122results about "Fuel systems for specific fuels" patented technology

A gas turbine propulsion system includes a system which utilizes a cryogenic liquid fuel for a non-combustion function.

Disclosed is an aircraft, configured to have a wide range of flight speeds, consuming low levels of power for an extended period of time, while supporting a communications platform with an unobstructed downward-looking view. The aircraft includes an extendable slat at the leading edge of the wing, and a reflexed trailing edge. The aircraft comprises a flying wing extending laterally between two ends and a center point. The wing is swept and has a relatively constant chord. The aircraft also includes a power module configured to provide power via a fuel cell. The fuel cell stores liquid hydrogen as fuel, but uses gaseous hydrogen in the fuel cell. A fuel tank heater is used to control the boil-rate of the fuel in the fuel tank. The fuel cell compresses ambient air for an oxidizer, and operates with the fuel and oxidizer at pressures below one atmosphere. The aircraft of the invention includes a support structure including a plurality of supports, where the supports form a tetrahedron that affixes to the wing.

A cryogenic tank includes a shell having an interior side, an exterior side, and an internal volume that is bounded by the interior side. The shell has a shape that includes at least two elongated lobes that are defined by partial cylinders that intersect each other. The partial cylinders extend lengths along central longitudinal axes that are offset from each other. The lobes include opposite domes that extend at opposite ends of the length of the corresponding partial cylinder. The cryogenic tank includes an internal reinforcement frame having a web of elongate frame members extending within the internal volume. The frame members extend along the interior side of the shell such that lengths of the frame members extend along paths that follow the profile of the interior side of the shell. The internal reinforcement frame is configured to distribute loads exerted on the shell along at least three different directions.

A cooling system is provided for cooling an electrical component. The cooling system includes a supply of liquid natural gas (LNG) and a heat sink configured to be positioned in thermal communication with the electrical component. The cooling system also includes an LNG conduit configured to be interconnected between the heat sink and the supply of LNG such that the LNG conduit is configured to carry LNG from the supply to the heat sink. A pump is configured to be operatively connected in fluid communication with the supply of LNG. The pump is configured to move LNG within the LNG conduit from the supply to the heat sink.

A tank system for the cryogenic storage of hydrogen includes a tank structure with at least one hollow body for accommodating liquid hydrogen and at least one insulating means, which encloses the tank structure, for insulating the at least one hollow body. The tank structure has an exterior shape that is integrateable in a load-bearing primary structure of an aircraft. The tank structure is load bearing and is designed to at least partially absorb a load introduced into the primary structure. This makes it possible to achieve a particularly efficient design of an aircraft in which the fuselage of the aircraft is not divided into two parts by the hydrogen tank integrated therein, can be arranged near the center of gravity, and essentially does not increase the additional weight of the aircraft.

A reservoir safely accommodates a fuel using a barrier layer, which at least partly separates the contact areas of the reservoir and/or contact elements to be protected. The barrier layer is formed of a fire-proof medium which displaces volatile and ignitable fuel having a density less than the density of the fire-proof medium, providing a chemical-physical separation of hydrogen from the air surrounding the reservoir. In vehicles, particularly aircraft, safe operation may be improved by application of the barrier in the reservoir. In one embodiment, there is an additional reservoir filled with an inert material that surrounds the hydrogen reservoir.

Magnetically active elements, namely magnets or superconducting elements respectively, are incorporated respectively in an air vehicle and in a guide path on which the air vehicle is to land, take-off and/or taxi. A cooling apparatus may be provided to cool the superconducting elements. The magnets may be electromagnets, and an electrical energy source and a controller are provided to energize the electromagnets in an independently controlled manner. The magnets produce a magnetic field, and the superconducting elements expel the magnetic field and cause a quantum levitation effect, by which the air vehicle is supported in a contact-free manner above the guide path. Thus, the air vehicle may omit mechanical landing gear.

A hybrid power system for a vertical takeoff and landing (“VTOL”) aircraft including a first power source operable to provide a power output for at least a forward flight mode; and a second power source configured to provide a high specific power output for an altitude adjustment flight mode, the second power source including an auxiliary gas generator coupled to a turbine and a drive system. In other aspects, there is provided a VTOL aircraft and methods for providing power to a VTOL aircraft.

A thermodynamic pump for provides gaseous hydrogen employing a plurality of liquid hydrogen (LH2) tanks sequentially pressurized with gaseous hydrogen (GH2) from an accumulator. A heat exchanger receiving LH2 from each of the plurality of tanks as sequentially pressurized returns pressurized GH2 to the accumulator for supply to an engine.

An aircraft having a turbine engine having a bleed air output line, a cryogenic fuel system having a cryogenic fuel tank for storing cryogenic fuel and a supply line operably coupling the tank to the turbine engine, and an on board inert gas generating system (OBIGGS) fluidly coupled to the bleed air output and having a nitrogen rich stream output line and an oxygen rich stream output line.

A liquefied hydrogen fuel carrying and heat exchanging system for high-speed airplane using hydrogen as fuel is composed of master liquefied hydrogen tank, the liquefied hydrogen tanks hidden in wings, the liquefied hydrogen tanks hidden in main body, cut-off valves, liquefied trunk, two evaporators, combustion chamber of engine, hydraulic oil heat exchanger, lubricating oil heat exchanger, hydraulic system, fans and lubricating system. It features that the cold of liquefied hydrogen is transferred to hydraulic system and lubricating system.

An aircraft system includes a main fuel tank configured to house primary fuel and a green fuel tank configured to house green fuel. The mixing apparatus is configured to mix the primary fuel and the green fuel to result in a predetermined ratio of mixed fuel. A controller selectively commands a first amount of primary fuel and a second amount of green fuel to result in the predetermined ratio of mixed fuel. The main aircraft engine is configured to operate, in a first main engine mode, with the primary fuel from the main fuel tank and to operate, in a second main engine mode, with the mixed fuel from the mixing apparatus based on commands from the controller. The auxiliary power source is configured to operate with at least a portion of the green fuel from the green fuel tank based on commands from the controller.

A system in one embodiment includes a detection unit, a boil-off auxiliary power unit, and a controller. The detection unit is configured to detect a characteristic of a boil-off gas stream from a cryotank configured to hold a cryogenic fluid. The boil-off auxiliary power unit is configured to receive the boil-off gas stream and use the boil-off gas stream to provide auxiliary power to a vehicle system. The controller is configured to acquire information from the detection unit corresponding to the characteristic; determine, using the information acquired from the detection unit, an available boil-off auxiliary energy that is available from the boil-off auxiliary power unit; determine a mode of operation of the vehicle system; determine a required auxiliary energy for the vehicle system; and to operate the auxiliary power unit based on the available boil-off auxiliary energy, the mode of operation, and the required auxiliary energy.

Cryogenic fuel compositions including a cryogenic fuel and paraxyelene and a dual fuel aircraft system for an aircraft having at least one turbine engine, including a first fuel system for providing a first fuel from a first fuel tank to the turbine engine and a second fuel system for providing a cryogenic fuel composition and having a second fuel tank storing LNG and fluidly coupled to the turbine engine, an additive tank storing additives and fluidly coupled to the turbine engine and a mixing device configured to create the cryogenic fuel composition.

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to removable storage for hydrogen networks on-board an aircraft, aerospace vehicles, or other passenger transport vehicles. They are particularly related to such vehicles that use a hydrogen network in order to support a fuel cell system, more scecifically it discloses an interchangeable hydrogen storage mounted in a trolley or in a cradle for a plane for onboard applications.

An aircraft system comprising a fuel storage system comprising a first fuel tank capable of storing a first fuel and a second fuel tank capable of storing a second fuel is disclosed herein. The aircraft system further comprises a fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell capable of producing electrical power using at least one of the first fuel or the second fuel, and a fuel delivery system capable of delivering a fuel from the fuel storage system to the fuel cell system.

The invention relates generally to a novel cooling system and fuel preheating system for use in an advanced, high speed aerospace vehicle. A hydrocarbon fluid, such as fuel is accelerated to supersonic conditions within a cooling channel located proximate a high-temperature flight surface. The hydrocarbon fuel absorbs a heat load as it passes through the cooling channel in the flight control surface prior to the fuel being directed into the aircraft engine.

The invention discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle comprises an aircraft body, flying cantilevers and propeller blades. An upper-layer oil storage cavity, a middle bufferoil cavity and a lower-layer electrical equipment cavity are arranged in the aircraft body from top to bottom, the upper-layer oil storage cavity and the middle buffer oil cavity are connected with each other, a flight control plate is installed in the lower-layer electrical equipment cavity, a methanol engine is arranged below each propeller blade, and a damping supporting mechanism is further arranged below the aircraft body; an oil pipe channel for accommodating an oil pipe and a cable channel for accommodating a cable are arranged in each flying cantilever; and oil inlet holes connected with one end of the oil pipe are arranged in the side wall of the middle buffer oil cavity, an annular oil storage groove connected with the multiple oil inlet holes is arranged in the middle buffer oilcavity, the other end of the oil pipe is connected with the methanol engine, one end of the cable is connected with the flight control plate, and the other end of the cable is connected with the methanol engine. An unmanned cruising ability can be improved, and stable oil supply and soft landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle are achieved.

A method of managing evaporated cryogenic fuel in a storage tank of a cryogenic fuel system of an aircraft and an aircraft having at least one turbine engine providing propulsive force for the aircraft and a cryogenic fuel system including a passively cooled cryogenic fuel storage tank located within the aircraft, a pressure vent fluidly coupled to the cryogenic fuel storage tank and exhausting evaporated gas from the cryogenic fuel to define a natural gas vent stream, and a catalytic converter fluidly coupled to the pressure vent.

A light weight fuel tank for a hydrogen powered airplane used as a platform for communication repeaters for communication services. An outer spherical shell member of a sandwich configuration surrounds an inner thin walled spherical shell member in which the liquid hydrogen is contained. A radial gap between the shell members is evacuated to a high vacuum. The facing surfaces of the shell members are coated with a low emissivity material. Electrical heaters are provided to control the evaporation rate of the hydrogen to match the fuel usage and to prevent icing during ascent and descent of the airplane.

A system for autonomously replacing batteries or fuel cells on small aerial vehicles such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or radio-controlled aircraft (RC) is described. At the core of this system is a “universal battery receptacle” that can be added to a variety of unmanned aircraft platforms and provides a uniform interface for battery or fuel cell replacement in the form of a commensurately designed “universal fuel cell”.

Additionally, a system is described through which an aerial vehicle can be accepted, manipulated, the batteries replaced, and the vehicle re-launched, all without direct user intervention. Such systems can be deployed across a geographic area to increase the range of aerial vehicles without extensive ground support personnel.

The invention discloses a carbon dioxide cycled water-hydrogen-powered hot-air balloon. The cycled water-hydrogen-powered hot-air balloon comprises a methanol hydrogen production system, a hydrogen gas power generating system, a balloon, a hanging basket, a burner or/and an electric heater, wherein the methanol hydrogen production system is connected with the hydrogen gas power generating system, and the hydrogen gas power generating system is connected with the methanol preparing equipment; the balloon is connected with the hanging basket, and gas is subjected to heated expansion through burner combustion or/and electric-heater heating; the methanol hydrogen production system prepares hydrogen gas by using methanol vapor reforming, the hydrogen gas passes through a membrane separation device plated with palladium-silver alloy so as to obtain high-purity hydrogen gas, and the obtained hydrogen gas is used for generating power by the hydrogen gas power generating system. According to the carbon dioxide cycled water-hydrogen-powered hot-air balloon provided by the invention, methanol required by the power generating system can be self-prepared, and the emission of carbon dioxide is avoided.

Turbine engine systems and aircraft having such systems are described. The turbine engine systems include a combustor arranged along a core flow path of the turbine engine, a drive shaft having at least a compressor section and a turbine section coupled thereto, a cryogenic fuel tank configured to supply a fuel to the combustor, and an expansion turbine mechanically coupled to the drive shaft, the expansion turbine configured to receive fuel from the cryogenic fuel tank and expand said fuel, wherein expansion of said fuel by the expansion turbine drives rotation of the expansion turbine to provide power input to the drive shaft.