A thermal management system and its working method for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft
By designing a thermal management system for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft, and utilizing the ultra-low temperature characteristics of liquid hydrogen and multiple cold sources, the problems of comprehensive management and insufficient cooling capacity of the thermal management system for superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft were solved, achieving efficient heat exchange and cooling utilization.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411875842.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-28
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-12-19
AI Technical Summary
The thermal management system of superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft lacks comprehensive management and has insufficient cooling capacity. Traditional systems cannot meet the heat dissipation requirements, especially in the case of insufficient heat sink during climb and redundant heat sink during cruise.
A thermal management system comprising a propulsion circuit, a cooling circuit, and a heat extraction circuit was designed. The system utilizes the cryogenic properties of liquid hydrogen to cool the superconducting engine and exchanges heat between the cooling circuit and the propulsion circuit through a liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger. It combines multiple cold sources such as ram air, skin, phase change materials, and consumable working fluids to meet different heat load requirements.
It achieves efficient cooling and multi-stage cold energy utilization of the superconducting engine, meets the heat dissipation requirements under different heat loads, and improves the energy utilization rate and cold source supply capacity of airborne equipment.
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Figure CN119408719B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of aircraft environmental control system technology, and in particular to a thermal management system and operating method for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft. Background Technology
[0002] Superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion technology is one of the most promising research directions for meeting the power requirements of high-power aero-electric propulsion aircraft. Hydrogen-electric hybrid aircraft introduce a large number of electrical devices, which, under the constraints of flight envelope and overall design, leads to insufficient heat sink during climb and redundant heat sink during cruise, making traditional aircraft thermal management systems unable to meet the heat dissipation requirements.
[0003] Meanwhile, the application of superconducting hydrogen-electric technology requires superconducting engines to be maintained in a low-temperature environment for extended periods, necessitating more heat sinks and leading to a growing shortage of cooling capacity in existing propulsion systems. Furthermore, traditional aircraft thermal management systems primarily focus on environmental control, isolating heat from various systems without unified management and scheduling, resulting in significant waste. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems of lack of comprehensive management and increasingly insufficient cooling capacity in the thermal management system of superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion systems, and to provide a thermal management system and operating method for superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft.
[0005] The present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0006] A thermal management system for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft includes:
[0007] The system comprises a propulsion circuit, a cooling circuit, and a heat extraction circuit. The propulsion circuit includes: an aero-engine, a superconducting generator, a superconducting power transmission and distribution system, a superconducting electric motor, a tailpipe propfan, a liquid hydrogen storage tank, a precooler, a first valve, and a second valve.
[0008] The cooling circuit includes a liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger, a first heating element, a second heating element, a third heating element, a third valve, and a fourth valve;
[0009] The cooling circuit includes: a heat storage tank, a pressurized air heat exchanger, a compressor, and a fifth valve.
[0010] The superconducting generator, superconducting power transmission and distribution device, and superconducting engine together constitute the superconducting engine. The aero-engine is connected to the superconducting engine, and the micro-nozzle propfan is connected to the superconducting engine. The outlet of the liquid hydrogen storage tank is connected to the second inlet of the superconducting engine through a first pipe; the outlet of the superconducting engine is connected to the first inlet of the liquid hydrogen-cooled refrigerant heat exchanger through a second pipe. The first outlet of the liquid hydrogen-cooled refrigerant heat exchanger is connected to the first inlet of the precooler through a third pipe, and the outlet of the superconducting engine is connected to the third pipe through a fourth pipe; the first valve is installed on the fourth pipe, and the second valve is installed on the second pipe; the first outlet of the precooler is connected to the first inlet of the aero-engine through a fifth pipe; and the second outlet of the precooler is connected to the second inlet of the aero-engine through a sixth pipe.
[0011] The first heating element, the second heating element, and the third heating element together constitute the airborne heating element system. The second outlet of the liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger is connected to the inlet of the airborne heating element system via a seventh pipe. The outlet of the airborne heating element system is connected to the first inlet of the heat storage tank via an eighth pipe. The first outlet of the heat storage tank is connected to the second inlet of the liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger via a ninth pipe. The outlet of the airborne heating element system is connected to the ninth pipe via a tenth pipe. The third valve is installed on the eighth pipe, and the fourth valve is installed on the tenth pipe.
[0012] The second outlet of the heat storage unit is connected to the inlet of the compressor via the eleventh pipe, the outlet of the compressor is connected to the first inlet of the ram air heat exchanger via the twelfth pipe, the first outlet of the ram air heat exchanger is connected to the second inlet of the heat storage unit via the thirteenth pipe, and the fifth valve is installed on the thirteenth pipe.
[0013] Optionally, the cooling circuit further includes a refrigerant storage tank, which is disposed on a seventh pipeline between the airborne heating element system and the liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger.
[0014] Optionally, the cooling circuit further includes a skin heat exchanger, which is disposed on the fourteenth pipe between the first connection point and the liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger, wherein the first connection point is the connection between the ninth pipe and the tenth pipe.
[0015] Optionally, the cooling circuit further includes a consumable working fluid heat exchanger, which is disposed on the fourteenth pipe between the skin heat exchanger and the liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger.
[0016] Optionally, the heating element is composed of a heating element unit and a heating element heat exchanger unit, with each heating element unit corresponding to a heating element heat exchanger unit, and multiple heating elements connected in parallel. The airborne heating element system includes, but is not limited to, high-power, high-heat-flux airborne equipment such as motors, lasers, and radars. The inlets of the heating element heat exchanger units are all connected to the second outlet of the liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger through the seventh pipe, and the outlets of the heating element heat exchanger units are all connected to the first inlet of the heat storage tank through the fourteenth pipe.
[0017] Optionally, the cooling circuit further includes a refrigerant pump, which is installed on a seventh pipe connecting the refrigerant storage tank and the onboard heating element system.
[0018] Optionally, the cooling circuit further includes a gas-liquid separator, which is installed on an eleventh pipe between the heat storage tank and the compressor.
[0019] On the other hand, the present invention provides a method for operating the thermal management system of a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft.
[0020] S1. When the airborne equipment is operating under low heat load conditions, including:
[0021] The first valve opens, and the second valve closes, disconnecting the propulsion circuit from the cooling circuit, preventing heat exchange between the cooling circuit and the liquid hydrogen in the propulsion circuit. Simultaneously, the third valve closes, the fourth valve opens, and the fifth valve closes, disconnecting the cooling circuit from the heat extraction circuit, preventing heat exchange between the cooling circuit and the refrigerant in the heat extraction circuit. The consumable working fluid storage tank is shut off. The onboard heating element system transfers heat to the refrigerant in the cooling circuit through the heating element heat exchanger unit, and then exchanges heat with the ambient air intake through the refrigerant pump in the cooling circuit via the skin heat exchanger.
[0022] S2. When the airborne equipment is operating under low thermal load conditions, including:
[0023] The first valve opens, and the second valve closes, disconnecting the propulsion circuit from the cooling circuit, preventing heat exchange between the cooling circuit and the liquid hydrogen in the propulsion circuit. The third valve opens, and the fourth valve closes, shutting down the consumable working tank. The onboard heating element system transfers heat to the refrigerant in the cooling circuit via the heating element heat exchanger unit. The refrigerant pump in the cooling circuit first extracts heat from the refrigerant in the heat storage tank through a solid-liquid phase change material, and then exchanges heat with the ambient air outside the cabin through the skin heat exchanger. Simultaneously, the fifth valve opens, and the refrigerant in the cooling circuit stores its cooling capacity in the phase change material through a gas-liquid phase change in the heat storage tank.
[0024] S3. When airborne equipment is operating under high thermal load conditions, including:
[0025] The third valve opens, the fourth valve closes, and the onboard heating element system transfers heat to the refrigerant in the cooling circuit via the heating element heat exchanger unit. The refrigerant pump in the cooling circuit first allows the phase change material in the heat storage tank to extract heat from the refrigerant through a solid-liquid phase change, and then exchanges heat with the ambient air outside the cabin via the skin heat exchanger. The fifth valve opens, and the refrigerant in the cooling circuit stores its cooling capacity in the phase change material through a gas-liquid phase change in the heat storage tank. Simultaneously, depending on actual needs, a consumable working fluid heat exchanger can be activated to provide additional cooling capacity. Finally, the first valve closes, the second valve opens, and the propulsion circuit and cooling circuit exchange heat via a liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger.
[0026] The beneficial effects of this invention are:
[0027] This invention first utilizes the cryogenic properties of liquid hydrogen to cool the superconducting engine, meeting the heat dissipation requirements of the high thermal load of the superconducting engine. Secondly, a liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger facilitates heat exchange between the cooling circuit and the propulsion circuit. The cryogenic liquid hydrogen in the propulsion circuit absorbs heat, thereby transferring the heat generated in the cooling circuit to the propulsion circuit. Then, a precooler allows the liquid hydrogen to exchange heat with the engine intake air, cooling the engine intake air. The cooled engine intake air serves as the main cold source for engine components. Finally, the liquid hydrogen, after undergoing multi-stage heat exchange, enters the aero-engine at a higher temperature for complete combustion, achieving multi-stage utilization of the liquid hydrogen's cooling capacity.
[0028] Simultaneously facing the high heat load of multiple heat-generating elements in the cooling circuit, four cold sources meet the needs of instantaneous high heat load: the evaporative cycle air intake extracts cold energy from ram air, the skin extracts cold energy from the outside air in contact with it, the consumable working fluid extracts cold energy, and the phase change material in the heat storage device absorbs heat. All four cold sources exchange heat with the refrigerant through heat exchangers. The four heat exchangers are arranged from low to high according to the cold source temperature, and can be adjusted in response to changes in actual environmental conditions.
[0029] The superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft thermal management system of the present invention solves the problems of low energy utilization rate of aircraft thermal management system, coordinated heat dissipation of multiple airborne equipment with instantaneous high heat load and insufficient airborne environment cold source. Attached Figure Description
[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thermal management system for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft provided in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the low-heat-load operation process of airborne equipment;
[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the low-heat-load operation process of airborne equipment;
[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the high thermal load process of airborne equipment.
[0034] In the diagram: 1-Air-engine, 2-Superconducting generator, 3-Superconducting power transmission and distribution device, 4-Superconducting electric motor, 5-Tail nozzle propeller, 6-Liquid hydrogen storage tank, 7-Liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger, 8-Precooler, 9-First valve, 10-Second valve, 11-Refrigerant storage tank, 12-Refrigerant pump, 13-First heating element, 14-Second heating element, 15-Third heating element, 16-Third valve, 17-Heat storage tank, 18-Skin heat exchanger, 19-Consumable working fluid heat exchanger, 20-Consumable working fluid storage tank, 21-Fourth valve, 22-Gas-liquid separator, 23-Compressor, 24-Ram air heat exchanger, 25-Fifth valve. Detailed Implementation
[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention are described clearly and completely below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.
[0036] This invention provides a thermal management system for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft. Superconducting hybrid electric propulsion technology is currently a key research area in aerospace propulsion, primarily facing challenges such as insufficient heat sinks due to increased total heat load and a lack of coordinated heat dissipation for airborne equipment. This invention utilizes the cryogenic properties of liquid hydrogen to sequentially cool the superconducting engine, airborne high-heat-load equipment, and engine intake air. After multi-stage cooling utilization, the cooled air enters the aero-engine for combustion, generating power. The engine intake air, cooled by liquid hydrogen, serves as the primary cold source for engine components. Furthermore, to address the increasing heat load of various airborne equipment, this invention combines ram air cooling, phase change thermal storage, skin cooling, and consumable working fluid cooling to solve the problem of insufficient cooling capacity for equipment under instantaneous high heat loads, thereby improving the efficiency of airborne energy utilization.
[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the thermal management system for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes a propulsion circuit, a cooling circuit, and a cooling extraction circuit.
[0038] The propulsion circuit includes: an aero-engine 1, a superconducting generator 2, a superconducting power transmission and distribution device 3, a superconducting motor 4, a micro-nozzle propeller 5, a liquid hydrogen storage tank 6, a precooler 8, a first valve 9, and a second valve 10.
[0039] The liquid hydrogen storage tank 6 is used to store liquid hydrogen. The aero-engine 1 is used to generate thrust and power. The superconducting generator 2, the superconducting power transmission and distribution device 3, and the superconducting electric motor 4 together constitute the superconducting engine. The superconducting engine is connected to the aero-engine 1, and the turbine of the aero-engine 1 drives the superconducting generator 2 to operate and generate electricity. The superconducting power transmission and distribution device 3 is electrically connected to the superconducting generator 2 and the superconducting electric motor 4. The superconducting power transmission and distribution device 3 is used to transmit the electricity generated by the superconducting generator 2 to the superconducting electric motor 4 as needed. The function of the superconducting electric motor 4 is to convert the electrical energy generated by the superconducting generator 2 into kinetic energy. The tail nozzle propfan 5 is used to exhaust the exhaust gas after combustion in the aero-engine 1 into the atmosphere. The micro-nozzle propfan 5 is connected to the superconducting engine. The outlet of the liquid hydrogen storage tank 6 is connected to the second inlet of the superconducting engine through a first pipe, the second outlet of the superconducting engine is connected to the first inlet of the hydrogen storage-coolant heat exchanger 7 through a second pipe, and the first outlet of the liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger 7 is connected to the first inlet of the precooler 8 through a third pipe. The superconducting engine is connected to the third pipe via the fourth pipe, and the first outlet of the precooler 8 is connected to the first inlet of the aero-engine 1 via the fifth pipe. The second outlet of the precooler 8 is connected to the second inlet of the aero-engine 1 via the sixth pipe. The function of the precooler is to exchange heat between the liquid hydrogen and the engine intake air that is about to enter the aero-engine 1. The first valve 9 is installed on the fourth pipe, and the second valve 10 is installed on the second pipe. The first valve 9 and the second valve 10 together control the connection between the propulsion circuit and the cooling circuit.
[0040] The cooling circuit includes a first heating element 13, a second heating element 14, a third heating element 15, a liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger 7, a third valve 16, and a fourth valve 21.
[0041] The first heating element 13, the second heating element 14, and the third heating element 15 together constitute the airborne heating element system. The liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger 7 functions to exchange heat between the cooling circuit and the propulsion circuit. It absorbs heat through the low-temperature liquid hydrogen in the propulsion circuit, thereby transferring the heat generated by the high-heat-load equipment in the cooling circuit to the propulsion circuit. The second outlet of the liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger 7 is connected to the inlet of the airborne heating element system via a seventh pipe. The outlet of the airborne heating element is connected to the first inlet of the heat storage tank 17 via an eighth pipe. The first outlet of the heat storage tank 17 is connected to the second inlet of the liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger 7 via a ninth pipe. The outlet of the airborne heating element system is connected to the ninth pipe via a tenth pipe. The third valve 16 is installed on the eighth pipe, and the fourth valve 21 is installed on the tenth pipe. The third valve 16 and the fourth valve 21 jointly control the connection between the cooling circuit and the heat extraction circuit.
[0042] The cooling circuit includes a heat storage tank 17, a compressor 23, a ram air heat exchanger 24, and a fifth valve 25. The heat storage tank 17 facilitates heat exchange between the cooling circuit and the cooling circuit, transferring heat generated by high-heat-load equipment in the cooling circuit to the refrigerant in the cooling circuit. Simultaneously, the phase change material within the heat storage tank 17, with its high heat absorption capacity in a short period, meets the heat dissipation requirements of some airborne equipment, such as lasers, under high heat loads for short periods. The compressor 23 compresses low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant vapor into high-pressure, high-temperature refrigerant vapor.
[0043] The second outlet of the heat storage tank 17 is connected to the inlet of the compressor 23 via the eleventh pipe. The second inlet of the ram air heat exchanger 24 is connected to the ram air pipe, and the second outlet is connected to the outside atmosphere. The first inlet of the ram air heat exchanger 24 is connected to the outlet of the compressor 23 via the twelfth pipe, and the first outlet of the ram air heat exchanger 24 is connected to the second inlet of the heat storage tank 17 via the thirteenth pipe. The fifth valve 25 is installed on the thirteenth pipe. The function of the ram air heat exchanger 24 is to exchange heat between the ram air and the refrigerant in the cooling circuit, transferring the heat of the refrigerant in the cooling circuit to the ram air. The function of the fifth valve 25 is to control the on / off state of the cooling circuit.
[0044] Optionally, the cooling circuit further includes a refrigerant storage tank 11 for storing the working fluid in the cooling circuit. The refrigerant storage tank 11 is located on the seventh pipeline between the airborne heating element system and the liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger 7.
[0045] Optionally, the cooling circuit further includes a skin heat exchanger 18, which is disposed on the fourteenth pipe between the first connection point and the liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger 7. The first connection point is the connection between the ninth pipe and the tenth pipe. The aircraft skin 18 extracts cold energy from the low-temperature air outside the cabin that is in contact with it.
[0046] Optionally, the cooling circuit further includes a consumable working fluid heat exchanger 19, which is installed on the fourteenth pipeline between the skin heat exchanger 18 and the liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger 7. The consumable working fluid carried by the spacecraft is used to extract backup cooling capacity; liquid nitrogen can be used as the consumable working fluid. The consumable working fluid storage tank 20 is connected to the consumable working fluid heat exchanger.
[0047] Optionally, the heating element is composed of a heating element unit and a heating element heat exchanger unit. Each heating element heat exchanger unit uses a refrigerant as a heat sink. Each heating element unit corresponds to a heating element heat exchanger unit, and multiple heating elements are connected in parallel to achieve simultaneous heat exchange in multiple branches. The outlets of each heating element heat exchanger unit are connected to the first inlet of the heat storage tank 17 through the eighth pipe, and the inlets of each heating element heat exchanger unit are connected to the second outlet of the liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger 7 through the seventh pipe. The heating element heat exchanger unit is used to achieve heat exchange between the refrigerant and the heating element in the cooling circuit.
[0048] Optionally, the airborne heating element system includes, but is not limited to, high-power, high-heat-flux airborne equipment such as motors, lasers, and radars. The inlets of the heating element heat exchanger units are all connected to the second outlet of the liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger 7 through the seventh pipe, and the outlets of the heating element heat exchanger units are all connected to the first inlet of the heat storage tank 17 through the fourteenth pipe.
[0049] Optionally, the cooling circuit further includes a refrigerant pump 12 for realizing the circulation of the cooling circuit. The refrigerant pump 12 is installed on the seventh pipe connecting the refrigerant storage tank 11 and the airborne heating element system.
[0050] Optionally, the cooling circuit further includes a gas-liquid separator 22, which is used to separate the refrigerant gas and liquid generated in the heat storage tank 17, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the cooling circuit, and is installed on the eleventh pipe between the heat storage tank 17 and the compressor 23.
[0051] In practical applications, the heat storage tank 17, the skin heat exchanger 18, the consumable working fluid heat exchanger 19, and the liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger 7 are arranged away from the heating element in order of decreasing cold source temperature, and can be adjusted accordingly to changes in actual environmental conditions.
[0052] The working process of the thermal management system for the superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft provided in this embodiment of the invention is as follows:
[0053] like Figure 2 As shown, when the airborne equipment is operating under low heat load, the first valve 9 opens and the second valve 10 closes, disconnecting the propulsion circuit from the cooling circuit, preventing heat exchange between the cooling circuit and the liquid hydrogen in the propulsion circuit. Simultaneously, the third valve 16 closes, the fourth valve 21 opens, and the fifth valve 25 closes, disconnecting the cooling circuit from the heat extraction circuit, preventing heat exchange between the cooling circuit and the refrigerant in the heat extraction circuit. The consumable working fluid storage tank 20 is closed. The airborne heating element system transfers heat to the refrigerant in the cooling circuit through the heating element heat exchanger unit, and then exchanges heat with the ambient air intake through the skin heat exchanger 18 via the cooling circuit refrigerant pump 12.
[0054] like Figure 3 As shown, when the airborne equipment is operating under low heat load, the first valve 9 opens and the second valve 10 closes, disconnecting the propulsion circuit from the cooling circuit, preventing heat exchange between the cooling circuit and the liquid hydrogen in the propulsion circuit. The third valve 16 opens and the fourth valve 21 closes, shutting down the consumable working tank 20. The airborne heating element system transfers heat to the refrigerant in the cooling circuit through the heating element heat exchanger unit. The refrigerant pump 12 in the cooling circuit first extracts heat from the refrigerant in the heat storage tank 17 through a solid-liquid phase change material, and then exchanges heat with the ambient air outside the cabin in the skin heat exchanger 18. Simultaneously, the fifth valve 25 opens, and the refrigerant in the cooling circuit stores its cooling capacity in the phase change material through a gas-liquid phase change in the heat storage tank 17.
[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, when the airborne equipment is operating under high heat load, the third valve 16 opens and the fourth valve 21 closes. The airborne heating element system transfers heat to the refrigerant in the cooling circuit through the heating element heat exchanger unit. The refrigerant pump 12 in the cooling circuit first causes the phase change material in the heat storage tank 17 to obtain heat from the refrigerant through a solid-liquid phase change, and then exchanges heat with the ambient air outside the cabin through the skin heat exchanger 18. The fifth valve 25 opens, and the refrigerant in the cooling circuit stores its cooling capacity in the phase change material through a gas-liquid phase change in the heat storage tank 17. At the same time, the consumable working fluid heat exchanger 19 is activated according to actual needs to provide additional cooling capacity. Finally, the first valve 9 closes and the second valve 10 opens, allowing the propulsion circuit and the cooling circuit to exchange heat through the liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger.
[0056] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.
Claims
1. A thermal management system for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft, characterized in that... ,include: Propulsion circuit, cooling circuit, and heat extraction circuit; The propulsion loop includes: an aero-engine, a superconducting generator, a superconducting power transmission and distribution device, a superconducting electric motor, a liquid hydrogen storage tank, a precooler, a first valve, and a second valve; The cooling circuit includes a liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger, a first heating element, a second heating element, a third heating element, a third valve and a fourth valve, a skin heat exchanger, and a consumable working fluid heat exchanger. The cooling circuit includes: a heat storage tank, a pressurized air heat exchanger, a compressor, and a fifth valve; The superconducting generator, superconducting power transmission and distribution device, and superconducting engine together constitute the superconducting engine. The aero-engine is connected to the superconducting engine. The outlet of the liquid hydrogen storage tank is connected to the second inlet of the superconducting engine through a first pipe. The outlet of the superconducting engine is connected to the first inlet of the liquid hydrogen-cooled refrigerant heat exchanger through a second pipe. The first outlet of the liquid hydrogen-cooled refrigerant heat exchanger is connected to the first inlet of the precooler through a third pipe. The outlet of the superconducting engine is connected to the third pipe through a fourth pipe. The first valve is installed on the fourth pipe, and the second valve is installed on the second pipe. The first outlet of the precooler is connected to the first inlet of the aero-engine through a fifth pipe, and the second outlet of the precooler is connected to the second inlet of the aero-engine through a sixth pipe. The first heating element, the second heating element, and the third heating element together constitute an airborne heating element system. The second outlet of the liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger is connected to the inlet of the airborne heating element system through a seventh pipe. The outlet of the airborne heating element system is connected to the first inlet of the heat storage tank through an eighth pipe. The first outlet of the heat storage tank is connected to the second inlet of the liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger through a ninth pipe. The outlet of the airborne heating element system is connected to the ninth pipe through a tenth pipe. The third valve is installed on the eighth pipe, and the fourth valve is installed on the tenth pipe. The second outlet of the heat storage tank is connected to the inlet of the compressor through the eleventh pipe, the outlet of the compressor is connected to the first inlet of the ram air heat exchanger through the twelfth pipe, the first outlet of the ram air heat exchanger is connected to the second inlet of the heat storage tank through the thirteenth pipe, and the fifth valve is installed on the thirteenth pipe. The skin heat exchanger is installed on the fourteenth pipe between the first connection point and the liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger, and the first connection point is the connection between the ninth pipe and the tenth pipe. The consumable working fluid heat exchanger is installed on the fourteenth pipe between the skin heat exchanger and the liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger.
2. The thermal management system for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling circuit also includes a refrigerant storage tank, which is located on a seventh pipeline between the airborne heating element system and the liquid hydrogen-refrigerant heat exchanger.
3. The thermal management system for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft according to claim 2, characterized in that, The heating element is composed of a heating element unit and a heating element heat exchanger unit. The heating element unit and the heating element heat exchanger unit correspond one-to-one. Multiple heating elements are connected in parallel. The inlet of each heating element heat exchanger unit is connected to the second outlet of the liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger through the seventh pipe. The outlet of each heating element heat exchanger unit is connected to the first inlet of the heat storage tank through the fourteenth pipe.
4. The thermal management system for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling circuit also includes a refrigerant pump, which is installed on the seventh pipe connecting the refrigerant storage tank and the onboard heating element system.
5. The thermal management system for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling circuit also includes a gas-liquid separator, which is installed on the eleventh pipe between the heat storage tank and the compressor.
6. The method of operating the thermal management system for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: When airborne equipment is operating under low heat load conditions, including: Step (1). The first valve is opened and the second valve is closed, so that the propulsion circuit is disconnected from the cooling circuit and the cooling circuit does not exchange heat with the liquid hydrogen in the propulsion circuit; Step (2). The third valve is closed, the fourth valve is opened, and the fifth valve is closed, so that the cooling circuit is disconnected from the refrigerant circuit and the cooling circuit does not exchange heat with the refrigerant in the cooling circuit; Step (3). Close the consumable working fluid storage tank. The airborne heating element system transfers heat to the refrigerant in the cooling circuit through the heating element heat exchanger unit. The refrigerant is pumped in the cooling circuit to exchange heat with the ambient air outside the cabin through the skin heat exchanger.
7. The method of operating the thermal management system for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: When airborne equipment is operating under low thermal load conditions, including: Step (1). The first valve is opened and the second valve is closed, so that the propulsion circuit is disconnected from the cooling circuit and the cooling circuit does not exchange heat with the liquid hydrogen in the propulsion circuit; Step (2). The third valve is opened and the fourth valve is closed to close the consumable working tank. The airborne heating element system transports heat to the refrigerant in the cooling circuit through the heating element heat exchanger unit. The refrigerant pump in the cooling circuit first obtains heat from the refrigerant in the heat storage tank through the solid-liquid phase change of the phase change material, and then exchanges heat with the ambient air outside the cabin in the skin heat exchanger. Step (3). The fifth valve is opened, and the refrigerant in the cold circuit stores the cold energy in the phase change material through a gas-liquid phase change in the heat storage tank.
8. The method of operating the thermal management system for a superconducting hydrogen-electric propulsion aircraft according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: When airborne equipment is operating under high heat load conditions, including: Step (1). The third valve is opened and the fourth valve is closed. The airborne heating element system transports heat to the refrigerant in the cooling circuit through the heating element heat exchanger unit. The refrigerant pump in the cooling circuit first allows the phase change material to obtain heat from the refrigerant through solid-liquid phase change in the heat storage tank, and then exchanges heat with the ambient air outside the cabin in the skin heat exchanger. Step (2). The fifth valve is opened, and the refrigerant in the cold circuit stores the cold energy in the phase change material through a gas-liquid phase change in the heat storage tank; Step (3). Select whether to activate the consumable working fluid heat exchanger according to actual needs, and use the consumable working fluid to provide additional cooling capacity; Step (4). The first valve is closed and the second valve is opened, so that the propulsion circuit and the cooling circuit can exchange heat through the liquid hydrogen-coolant heat exchanger.
Citation Information
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