is transitioning towards sustainable propulsion technologies to address stringent environmental targets and rising operational demands. This study evaluates actuator energy requirements in terminal phase for three narrow-body aircraft architectures: a conventional A320-like platform, a more-electric aircraft powered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and a Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) concept. Detailed actuator models for electro-mechanical and servo-hydraulic systems were developed and integrated into mission-level simulations to capture power and energy profiles across key subsystems, including high-lift devices, landing gear, spoilers, brakes, and steering. Results show that while the baseline aircraft consumes the most energy due to hydraulic inefficiencies, the SAF and LH2 configurations demonstrate notable reductions in actuator energy demands. The findings highlight how system-level electrification and architectural innovations can enhance terminal efficiency, paving the way for greener, high-performance single-aisle aircraft.