WSU Tool Boosts Airbus Hydrogen Fuel Visualization

Researchers develop breakthrough in visualizing cryogenic liquid hydrogen boiling inside a pipe, an important step in advancing hydrogen-powered aviation.

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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Scientists at Washington State University have developed a breakthrough tool that allows them to visualize super-cold liquid hydrogen rapidly boiling off into gas inside a pipe - an important step in advancing WSU's partnership with Airbus to accelerate the development of a hydrogen-fueled commercial airplane. The HYPER Lab's visualization system uses a vacuum chamber and laser to precisely measure properties like temperature, velocity, and pressure as hydrogen changes phases, providing crucial data to Airbus as it pursues its goal of a hydrogen-powered aircraft.

Why it matters

Visualizing the behavior of cryogenic liquid hydrogen as it transitions to a gaseous state is a critical step in making hydrogen-powered aviation feasible. Understanding the physics of this phase change is essential for designing the fuel systems and infrastructure needed to support a hydrogen-fueled commercial aircraft, which Airbus has identified as a key part of its decarbonization roadmap.

The details

The HYPER Lab's breakthrough allows scientists to observe for the first time how super-cold liquid hydrogen rapidly boils off into gas inside a pipe, revealing unexpected behaviors like the hydrogen beading, fogging, and sparkling in ways not previously anticipated. This visualization is made possible by a system the researchers developed that uses a vacuum chamber and laser to precisely measure properties like temperature, velocity, and pressure as the hydrogen transitions between liquid and gaseous states.

  • The HYPER Lab's partnership with Airbus began nearly four years ago.
  • Airbus recently visited the WSU labs in Pullman and the Tri-Cities to see the new hydrogen visualization tool.

The players

Thierry Sibilli

The Thermo-Fluid Overall Hydrogen System Lead at Airbus.

Jacob Leachman

A professor of mechanical and materials engineering at WSU and the founder of the HYPER Lab.

Konstantin Matveev

A professor at WSU who worked with Leachman and students to design the hydrogen visualization system.

Airbus

The global aerospace company that is partnering with WSU to advance hydrogen-powered aviation as part of its decarbonization efforts.

WSU HYPER Lab

The only cryogenic hydrogen research hub at a U.S. university, where the breakthrough hydrogen visualization tool was developed.

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What they’re saying

“As humans, we understand things best when we can see them with our own eyes.”

— Thierry Sibilli, Thermo-Fluid Overall Hydrogen System Lead at Airbus

“When someone says that hydrogen aircraft are not feasible, they're wrong. It isn't only feasible, it's inevitable.”

— Thierry Sibilli, Thermo-Fluid Overall Hydrogen System Lead at Airbus

“Trying to keep the visualization chamber sealed so the smallest molecule in the universe doesn't seep out and destroy your vacuum - that's the thing that no one has really ever shared publicly for a continuous fluid pipe.”

— Jacob Leachman, Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, WSU

What’s next

The partnership between WSU and Airbus will continue as the companies work to overcome the many technical and infrastructure challenges involved in developing a hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft, including managing the fuel on the plane and creating the necessary fueling ecosystem.

The takeaway

The breakthrough in visualizing the behavior of cryogenic liquid hydrogen is a crucial step forward in making hydrogen-powered aviation a reality, as Airbus and other companies race to develop sustainable alternatives to traditional jet fuel in order to reduce carbon emissions from the aviation industry.