A thermal management system and method for aircraft based on chemical CO2 storage

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of aircraft thermal management system and method based on chemical storage CO2 in technical field, including the storage tank for storing chemical reaction agent and the active thermal protection system being arranged in the head of aircraft;The storage tank is communicated with water body and the active thermal protection system respectively by water pipe and gas pipe, first throttle valve and second throttle valve are respectively arranged on the water pipe and the gas pipe;When the first throttle valve is opened, water can be injected into the storage tank to react with chemical reaction agent to release low-temperature CO2;When the second throttle valve is opened, the storage tank can deliver CO2 to the active thermal protection system;The active thermal protection system is used to accelerate the ejection of CO2, to form cooling gas film on the outer surface of aircraft, protect and cool aircraft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of technology, and specifically to an aircraft thermal management system and method based on chemically stored CO2. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of aerospace technology, the performance of aircraft, such as speed and maximum flight altitude, is improving day by day, which puts forward higher requirements for aircraft thermal protection and flight control systems.

[0003] During high-speed flight, aircraft generate strong bow-shaped shock waves at their leading edge. Airflow is compressed upon passing through these shock waves, converting its kinetic energy into heat, causing a rapid rise in temperature at the aircraft's leading edge, reaching up to 2000°C. This high-temperature "thermal barrier" degrades the properties of the aircraft's surface materials, potentially leading to structural damage or even disintegration. Furthermore, the ionization of gases and surface material molecules within the high-temperature zone creates plasma regions on the aircraft's surface, resulting in a "blackout" phenomenon that weakens or even interrupts communication signals.

[0004] To address this technical problem, CN112498658A discloses an active thermal protection solution for high-speed aircraft. This solution utilizes an air duct to draw low-temperature, high-pressure air from a high-pressure tank inside the aircraft cabin, which is then ejected from a side-wall nozzle, forming a lateral jet stream that performs film cooling on the nose cone wall of the aircraft, thus releasing heat. This solution effectively provides thermal protection for the aircraft's nose, but it has certain limitations due to the limited amount of cooling medium it carries.

[0005] CN07891970A discloses an active thermal protection system for high-speed aircraft using film cooling. This system utilizes liquid nitrogen carried by the aircraft, which is pressurized, vaporized, and accelerated before being ejected at high speed through an array of jet holes on the aircraft wall, forming a cooling film on the aircraft surface to reduce surface temperature. While this solution can utilize existing heat-resistant materials to withstand the high temperatures of high-speed aircraft traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 10, it suffers from low coolant utilization and a large system size and weight, thus having certain limitations.

[0006] In summary, existing active thermal protection technologies generally involve ejecting a cooling medium from a jet nozzle to form a cooling gas film on the aircraft surface to reduce the surface temperature. However, existing technologies directly load cooling media such as liquid nitrogen or compressed air inside the aircraft cabin, which not only limits the amount of media that can be carried but also results in a large system size, thus having certain limitations. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a thermal management system and method for aircraft based on chemical storage of CO2, which aims to form a cooling gas film on the outer surface of the aircraft to protect and cool the aircraft.

[0008] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention specifically provides an aircraft thermal management system based on chemical CO2 storage, comprising a storage tank for storing chemical reactants and an active thermal protection system disposed at the nose of the aircraft.

[0009] The storage tank is connected to the water body and the active thermal protection system via water pipes and gas pipes, respectively. A first throttle valve and a second throttle valve are respectively installed on the water pipes and the gas pipes.

[0010] When the first throttle valve is opened, water can be injected into the storage tank to react with the chemical reactant and release low-temperature CO2;

[0011] When the second throttle valve is open, the storage tank can deliver CO2 to the active thermal protection system;

[0012] The active thermal protection system is used to accelerate the ejection of CO2 to form a cooling gas film on the outer surface of the aircraft, thereby protecting and cooling the aircraft.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a first heat exchanger is further connected between the storage tank and the active thermal protection system;

[0014] The first heat exchanger is an internal radiator for the aircraft, used to absorb the heat generated when the internal equipment of the aircraft is working.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an expander is also connected in parallel on the gas pipe between the first heat exchanger and the active thermal protection system. The expander can make CO2 expand by doing work to deliver low-temperature and low-pressure CO2 to the active thermal protection system.

[0016] The expander is equipped with a third throttle valve at the inlet end to control whether CO2 enters the expander;

[0017] A fourth throttle valve is installed upstream of the inlet of the active thermal protection system to control whether CO2 enters the active thermal protection system.

[0018] The opening degree of the third and fourth throttle valves is adjustable to regulate the CO2 mass flow rate entering the expander and the active thermal protection system;

[0019] The expander is coaxially connected to a generator, which converts the mechanical energy of the expander into electrical energy and stores it in a battery.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outlet of the expander is connected to the active thermal protection system via a three-way valve, and the remaining port of the three-way valve is connected to the spray system.

[0021] The connection point between the three-way valve and the active thermal protection system is located between the fourth throttle valve and the active thermal protection system;

[0022] The spray system is installed inside the equipment compartment of the aircraft and is used to spray low-temperature CO2 into the equipment compartment to reduce the ambient temperature of the equipment compartment.

[0023] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outlet of the first heat exchanger is also connected to the fuel tank of the aircraft, and CO2 can help the metal fuel in the fuel tank to burn completely, thereby improving the power performance of the aircraft.

[0024] A fifth throttle valve is installed upstream of the inlet of the fuel tank to control whether CO2 enters the fuel tank;

[0025] The opening degree of the fifth throttle valve can also be adjusted to regulate the CO2 mass flow rate entering the fuel tank.

[0026] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outlet of the first heat exchanger is connected to a first branch pipe and a second branch pipe, and the first branch pipe is connected to the active thermal protection system, the expander and the fuel tank.

[0027] The second branch pipeline is connected to a second heat exchanger, which is located inside the storage tank to increase the internal temperature of the storage tank in order to accelerate the hydrolysis of the chemical reactant and release CO2.

[0028] The outlet of the second heat exchanger is connected to the first branch pipe so that CO2 in the second branch pipe can be introduced into the active thermal protection system, the expander and the fuel tank.

[0029] The first branch pipe, the second branch pipe, and the pipes connected to the outlet of the second heat exchanger are respectively equipped with a sixth throttle valve, a seventh throttle valve, and an eighth throttle valve;

[0030] The opening of the sixth throttling valve and the closing of the seventh and eighth throttling valves prevent CO2 from entering the second heat exchanger.

[0031] When the seventh and eighth throttle valves are opened and the sixth throttle valve is closed, CO2 can enter the second heat exchanger for cooling before being introduced into one or more of the active thermal protection system, the fuel tank, and the expander.

[0032] The sixth, seventh, and eighth throttling valves can be opened simultaneously and the valve opening degree can be controlled to control the CO2 mass flow rate entering the second heat exchanger and control the chemical reaction rate in the storage tank.

[0033] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the active thermal protection system includes a working fluid chamber located between an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface on the outer surface of the aircraft, and jet holes uniformly distributed on the outer wall surface and communicating with the working fluid chamber.

[0034] The working fluid chamber is used to deliver incoming CO2 to each of the jet holes, which are used to accelerate the outward injection of CO2 to form a cooling gas film covering the outer wall surface.

[0035] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention further provides an aircraft thermal management method based on chemically stored CO2. The aircraft thermal management system based on chemically stored CO2 includes the following steps:

[0036] Open the first throttle valve to let water flow into the storage tank. The chemical reactants in the storage tank react with the water to release CO2.

[0037] The second throttle valve is opened, allowing CO2 from the storage tank to enter the active thermal protection system at the nose of the aircraft. The CO2 is then accelerated out by the active thermal protection system, forming a cooling gas film covering the outer surface of the aircraft to protect and cool it.

[0038] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a first heat exchanger is added between the storage tank and the active thermal protection system. After CO2 enters the first heat exchanger, it absorbs the heat released by the operation of the internal equipment of the aircraft and dissipates heat for the internal equipment of the aircraft.

[0039] After CO2 is discharged from the first heat exchanger, it is controlled by adjusting the fifth, third and fourth throttle valves to allow CO2 to enter one or more of the active thermal protection system, expander and combustion chamber, and control the mass flow rate of each.

[0040] If it enters the CO2 expander, the CO2 will be discharged from the first heat exchanger and then enter the active thermal protection system, the expander and the combustion chamber, which are directly connected to the first heat exchanger.

[0041] After CO2 does work in the expander, it is converted into low-temperature and low-pressure CO2. The low-temperature and low-pressure CO2 flows into the active thermal protection system and the spray system through the three-way valve. The spray system sprays the low-temperature CO2 into the equipment compartment to reduce the ambient temperature of the equipment compartment.

[0042] The mechanical energy of the expander is converted into electrical energy and stored in a battery by a generator that is mounted coaxially with the expander.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, after CO2 is discharged from the first heat exchanger, it is divided into two branches;

[0044] If the sixth throttle valve on the first branch line is opened and the seventh throttle valve on the second branch line and the eighth throttle valve on the outlet pipe of the second heat exchanger are closed, CO2 can be prevented from entering the storage tank and can directly enter one or more of the active thermal protection system, the expander and the combustion chamber.

[0045] If the sixth throttle valve is closed and the seventh and eighth throttle valves are opened, CO2 can first enter the second heat exchanger. The CO2, which has been heated by the first heat exchanger, releases heat into the storage tank in the second heat exchanger, increasing the internal temperature of the storage tank and accelerating the hydrolysis of the chemical reaction agent to release CO2.

[0046] The CO2 discharged from the second heat exchanger then enters one or more of the active thermal protection system, expander, and combustion chamber;

[0047] If the sixth, seventh, and eighth throttle valves are opened simultaneously, the mass flow rate of CO2 entering the second heat exchanger can be controlled by adjusting the opening degree of the three valves, thereby controlling the chemical reaction rate inside the storage tank.

[0048] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0049] This system stores chemical reactants in tanks. When the active thermal protection system needs to inject protective gas, water is injected into the tanks, causing the chemical reactants to react and generate CO2 gas. Compared to existing technologies where liquid nitrogen or compressed air is directly loaded into the aircraft cabin as a cooling medium, the same mass of chemically stored reactants can absorb more heat and release more carbon dioxide during the hydrolysis reaction. This effectively increases the amount of thermal protection medium carried by the aircraft, occupies less internal space, simplifies the aircraft structure, and reduces the weight of additional equipment. Furthermore, the lower temperature of carbon dioxide provides better cooling for equipment inside the aircraft. Attached Figure Description

[0050] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can derive other embodiments based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0051] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the aircraft thermal management system in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the active thermal protection system in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] The labels in the diagram represent the following:

[0054] 1-First throttle valve; 2-Storage tank; 3-Second throttle valve; 4-First heat exchanger; 5-Seventh throttle valve; 6-Sixth throttle valve; 7-Eighth throttle valve; 8-Second heat exchanger; 9-Fifth throttle valve; 10-Fuel tank; 11-Third throttle valve; 12-Expander; 13-Three-way valve; 14-Generator; 15-Battery; 16-Spray system; 17-Fourth throttle valve; 18-Active thermal protection system; 19-Inner wall; 20-Outer wall; 21-Cooling jet; 22-Front-side airflow of the aircraft; 23-Jet orifice; 24-Working propellant tank. Detailed Implementation

[0055] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0056] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention specifically provides an aircraft thermal management system based on chemical storage of CO2, including a storage tank 2 for storing chemical reactants and an active thermal protection system 18 installed at the nose of the aircraft;

[0057] The storage tank 2 is connected to the water body and the active thermal protection system 18 through water pipes and gas pipes respectively. The water pipes and gas pipes are respectively equipped with a first throttle valve 1 and a second throttle valve 3.

[0058] When the first throttle valve 1 is opened, water can be injected into the storage tank 2 to react with the chemical reactant and release low-temperature CO2;

[0059] When the second throttle valve 3 is opened, the storage tank 2 can deliver CO2 to the active thermal protection system 18;

[0060] The active thermal protection system 18 is used to accelerate the ejection of CO2 to form a cooling gas film on the outer surface of the aircraft, protecting and cooling the aircraft.

[0061] The stored chemical agent is aluminum carbonate, an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Al2(CO3)3. It is a powdery white granule that is unstable and reacts with water to decompose into aluminum hydroxide and carbon dioxide. The chemical reaction is: Al2(CO3)3 + 3H2O = 2Al(OH)3↓ + 3CO2↑. Compared to the phase transition of solid carbon dioxide, the hydrolysis of the same mass of aluminum carbonate absorbs more heat and releases more carbon dioxide.

[0062] When the active thermal protection system 18 is required to inject CO2 to protect and cool the aircraft, the first throttle valve 1 is opened to allow water to flow into the storage tank 2. The chemical reactants in the storage tank 2 react with the water to release CO2.

[0063] Then, the second throttle valve 3 is opened, allowing the CO2 in the storage tank 2 to enter the active thermal protection system 18 at the nose of the aircraft, and is accelerated out by the active thermal protection system 18 to form a cooling gas film covering the outer wall 20 of the aircraft, so as to protect and cool the aircraft.

[0064] This system stores the chemical reactant in tank 2. When the active thermal protection system 18 needs to inject protective gas, water is injected into tank 2 to react the chemical reactant and generate CO2 gas. Compared to existing technologies where liquid nitrogen or compressed air or other cooling media are directly loaded inside the aircraft cabin, the same mass of chemically stored chemical reactant can absorb more heat and release more carbon dioxide during the hydrolysis reaction.

[0065] It not only effectively increases the amount of thermal protection working fluid carried by the aircraft and improves the working fluid generation rate, but also occupies less internal space of the aircraft, simplifies the aircraft structure, and reduces the weight of additional equipment; moreover, the lower temperature carbon dioxide has a better cooling effect on the equipment inside the aircraft.

[0066] Furthermore, research has found that as the power density of aircraft equipment compartments increases, the requirements for heat dissipation of internal equipment also increase. If the heat in the enclosed space of the aircraft equipment compartment cannot be dissipated in time, it will have a significant impact on the normal operation of the equipment.

[0067] That is, the aircraft not only faces the problem of external surface thermal protection, but also the problem of internal thermal protection and heat dissipation. In order to solve this problem and make more efficient use of the CO2 generated by the hydrolysis reaction, a first heat exchanger 4 is also connected between the storage tank 2 and the active thermal protection system 18.

[0068] The first heat exchanger 4 is an internal radiator for the aircraft, used to absorb the heat generated when the internal equipment of the aircraft is working.

[0069] Since the hydrolysis reaction is an endothermic reaction, the generated CO2 is low-temperature CO2. The low-temperature CO2 can exchange heat with the internal space of the aircraft in the first heat exchanger 4 to absorb the heat generated when the internal equipment of the aircraft is working, thereby reducing the internal temperature of the aircraft and achieving the purpose of heat dissipation for the internal equipment of the aircraft.

[0070] Furthermore, considering that the temperature of CO2 will rise after absorbing heat in the first heat exchanger 4, in order to make full and efficient use of energy and reduce the temperature of CO2, so as to improve the thermal protection effect of the active thermal protection system 18.

[0071] An expander 12 is also connected in parallel on the gas pipe between the first heat exchanger 4 and the active thermal protection system 18. The expander 12 can make CO2 expand by doing work to deliver low temperature and low pressure CO2 to the active thermal protection system 18.

[0072] The expander 12 is coaxially connected to a generator 14, which is used to convert the mechanical energy of the expander 12 into electrical energy and store it in a battery 15.

[0073] That is, after CO2 is discharged from the first heat exchanger 4, it can do work in the expander 12, fully recovering the internal energy of CO2. Moreover, the temperature of CO2 after doing work is low, which can reduce the temperature of CO2 gas injected by the active thermal protection system 18 and improve the protection and cooling effect.

[0074] To better control the flow of CO2.

[0075] A third throttle valve 11 is provided at the inlet end of the expander 12 to control whether CO2 enters the expander 12.

[0076] A fourth throttle valve 17 is installed upstream of the inlet of the active thermal protection system 18 to control whether CO2 enters the active thermal protection system 18.

[0077] Meanwhile, the opening degree of the third throttle valve 11 and the fourth throttle valve 17 is adjustable. When the third throttle valve 11 and the fourth throttle valve 17 are open at the same time, the CO2 mass flow rate entering the expander 12 and the active thermal protection system 18 can be adjusted by controlling the opening degree of these two valves.

[0078] That is, CO2 can be allowed to enter the expander 12 slightly more, or CO2 can be allowed to enter the active thermal protection system 18 slightly more directly.

[0079] Furthermore, in order to fully utilize the effect of low-temperature and low-pressure CO2 after the work is done by the expander 12.

[0080] The outlet of the expander 12 is connected to the active thermal protection system 18 via a three-way valve 13, and the remaining port of the three-way valve 13 is connected to the spray system 16.

[0081] The connection point between the three-way valve 13 and the active thermal protection system 18 is located between the fourth throttle valve 17 and the active thermal protection system 18.

[0082] That is, the CO2 after doing work in the expander 12 has two destinations: one is to the active thermal protection system 18, where it is sprayed out to form a cooling gas film on the outer surface of the aircraft; the other is to the spray system 16.

[0083] The spray system 16 is located inside the equipment compartment of the aircraft and has multiple nozzles for spraying low-temperature CO2 into the equipment compartment to reduce the ambient temperature of the equipment compartment.

[0084] Furthermore, the outlet of the first heat exchanger 4 is also connected to the fuel tank 10 of the aircraft. The aircraft engine uses metallic fuel. Before combustion, the fuel and CO2 are fully mixed, which can effectively play a role in combustion, accelerate the reaction rate, and enable the metallic fuel to react fully, so that the aircraft engine can generate more power and achieve the purpose of improving the power performance of the aircraft.

[0085] This is also to better control the flow of CO2.

[0086] A fifth throttle valve 9 is installed upstream of the inlet end of the fuel tank 10 to control whether CO2 enters the fuel tank 10.

[0087] The opening degree of the fifth throttle valve 9 can also be adjusted to regulate the mass flow rate of CO2 entering the fuel tank 10.

[0088] That is, by adjusting the opening and closing degree of the fifth throttle valve 9, the third throttle valve 11 and the fourth throttle valve 17, the CO2 mass flow rate to the fuel tank 10, the active thermal protection system 18 and the expander 12 can be adjusted.

[0089] Furthermore, the outlet of the first heat exchanger 4 is connected to a first branch pipe and a second branch pipe, and the first branch pipe is connected to the active thermal protection system 18, the expander 12 and the fuel tank 10.

[0090] The second branch pipeline is connected to the second heat exchanger 8, which is located inside the storage tank 2 and is used to increase the internal temperature of the storage tank 2 to accelerate the hydrolysis of the chemical reaction agent and release CO2.

[0091] The outlet of the second heat exchanger 8 is connected to the first branch pipe so that CO2 in the second branch pipe can be introduced into the active thermal protection system 18, the expander 12 and the fuel tank 10.

[0092] On the one hand, a portion of the CO2 heated in the first heat exchanger 4 can exchange heat with the medium in the storage tank 2 in the second heat exchanger 8, thereby cooling down the CO2 in the second heat exchanger 8 again. On the other hand, it can increase the ambient temperature inside the storage tank 2, that is, increase the reaction temperature, so as to accelerate the hydrolysis of chemical reactants to release CO2 and enhance the internal and external thermal protection effect.

[0093] In order to better control the flow rate of CO2 in the first and second branch pipes.

[0094] A sixth throttling valve 6, a seventh throttling valve 5, and an eighth throttling valve 7 are respectively installed on the pipes connected to the first branch pipe, the second branch pipe, and the outlet of the second heat exchanger 8.

[0095] There are three control methods available at this time:

[0096] If the sixth throttle valve 6 is open, and the seventh throttle valve 5 and the eighth throttle valve 7 are closed, CO2 will not enter the second heat exchanger 8.

[0097] If the seventh throttle valve 5 and the eighth throttle valve 7 are open, and the sixth throttle valve 6 is closed, CO2 can enter the second heat exchanger 8 for cooling before being introduced into one or more of the active thermal protection system 18, the fuel tank 10, and the expander 12. That is, any one, any two, or any three of the active thermal protection system 18, the fuel tank 10, and the expander 12.

[0098] The sixth throttle valve 6, the seventh throttle valve 5, and the eighth throttle valve 7 can be opened simultaneously and the valve opening degree can be controlled to control the CO2 mass flow rate entering the second heat exchanger 8 and control the chemical reaction rate in the storage tank 2.

[0099] Furthermore, the active thermal protection system 18 includes a working fluid chamber 24 located between the inner wall surface 19 and the outer wall surface 20 on the outer surface of the aircraft, and jet holes 23 uniformly distributed on the outer wall surface 20 and communicating with the working fluid chamber 24.

[0100] The working fluid chamber 24 is used to transport incoming CO2 to each jet hole 23, and the jet holes 23 are used to accelerate the outward injection of CO2 to form a cooling gas film covering the outer wall surface 20.

[0101] In summary, the CO2 flow path of the aircraft's thermal management system can be summarized as follows: water is added to the storage tank 2, which reacts with a chemical agent to generate CO2. After passing through the first heat exchanger 4, the CO2 has two branches: the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe. The CO2 in the second branch pipe passes through the second heat exchanger 8 and is then introduced into one or more of the active thermal protection system 18, the expander 12, and the fuel tank 10.

[0102] The CO2 that leads to the expander 12 splits into two branches after leaving the expander 12: one leads to the spray system 16 and the other leads to the active thermal protection system 18.

[0103] Based on the flow pattern of CO2 and the system structure, this system can achieve the following three functions:

[0104] First, the internal equipment dissipates heat and generates electricity. The first heat exchanger 4 and the spray system 16 dissipate heat from the equipment inside the aircraft, and the internal energy of CO2 is converted into electrical energy through the expander 12 and the generator 14.

[0105] Secondly, there is active thermal protection. The active thermal protection system sprays high-pressure, low-temperature cooling jets 21 from the nose of the aircraft in the opposite direction. Under the action of the jets, the incoming flow 22 from the front of the aircraft flows to the outside of the aircraft wall without directly impacting the wall. At the same time, the jets form a cooling gas film covering the surface of the outer wall 20 of the aircraft, thereby achieving the protection and cooling effect on the outer wall 20 of the high-speed aircraft.

[0106] Finally, to improve the aircraft's power performance, some CO2 is directed to the engine fuel tank 10. The aircraft engine uses metallic fuel, and the fuel and CO2 are fully mixed before combustion, which can effectively play a role in combustion, accelerate the reaction rate, and allow the metallic fuel to react fully, so that the aircraft engine can generate more power, thereby achieving the goal of improving the aircraft's power performance.

[0107] Chemical storage effectively increases the amount of thermal protection propellant carried by the aircraft, with a rapid propellant generation rate that meets the heat dissipation requirements of the internal and external environments during long-term operation, reducing the extreme temperatures of critical components and improving the aircraft's dynamic performance. The system occupies minimal internal space, simplifying the aircraft structure and reducing the weight of additional equipment. While cooling the internal equipment, the system uses expander 12 to recover and store the propellant's energy for reuse, achieving energy conservation.

[0108] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention further provides a method for aircraft thermal management based on chemical CO2 storage, characterized in that...

[0109] Open the first throttle valve 1 to let water flow into the storage tank 2. The chemical reactant in the storage tank 2 reacts with the water to release CO2.

[0110] Open the second throttle valve 3 to allow the CO2 in the storage tank 2 to enter the active thermal protection system 18 at the nose of the aircraft, and be accelerated out by the active thermal protection system 18 to form a cooling gas film covering the outer wall 20 of the aircraft to protect and cool the aircraft.

[0111] This method involves storing a chemical reactant in a storage tank 2. When the active thermal protection system 18 needs to inject protective gas, water is injected into the storage tank 2 to react the chemical reactant and generate CO2 gas. This chemical storage method can effectively increase the amount of thermal protection propellant carried by the aircraft, has a fast propellant generation rate, and occupies less internal space of the aircraft, thus simplifying the aircraft structure and reducing the weight of additional equipment.

[0112] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a first heat exchanger 4 is added between the storage tank 2 and the active thermal protection system 18. After CO2 enters the first heat exchanger 4, it absorbs the heat released by the operation of the internal equipment of the aircraft and dissipates heat for the internal equipment of the aircraft.

[0113] After CO2 is discharged from the first heat exchanger 4, it is controlled by adjusting the fifth throttle valve 9, the third throttle valve 11 and the fourth throttle valve 17 to allow CO2 to enter one or more of the active thermal protection system 18, the expander 12 and the combustion chamber 10, and to control the mass flow rate of each component.

[0114] If it enters the CO2 expander 12, the CO2 will be discharged from the first heat exchanger 4 and then enter the active thermal protection system 18, the expander 12 and the combustion chamber, which are directly connected to the first heat exchanger 4 respectively.

[0115] After CO2 does work in the expander 12, it is converted into low-temperature and low-pressure CO2. The low-temperature and low-pressure CO2 flows into the active thermal protection system 18 and the spray system 16 through the three-way valve 13 respectively. The spray system 16 sprays the low-temperature CO2 into the equipment compartment to reduce the ambient temperature of the equipment compartment.

[0116] The mechanical energy of the expander 12 is converted into electrical energy and stored in the battery 15 by the generator 14, which is coaxially mounted with the expander 12.

[0117] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, after CO2 is discharged from the first heat exchanger 4, it splits into two branches:

[0118] If the sixth throttle valve 6 on the first branch pipeline is opened, and the seventh throttle valve 5 on the second branch pipeline and the eighth throttle valve 7 on the outlet pipeline of storage tank 2 are closed, CO2 can be prevented from entering storage tank 2 and can directly enter one or more of the active thermal protection system 18, expander 12 and combustion chamber 10.

[0119] If the sixth throttle valve 6 is closed, and the seventh throttle valve 5 and the eighth throttle valve 7 are opened, CO2 can first enter the second heat exchanger 8. The CO2 heated by the first heat exchanger 4 releases heat into the storage tank 2 in the second heat exchanger 8, increasing the internal temperature of the storage tank 2 and accelerating the hydrolysis of the chemical reaction agent to release CO2.

[0120] CO2 discharged from the second heat exchanger 8 enters one or more of the active thermal protection system 18, expander 12 and combustion chamber 10;

[0121] If the sixth throttle valve 6, the seventh throttle valve 5, and the eighth throttle valve 7 are opened simultaneously, the mass flow rate of CO2 entering the second heat exchanger 8 can be controlled by controlling the opening degree of the three valves, so as to control the chemical reaction rate in the storage tank 2.

[0122] The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The scope of protection of this application is defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or equivalent substitutions to this application within its substance and scope of protection, and such modifications or equivalent substitutions should also be considered to fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An aircraft thermal management system based on chemical CO2 storage, characterized in that, Includes a storage tank (2) for storing chemical reactants and an active thermal protection system (18) located at the nose of the aircraft. The storage tank (2) is connected to the water body and the active thermal protection system (18) through water pipes and gas pipes respectively. The water pipes and the gas pipes are respectively equipped with a first throttle valve (1) and a second throttle valve (3). When the first throttle valve (1) is opened, water can be injected into the storage tank (2) to release low-temperature CO2 through hydrolysis reaction with the chemical reactant; When the second throttle valve (3) is opened, the storage tank (2) can deliver CO2 to the active thermal protection system (18). The active thermal protection system (18) is used to accelerate the ejection of CO2 to form a cooling gas film on the outer surface of the aircraft, thereby protecting and cooling the aircraft.

2. The aircraft thermal management system based on chemical CO2 storage according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first heat exchanger (4) is also connected between the storage tank (2) and the active thermal protection system (18). The first heat exchanger (4) is an internal radiator of the aircraft, used to absorb the heat generated when the internal equipment of the aircraft is working.

3. The aircraft thermal management system based on chemical CO2 storage according to claim 2, characterized in that, An expander (12) is also connected in parallel on the gas pipe between the first heat exchanger (4) and the active thermal protection system (18). The expander (12) can make CO2 expand by doing work to deliver low temperature and low pressure CO2 to the active thermal protection system (18). The expander (12) is equipped with a third throttle valve (11) at the inlet end to control whether CO2 enters the expander (12). The active thermal protection system (18) is equipped with a fourth throttle valve (17) upstream of the inlet end to control whether CO2 enters the active thermal protection system (18). The opening degree of the third throttle valve (11) and the fourth throttle valve (17) is adjustable to regulate the CO2 mass flow rate entering the expander (12) and the active thermal protection system (18); The expander (12) is coaxially connected to a generator (14), which is used to convert the mechanical energy of the expander (12) into electrical energy and store it in a battery (15).

4. The aircraft thermal management system based on chemically stored CO2 according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outlet of the expander (12) is connected to the active thermal protection system (18) through a three-way valve (13), and the remaining port of the three-way valve (13) is connected to the spray system (16). The connection point between the three-way valve (13) and the active thermal protection system (18) is located between the fourth throttle valve (17) and the active thermal protection system (18); The spray system (16) is installed inside the equipment compartment of the aircraft and is used to spray low-temperature CO2 into the equipment compartment to reduce the ambient temperature of the equipment compartment.

5. The aircraft thermal management system based on chemically stored CO2 according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outlet of the first heat exchanger (4) is also connected to the fuel tank (10) of the aircraft. CO2 can help the metal fuel in the fuel tank (10) to burn completely, so as to improve the power performance of the aircraft. A fifth throttle valve (9) is provided upstream of the inlet end of the fuel tank (10) to control whether CO2 enters the fuel tank (10). The opening degree of the fifth throttle valve (9) can also be adjusted to regulate the CO2 mass flow rate entering the fuel tank (10).

6. The aircraft thermal management system based on chemically stored CO2 according to claim 5, characterized in that, The outlet of the first heat exchanger (4) is connected to a first branch pipe and a second branch pipe. The first branch pipe is connected to the active thermal protection system (18), the expander (12) and the fuel tank (10). The second branch pipeline is connected to a second heat exchanger (8), which is located inside the storage tank (2) to increase the internal temperature of the storage tank (2) in order to accelerate the hydrolysis of the chemical reactant and release CO2. The outlet of the second heat exchanger (8) is connected to the first branch pipe so that CO2 in the second branch pipe can be introduced into the active thermal protection system (18), the expander (12) and the fuel tank (10); The first branch pipe, the second branch pipe and the pipe connected to the outlet of the second heat exchanger (8) are respectively equipped with a sixth throttle valve (6), a seventh throttle valve (5) and an eighth throttle valve (7); The sixth throttle valve (6) is open, and the seventh throttle valve (5) and the eighth throttle valve (7) are closed, so that CO2 does not enter the second heat exchanger (8); The seventh throttle valve (5) and the eighth throttle valve (7) are opened, and the sixth throttle valve (6) is closed, so that CO2 can enter the second heat exchanger (8) for cooling before being introduced into one or more of the active thermal protection system (18), the fuel tank (10) and the expander (12); The sixth throttle valve (6), the seventh throttle valve (5) and the eighth throttle valve (7) can be opened simultaneously and the valve opening degree can be controlled to control the CO2 mass flow rate entering the second heat exchanger (8) and control the chemical reaction rate in the storage tank (2).

7. The aircraft thermal management system based on chemical CO2 storage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The active thermal protection system (18) includes a working propellant chamber (24) located between the inner wall surface (19) and the outer wall surface (20) on the outer surface of the aircraft, and jet holes (23) uniformly distributed on the outer wall surface (20) and communicating with the working propellant chamber (24). The working fluid chamber (24) is used to deliver incoming CO2 to each of the jet holes (23), which are used to accelerate the outward injection of CO2 to form a cooling gas film covering the outer wall surface (20).

8. A method for thermal management of aircraft based on chemically stored CO2, characterized in that, The aircraft thermal management system based on chemically stored CO2 as described in claim 6 includes the following steps: Open the first throttle valve (1) to let water flow into the storage tank (2). The chemical reactant in the storage tank (2) reacts with the water to release CO2. Open the second throttle valve (3) to allow the CO2 in the storage tank (2) to enter the active thermal protection system (18) at the head of the aircraft, and accelerate out through the active thermal protection system (18) to form a cooling gas film covering the outer wall (20) of the aircraft to protect and cool the aircraft.

9. A method for aircraft thermal management based on chemically stored CO2 according to claim 8, characterized in that, A first heat exchanger (4) is added between the storage tank (2) and the active thermal protection system (18). After CO2 enters the first heat exchanger (4), it absorbs the heat released by the internal equipment of the aircraft and dissipates heat for the internal equipment of the aircraft. After CO2 is discharged from the first heat exchanger (4), it is controlled by adjusting the fifth throttle valve (9), the third throttle valve (11) and the fourth throttle valve (17) to allow CO2 to enter one or more of the active thermal protection system (18), the expander (12) and the combustion chamber (10), and to control the mass flow rate of each of them. If it enters the CO2 expander (12), the CO2 will be converted into low temperature and low pressure CO2 after doing work in the expander (12). The low temperature and low pressure CO2 flows into the active thermal protection system (18) and the spray system (16) through the three-way valve (13). The spray system (16) sprays the low temperature CO2 into the equipment compartment to reduce the ambient temperature of the equipment compartment. The mechanical energy of the expander (12) is converted into electrical energy and stored in the battery (15) by a generator (14) coaxially mounted with the expander (12).

10. A method for aircraft thermal management based on chemically stored CO2 according to claim 9, characterized in that, After CO2 is discharged from the first heat exchanger (4), it splits into two branches: If the sixth throttle valve (6) on the first branch pipe is opened, and the seventh throttle valve (5) on the second branch pipe and the eighth throttle valve (7) on the outlet pipe of the second heat exchanger (8) are closed, CO2 can be prevented from entering the storage tank (2) and directly enter one or more of the active thermal protection system (18), the expander (12) and the combustion chamber (10). If the sixth throttle valve (6) is closed and the seventh throttle valve (5) and the eighth throttle valve (7) are opened, CO2 can first enter the second heat exchanger (8). The CO2 heated by the first heat exchanger (4) releases heat into the storage tank (2) in the second heat exchanger (8), thereby increasing the internal temperature of the storage tank (2) and accelerating the hydrolysis of the chemical reaction agent to release CO2. CO2 discharged from the second heat exchanger (8) enters one or more of the active thermal protection system (18), the expander (12) and the combustion chamber (10); If the sixth throttle valve (6), the seventh throttle valve (5) and the eighth throttle valve (7) are opened at the same time, the CO2 mass flow rate entering the second heat exchanger (8) can be controlled by controlling the opening degree of the three valves, so as to control the chemical reaction rate in the storage tank (2).

Images