Aircraft energy supply method and system

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of electric aircraft, and more specifically, to an aircraft energy supply method and system. The method includes: based on the power demand of the power-consuming unit being less than or equal to a demand threshold, a storage unit supplies methanol and water to a hydrogen production unit; based on the storage unit supplying methanol and water to the hydrogen production unit, a reaction chamber of the hydrogen production unit supplies hydrogen to a first battery of a power generation unit, and a gas supply unit supplies air to the first battery; based on the reaction chamber supplying hydrogen to the first battery and the gas supply unit supplying air to the first battery, the first battery supplies electricity to the power-consuming unit at a first power; based on the first battery supplying electricity to the power-consuming unit at a first power, a first exhaust gas flows through a first heat exchanger of the hydrogen production unit and is transported to an inerting unit; based on the first exhaust gas flowing through the first heat exchanger and being transported to the inerting unit, the inerting unit inputs inert gas to a methanol tank and water to a water tank. This solves the problem of how to safely store and use methanol on an aircraft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electric aircraft, and in particular to an aircraft energy supply method and system. Background Art

[0002] Currently, aircraft primarily use aviation fuel as fuel, which is not only heavily reliant on petroleum resources but also emits nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and other pollutants that impact the climate. It also produces ultrafine particulate matter and heavy metal lead pollution. To conserve energy and reduce emissions, electric aircraft have become an attractive option. They are primarily powered by fuel cells. Fuel cells are energy conversion devices that directly convert the chemical energy of vaporized fuel into electrical and thermal energy. They boast energy conversion efficiencies far exceeding those of internal combustion engines and hold broad application prospects. Hydrogen is currently recognized as the best fuel for fuel cells, making these hydrogen-fueled cells, also known as hydrogen fuel cells, the most widely used type of fuel cell.

[0003] Because the safe and efficient storage of hydrogen on aircraft is a technical bottleneck, existing methods such as high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage, low-temperature liquid hydrogen storage, and solid-state hydrogen storage all have major problems in terms of safety, economy, and energy density, which greatly limits the application of hydrogen fuel cells on aircraft. Therefore, hydrogen production through the catalytic reforming reaction of methanol and water has become an optional and more economical method. However, in the high-altitude and low-pressure environment of aircraft, the auto-ignition point of methanol is low. If the pressure in the methanol tank is too low, it can easily vaporize the methanol, making it flammable and explosive, posing certain safety risks. As an aircraft fuel, methanol needs to be considered how to store it safely in the flight environment to avoid the problem of methanol combustion and explosion. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the problem of how to safely store and use methanol on an aircraft, the present invention provides an aircraft energy supply method and system.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an aircraft power supply method, the aircraft power supply method comprising:

[0006] Step S10: Based on the electricity demand of the electricity consuming unit being less than or equal to the demand threshold, the material storage unit supplies methanol at a first flow rate and water at a second flow rate to the hydrogen producing unit;

[0007] Step S20, based on the material storage unit supplying methanol at the first flow rate and water at the second flow rate to the hydrogen production unit, the reaction chamber of the hydrogen production unit supplies hydrogen to the first cell of the power generation unit, and the gas supply unit supplies air to the first cell;

[0008] Step S30, based on the reaction chamber supplying hydrogen to the first battery and the gas supply unit supplying air to the first battery, the first battery supplies electric energy to the power consumption unit at a first power;

[0009] Step S40: Based on the first battery supplying electric energy at the first power to the power-consuming unit, a first tail gas is transported to the inerting unit through the first heat exchanger of the hydrogen production unit; wherein the first tail gas includes carbon dioxide and water emitted from the combustion of methanol in the combustion chamber of the hydrogen production unit, and inert gas emitted from the reaction of hydrogen in the first battery with air;

[0010] In step S50 , based on the first tail gas flowing through the first heat exchanger and being transported to the inerting unit, the inerting unit inputs inert gas into the methanol tank of the storage unit and inputs water into the water tank of the storage unit.

[0011] In some embodiments, step S20 includes:

[0012] Step S21, based on the material storage unit supplying methanol at the first flow rate and water at the second flow rate to the hydrogen production unit, the first heater is heated to a first temperature threshold, and the second heater is heated to a second temperature threshold;

[0013] Step S22, based on the first heater being heated to the first temperature threshold and the second heater being heated to the second temperature threshold, methanol flows through the first evaporation chamber to complete vaporization and water flows through the second evaporation chamber to complete vaporization;

[0014] Step S23, based on the methanol flowing through the first evaporation chamber to complete vaporization and the water flowing through the second evaporation chamber to complete vaporization, the vaporized methanol flows into the reaction chamber and the combustion chamber respectively, and the vaporized water flows into the reaction chamber;

[0015] In step S24, the vaporized methanol flows into the reaction chamber and the combustion chamber respectively and the vaporized water flows into the reaction chamber, the reaction chamber supplies hydrogen to the first cell of the power generation unit, and the air supply unit supplies air to the first cell.

[0016] In some embodiments, step S40 includes:

[0017] Step S41: supplying electric energy at the first power to the power-consuming unit based on the first battery, and discharging residual hydrogen and inert gas after the reaction by the first battery;

[0018] In step S42, the residual hydrogen and inert gas after the reaction are discharged from the first cell, the residual hydrogen after the reaction flows into the combustion chamber of the hydrogen production unit for combustion, and the first tail gas flows through the first heat exchanger of the hydrogen production unit and is transported to the inerting unit; wherein, the first tail gas includes carbon dioxide and water discharged from the combustion of methanol in the combustion chamber of the hydrogen production unit, and the inert gas discharged from the reaction of hydrogen and air in the first cell.

[0019] In some embodiments, step S50 includes:

[0020] Step S51: Based on the first tail gas flowing through the first heat exchanger and being transported to the inerting unit, the second heat exchanger cools the first tail gas;

[0021] Step S52: After the first tail gas is cooled by the second heat exchanger, the first tail gas flows into the first separator for gas-liquid separation;

[0022] Step S53, based on the first tail gas flowing into the first separator to complete gas-liquid separation, the water in the first separator is transported to the water tank of the storage unit, and the mixed gas in the first separator is transported to the filter; wherein the mixed gas includes carbon dioxide, inert gas, and oxygen;

[0023] Step S54, obtaining the oxygen content of the mixed gas based on the mixed gas flowing through the filter;

[0024] Step S55 : Based on the oxygen content of the mixed gas being less than a first threshold, the mixed gas is transported to the methanol tank of the storage unit.

[0025] In some embodiments, step S50 further includes:

[0026] Step S56: Based on the oxygen content of the mixed gas being greater than or equal to the first threshold, the mixed gas is transported to a second separator;

[0027] In step S57 , the mixed gas is delivered to the second separator, and the second separator delivers the oxygen separated from the mixed gas to the first cell and delivers the mixed gas from which oxygen is removed to the methanol tank.

[0028] In some embodiments, step S50 further includes:

[0029] Step S58, obtaining the pressure in the methanol tank based on the mixed gas being delivered to the methanol tank;

[0030] Step S59 : Based on the pressure in the methanol tank being greater than or equal to a first pressure threshold, stop delivering the mixed gas to the methanol tank and store the remaining mixed gas in an inerting tank.

[0031] In some embodiments, the aircraft power supply method further includes:

[0032] Step S11: Based on the power demand of the power consuming unit being greater than the demand threshold, the first battery supplies power to the power consuming unit at a second power; wherein the second power is greater than the first power;

[0033] Step S12: Based on the first battery supplying electric energy to the power consumption unit at the second power, the first exhaust gas flow is transported to the inerting unit through the first heat exchanger;

[0034] Step S13, based on the first tail gas flowing through the first heat exchanger and being transported to the inerting unit, obtaining the amount of inerting gas in the inerting unit and the pressure in the methanol tank;

[0035] Step S14: based on the amount of inert gas in the inerting unit being less than a set gas threshold and the pressure in the methanol tank being less than a second pressure threshold, disconnecting the gas supply machine from the first battery and controlling the third separator of the gas supply unit to separate the air supplied by the gas supply machine into oxygen and inert gas;

[0036] In step S15 , the air supplied by the air supply machine is separated into oxygen and inert gas by the third separator, and the third separator delivers the oxygen to the first battery and the inert gas to the methanol tank.

[0037] In some embodiments, step S11 includes:

[0038] Step S111: Based on the electricity demand of the electricity consuming unit being greater than the demand threshold, the material storage unit supplies methanol at a third flow rate and water at a fourth flow rate to the hydrogen production unit; wherein the third flow rate is greater than the first flow rate; and the fourth flow rate is greater than the second flow rate;

[0039] Step S112, based on the material storage unit supplying methanol at the third flow rate and water at the fourth flow rate to the hydrogen production unit, the reaction chamber supplies hydrogen to the first battery, and the gas supply machine supplies air to the first battery;

[0040] Step S113, based on the reaction chamber supplying hydrogen to the first battery and the gas supply machine supplying air to the first battery, the first battery supplies electric energy to the power-consuming unit at a second power and the second battery supplies electric energy to the power-consuming unit; wherein, the second power is greater than the first power; the power generation unit includes the first battery, the second battery, a first converter, and a second converter; the first battery is electrically connected to the power-consuming unit through the first converter; and the second battery is electrically connected to the power-consuming unit through the second converter.

[0041] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an aircraft energy supply system, which is applied to an aircraft energy supply method described in any one of the above embodiments, and includes:

[0042] A material storage unit, the material storage unit comprising a methanol tank, a methanol pump, a water tank, and a water pump; the input end of the methanol pump is connected to the output end of the methanol tank; the input end of the water pump is connected to the output end of the water tank;

[0043] A hydrogen production unit, comprising a reaction chamber, a combustion chamber, a first evaporation chamber, a second evaporation chamber, a first heater, a second heater, and a first heat exchanger; the outer peripheral wall of the reaction chamber abuts the inner peripheral wall of the combustion chamber; the inner peripheral wall of the first evaporation chamber abuts a portion of the outer peripheral wall of the combustion chamber; the inner peripheral wall of the second evaporation chamber abuts a portion of the outer peripheral wall of the combustion chamber; the first evaporation chamber and the second evaporation chamber are spaced apart; the first heater is arranged in the inner chamber of the first evaporation chamber; the second heater is arranged in the inner chamber of the second evaporation chamber; the inner peripheral wall of the first heat exchanger abuts the outer peripheral wall of the first evaporation chamber and the outer peripheral wall of the second evaporation chamber respectively; the input end of the first evaporation chamber is connected to the output end of the methanol pump; the output end of the first evaporation chamber is connected to the input end of the reaction chamber and the input end of the combustion chamber respectively through pipelines; the input end of the second evaporation chamber is connected to the output end of the water pump; the output end of the second evaporation chamber is connected to the input end of the reaction chamber through a pipeline; the output end of the combustion chamber is connected to the input end of the first heat exchanger;

[0044] A power generation unit, the power generation unit comprising a first battery and a first converter; the input end of the first battery is connected to the output end of the reaction chamber; the output end of the first battery is electrically connected to the input end of the first converter; the output end of the first battery is connected to the input end of the combustion chamber;

[0045] An inerting unit, comprising a second heat exchanger, a first separator, a second separator, a first valve, a second valve, a filter, a sensor, and an inerting tank; the output end of the second heat exchanger is in communication with the input end of the first separator; the output end of the first separator is in communication with the input end of the water tank and the input end of the filter respectively; the output end of the filter is in communication with the input end of the first valve; the output end of the first valve is in communication with the input end of the second separator and the input end of the second valve respectively; the sensor is disposed on a pipeline between the filter and the first valve; the input end of the second heat exchanger is in communication with the output end of the first heat exchanger; the output end of the second separator is in communication with the input end of the first battery and the input end of the second valve respectively; the output end of the second valve is in communication with the input end of the methanol tank; the inerting tank is in communication with the input end of the methanol tank via the second valve;

[0046] an air supply unit, wherein an output end of the air supply unit is connected to an input end of the first battery;

[0047] An electric unit, wherein an input end of the electric unit is electrically connected to an output end of the first converter.

[0048] In some embodiments, the power generation unit also includes a second battery and a second converter; the second battery is electrically connected to the input end of the power consumption unit through the second converter; the gas supply unit includes a gas supply machine and a third separator; the input end of the gas supply machine is connected to the external space; the output end of the gas supply machine is respectively connected to the input end of the third separator and the input end of the first battery; the output end of the third separator is respectively connected to the input end of the first battery and the input end of the methanol tank.

[0049] To solve the problem of how to safely store and use methanol on aircraft, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0050] Methanol and water enter the reaction chamber for a catalytic reforming reaction to produce hydrogen. This hydrogen is then transported to the first cell to react with air, providing electricity to the power-consuming unit. The first exhaust gas is then recycled and reused by the inertization unit. The inert gas separated from the first exhaust gas is fed into the methanol tank to serve as a protective gas for the methanol, ensuring stable pressure within the tank and preventing explosions. The water separated from the first exhaust gas is then fed into a water tank for storage. This allows for energy recycling and reduces wasted aircraft fuel resources. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of an aircraft energy supply method according to an embodiment is shown;

[0052] Figure 2A schematic diagram of an aircraft energy supply system according to an embodiment is shown.

[0053] Figure numerals: 01 storage unit; 11 methanol tank; 12 methanol pump; 13 water tank; 14 water pump; 02 hydrogen production unit; 21 reaction chamber; 22 combustion chamber; 23 first evaporation chamber; 24 second evaporation chamber; 25 first heater; 26 second heater; 27 first heat exchanger; 03 power generation unit; 31 first battery; 32 first converter; 33 second battery; 34 second converter; 04 inerting unit; 41 second heat exchanger; 42 first separator; 43 second separator; 44 first valve; 45 second valve; 46 filter; 47 sensor; 48 inerting tank; 05 gas supply unit; 51 gas supply machine; 52 third separator; 06 power consumption unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The present disclosure will now be discussed with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the present disclosure, rather than to imply any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure.

[0055] As used herein, the term "including" and its variations are to be interpreted as open-ended terms meaning "including, but not limited to." The term "based on" is to be interpreted as "based, at least in part, on." The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" are to be interpreted as "at least one embodiment." The term "another embodiment" is to be interpreted as "at least one other embodiment." Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "back," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "vertical," "horizontal," "transverse," and "longitudinal" indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily intended to better describe the present application and its embodiments and are not intended to limit the devices, elements, or components indicated to having a specific orientation, or to being constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Furthermore, some of the above terms may be used to indicate other meanings besides orientation or positional relationships. For example, the term "on" may, in certain circumstances, be used to indicate a dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances. Furthermore, the terms "installed," "disposed," "provided with," "connected," and "connected" are to be interpreted broadly. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection, or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be an internal connection between two devices, elements or components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are mainly used to distinguish different devices, elements or components (the specific types and structures may be the same or different), and are not used to indicate or imply the relative importance and quantity of the indicated devices, elements or components. Unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0056] In this embodiment, the electric aircraft can produce hydrogen through the catalytic reforming reaction of methanol and water, and then transport the hydrogen to the hydrogen fuel cell to supply electricity. The excess reaction gas produced by the hydrogen production and the excess reaction gas produced during the conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy in the hydrogen fuel cell are often discharged to the external space, resulting in a waste of resources. However, in the high-altitude and low-pressure environment of the aircraft, the auto-ignition point of methanol is low, and the low pressure in the methanol tank 11 can easily cause the methanol to gasify, making the methanol flammable and explosive, posing a certain safety hazard. In order to solve the above problems, this embodiment discloses a method for supplying energy to an aircraft, such as Figure 1 As shown, the aircraft energy supply method may include steps S10 to S50, which are described in detail below:

[0057] Step S10 , based on the electricity demand of the electricity consumption unit 06 being less than or equal to the demand threshold, the storage unit 01 supplies methanol at a first flow rate and water at a second flow rate to the hydrogen production unit 02 , so as to facilitate the subsequent operation of the hydrogen production unit 02 .

[0058] In step S20, based on the storage unit 01 supplying methanol at a first flow rate and water at a second flow rate to the hydrogen production unit 02, the reaction chamber 21 of the hydrogen production unit 02 supplies hydrogen to the first battery 31 of the power generation unit 03, and the gas supply unit 05 supplies air to the first battery 31; the first battery 31 can be a high-temperature proton exchange membrane hydrogen fuel cell, which has a high tolerance to carbon monoxide and the proton exchange membrane is not easily poisoned.

[0059] Step S30 , based on the reaction chamber 21 supplying hydrogen to the first battery 31 and the gas supply unit 05 supplying air to the first battery 31 , the first battery 31 supplies electric energy to the power consumption unit 06 at a first power;

[0060] In step S40, the first battery 31 supplies electric energy to the power consumption unit 06 at a first power, and the first exhaust gas flows through the first heat exchanger 27 of the hydrogen production unit 02 and is transported to the inerting unit 04; wherein, the first exhaust gas includes carbon dioxide and water discharged from the combustion of methanol in the combustion chamber 22 of the hydrogen production unit 02, and inert gas discharged from the reaction of hydrogen and air in the first battery 31; by utilizing the first heat exchanger 27 to absorb heat in the first exhaust gas, the heat can be used to help vaporize methanol and water, thereby improving the efficiency of catalytic reforming hydrogen production.

[0061] In step S50, the first tail gas flows through the first heat exchanger 27 and is transported to the inerting unit 04. The inerting unit 04 then supplies inert gas to the methanol tank 11 of the fuel storage unit 01 and water to the water tank 13 of the fuel storage unit 01. The inerting unit 04 recovers and separates the first tail gas for reuse, replenishes the water tank 13, and fills the methanol tank 11 with inert gas as a protective gas for the methanol. This ensures stable pressure in the methanol tank 11, thereby reducing the risk of methanol explosion. This also enables, to a certain extent, the recycling of aircraft fuel resources and reduces energy waste.

[0062] In this embodiment, step S20 may include:

[0063] Step S21: Based on the storage unit 01, methanol is supplied at a first flow rate and water is supplied at a second flow rate to the hydrogen production unit 02, and the first heater 25 is heated to a first temperature threshold and the second heater 26 is heated to a second temperature threshold;

[0064] In step S22, the first heater 25 is heated to a first temperature threshold and the second heater 26 is heated to a second temperature threshold, and methanol flows through the first evaporation chamber 23 to complete vaporization and water flows through the second evaporation chamber 24 to complete vaporization; thus, heating by the first heater 25 and the second heater 26 can make methanol and water vaporize faster, thereby improving the efficiency of catalytic reforming hydrogen production.

[0065] In step S23, methanol flows through the first evaporation chamber 23 to complete vaporization, and water flows through the second evaporation chamber 24 to complete vaporization. The vaporized methanol flows into the reaction chamber 21 and the combustion chamber 22 respectively, and the vaporized water flows into the reaction chamber 21; thereby, the combustion of methanol in the combustion chamber 22 can provide heat for the reaction of methanol and water in the reaction chamber 21. At the same time, the combustion of methanol in the combustion chamber 22 can also provide heat for the first evaporation chamber 23 and the second evaporation chamber 24, accelerating the process of vaporization of methanol and water, thereby improving the utilization rate of thermal energy and reducing energy waste.

[0066] In step S24, the vaporized methanol flows into the reaction chamber 21 and the combustion chamber 22 respectively, and the vaporized water flows into the reaction chamber 21. The reaction chamber 21 supplies hydrogen to the first cell 31 of the power generation unit 03, and the air supply machine 51 of the air supply unit 05 supplies air to the first cell 31.

[0067] In this embodiment, step S40 may include:

[0068] Step S41 , based on the first battery 31 supplying electric energy to the power consumption unit 06 at a first power, the first battery 31 discharges residual hydrogen and inert gas after the reaction;

[0069] In step S42, residual hydrogen and inert gas are discharged from the first cell 31 after the reaction. The residual hydrogen flows into the combustion chamber 22 of the hydrogen production unit 02 for combustion, and the first tail gas flows through the first heat exchanger 27 of the hydrogen production unit 02 and is transported to the inerting unit 04. The first tail gas includes carbon dioxide and water emitted from the combustion of methanol in the combustion chamber 22 of the hydrogen production unit 02, and inert gas emitted from the reaction of hydrogen and air in the first cell 31. The residual hydrogen from the reaction in the first cell 31 is transported to the combustion chamber 22 for combustion, thereby providing sufficient heat for the first evaporation chamber 23, the second evaporation chamber 24, and the reaction chamber 21, further improving the efficiency of catalytic reforming hydrogen production. This also reduces energy waste and saves costs.

[0070] In this embodiment, step S50 may include:

[0071] In step S51 , the first tail gas is transported to the inerting unit 04 through the first heat exchanger 27 , and the second heat exchanger 41 cools the first tail gas to facilitate subsequent gas-liquid separation of the first tail gas.

[0072] In step S52, the first tail gas is cooled based on the second heat exchanger 41, and the first tail gas flows into the first separator 42 for gas-liquid separation; thereby, the water in the first tail gas can be recycled and reused, reducing energy waste.

[0073] In step S53, gas-liquid separation is completed based on the first tail gas flowing into the first separator 42, and the water in the first separator 42 is transported to the water tank 13 of the storage unit 01, and the mixed gas in the first separator 42 is transported to the filter 46; wherein, the mixed gas includes carbon dioxide, inert gas, and oxygen; thereby, impurities in the mixed gas can be filtered out, facilitating the subsequent reuse of the mixed gas.

[0074] In step S54 , the oxygen content of the mixed gas is obtained based on the mixed gas flowing through the filter 46 ; the oxygen concentration of the mixed gas can be determined by the sensor 47 .

[0075] In step S55, based on the oxygen content of the mixed gas being less than the first threshold, the mixed gas is delivered to the methanol tank 11 of the storage unit 01. This can reduce energy waste and avoid the increased risk of methanol explosion caused by excessive oxygen content in the mixed gas.

[0076] In this embodiment, step S50 may further include:

[0077] Step S56: Based on the oxygen content of the mixed gas being greater than or equal to the first threshold, the mixed gas is delivered to the second separator 43;

[0078] In step S57 , the mixed gas is delivered to the second separator 43 , and the second separator 43 delivers the oxygen separated from the mixed gas to the first cell 31 and delivers the mixed gas from which oxygen is removed to the methanol tank 11 .

[0079] In this embodiment, step S50 may further include:

[0080] Step S58, based on the mixed gas being delivered to the methanol tank 11, obtaining the pressure in the methanol tank 11;

[0081] In step S59, based on the pressure within the methanol tank 11 being greater than or equal to the first pressure threshold, the supply of the mixed gas to the methanol tank 11 is stopped, and the remaining mixed gas is stored in the inerting tank 48. During flight, the chemical reaction in the hydrogen production unit 02 and the first battery 31 continues, but the demand for the mixed gas in the methanol tank 11 fluctuates. When the demand for the mixed gas is low, the mixed gas can be stored. This allows the mixed gas in the inerting tank 48 to be transferred to the methanol tank 11 when the demand for the mixed gas increases sharply, ensuring the safe storage of the methanol in the methanol tank 11. This also prevents the mixed gas from being directly discharged to the outside world, reducing resource waste.

[0082] In this embodiment, the aircraft energy supply method may further include:

[0083] In step S11, based on the fact that the power demand of the power unit 06 is greater than the demand threshold, the first battery 31 supplies electric energy to the power unit 06 at a second power; wherein the second power is greater than the first power; at this time, the power consumption of the power unit 06 is large, and the first battery 31 needs to increase the output power to meet the power demand of the power unit 06, and the hydrogen production unit 02 needs to consume a large amount of methanol to produce hydrogen.

[0084] Step S12: Based on the first battery 31 supplying electric energy to the power consumption unit 06 at the second power, the first exhaust gas flow is transported to the inerting unit 04 through the first heat exchanger 27;

[0085] In step S13, based on the first tail gas flowing through the first heat exchanger 27 and being transported to the inerting unit 04, the amount of inerting gas in the inerting unit 04 and the pressure in the methanol tank 11 are obtained; thereby facilitating the determination of whether the subsequent inert gas can meet the use requirements of the methanol tank 11.

[0086] Step S14: based on the inert gas amount in the inertization unit 04 being less than the set gas threshold and the pressure in the methanol tank 11 being less than the second pressure threshold, disconnecting the gas supply machine 51 from the first battery 31 and controlling the third separator 52 of the gas supply unit 05 to separate the air supplied by the gas supply machine 51 into oxygen and inert gas;

[0087] In step S15, the air supplied by the air supply machine 51 is separated into oxygen and inert gas by the third separator 52. The third separator 52 delivers the oxygen to the first cell 31 and the inert gas to the methanol tank 11. At this time, due to the large amount of methanol consumed in the hydrogen production unit 02, the pressure in the methanol tank 11 is low, and the risk of methanol explosion is high. The inert gas stored in the inerting tank 48 may not be able to meet the usage needs of the methanol tank 11. Therefore, by opening the third separator 52, the air sucked in by the air supply machine 51 is directly separated. The separated inert gas can be replenished to the methanol tank 11 in a timely manner to ensure that the pressure of the methanol tank 11 is greater than or equal to the first pressure threshold (i.e., the methanol safety range value). At the same time, the separated oxygen is delivered to the first cell 31, which can effectively improve the completeness of the reaction in the first cell 31, improve the efficiency of converting chemical energy into electrical energy in the first cell 31, and ensure the stability of the output power of the first cell 31.

[0088] In this embodiment, step S11 may include:

[0089] In step S111, based on the fact that the electricity demand of the electricity consumption unit 06 is greater than the demand threshold, the storage unit 01 supplies methanol at a third flow rate and water at a fourth flow rate to the hydrogen production unit 02; wherein the third flow rate is greater than the first flow rate; and the fourth flow rate is greater than the second flow rate; thereby ensuring that the hydrogen production unit 02 supplies sufficient hydrogen to the first battery 31.

[0090] Step S112: Based on the storage unit 01 supplying methanol at the third flow rate and water at the fourth flow rate to the hydrogen production unit 02, the reaction chamber 21 supplies hydrogen to the first cell 31, and the gas supply machine 51 supplies air to the first cell 31;

[0091] In step S113, based on the reaction chamber 21 supplying hydrogen to the first battery 31 and the air supply machine 51 supplying air to the first battery 31, the first battery 31 supplies electricity to the power consumption unit 06 at a second power, and the second battery 33 supplies electricity to the power consumption unit 06. The second power is greater than the first power. The power generation unit 03 includes the first battery 31, the second battery 33, the first converter 32, and the second converter 34. The first battery 31 is electrically connected to the power consumption unit 06 via the first converter 32, and the second battery 33 is electrically connected to the power consumption unit 06 via the second converter 34. Therefore, the second battery 33 can supplement the electricity, ensuring the power consumption unit 06's electricity needs and buying time for the chemical reaction between the hydrogen production unit 02 and the first battery 31.

[0092] In this embodiment, this embodiment discloses an aircraft energy supply system, which can be applied to any of the aircraft energy supply methods in the above embodiments. The aircraft energy supply system may include: a storage unit 01, a hydrogen production unit 02, a power generation unit 03, an inerting unit 04, an air supply unit 05, and an electricity consumption unit 06.

[0093] Storage unit 01 may include a methanol tank 11, a methanol pump 12, a water tank 13, and a water pump 14. The input end of methanol pump 12 may be connected to the output end of methanol tank 11 to facilitate the delivery of methanol stored in methanol tank 11 to hydrogen production unit 02. The input end of water pump 14 may be connected to the output end of water tank 13 to facilitate the delivery of water stored in water tank 13 to hydrogen production unit 02.

[0094] The hydrogen production unit 02 may include a reaction chamber 21, a combustion chamber 22, a first evaporation chamber 23, a second evaporation chamber 24, a first heater 25, a second heater 26, and a first heat exchanger 27. The outer wall of the reaction chamber 21 may abut the inner wall of the combustion chamber 22. When methanol burns in the combustion chamber 22, heat can be provided for the methanol and water reaction within the reaction chamber 21. The inner wall of the first evaporation chamber 23 abuts a portion of the outer wall of the combustion chamber 22, allowing the heat from the methanol combustion in the combustion chamber 22 to provide heat for the methanol vaporization within the first evaporation chamber 23. The inner wall of the second evaporation chamber 24 abuts a portion of the outer wall of the combustion chamber 22, allowing the heat from the methanol combustion in the combustion chamber 22 to provide heat for the water vaporization within the second evaporation chamber 24. The first and second evaporation chambers 23 and 24 are spaced apart. The first heater 25 is disposed within the interior of the first evaporation chamber 23 to accelerate the vaporization of the methanol within the first evaporation chamber 23. The second heater 26 is disposed within the interior of the second evaporation chamber 24, accelerating the vaporization of water within the second evaporation chamber 24. The inner circumferential walls of the first heat exchanger 27 abut the outer circumferential walls of the first evaporation chamber 23 and the outer circumferential walls of the second evaporation chamber 24, respectively. This allows heat exchanged between the first heat exchanger 27 and the first exhaust gas to be transferred to the first and second evaporation chambers 23, 24, accelerating the vaporization of methanol and water. The input of the first evaporation chamber 23 is connected to the output of the methanol pump 12, facilitating the entry of methanol into the first evaporation chamber 23 for vaporization. The output of the first evaporation chamber 23 is connected to the input of the reaction chamber 21 and the input of the combustion chamber 22 via pipelines, respectively, allowing some of the vaporized methanol to flow into the reaction chamber 21 for reaction and some to flow into the combustion chamber 22 for combustion. The input of the second evaporation chamber 24 is connected to the output of the water pump 14, facilitating the entry of water into the first evaporation chamber 23 for vaporization. The output of the second evaporation chamber 24 is connected to the input of the reaction chamber 21 via pipelines, facilitating the entry of vaporized water into the reaction chamber 21 for reaction. The output end of the combustion chamber 22 is connected to the input end of the first heat exchanger 27, so that the gas generated after the combustion of methanol flows into the first heat exchanger 27 for further heat exchange. Through the above arrangement, the heat energy generated during the operation of the hydrogen production unit 02 can be reasonably distributed and utilized, reducing energy waste.

[0095] The power generation unit 03 may include a first battery 31 and a first converter 32. The input end of the first battery 31 is connected to the output end of the reaction chamber 21, facilitating the input of the hydrogen produced by the reaction chamber 21 into the first battery 31. The output end of the first battery 31 is electrically connected to the input end of the first converter 32, facilitating the stable output of electrical energy from the first battery 31 to the power consumption unit 06 via the first converter 32. The output end of the first battery 31 may be connected to the input end of the combustion chamber 22, facilitating the transport of residual hydrogen after the reaction in the first battery 31 to the combustion chamber 22 for combustion and heat release, providing heat for the vaporization of methanol and water and the catalytic reforming reaction of methanol and water, thereby reducing resource waste.

[0096] The inerting unit 04 includes a second heat exchanger 41, a first separator 42, a second separator 43, a first valve 44, a second valve 45, a filter 46, a sensor 47, and an inerting tank 48. The output of the second heat exchanger 41 is connected to the input of the first separator 42, facilitating gas-liquid separation of the cooled first exhaust gas in the first separator 42. The output of the first separator 42 is connected to the input of the water tank 13 and the input of the filter 46, respectively, facilitating recycling of the separated water and filtering impurities from the separated mixed gas, thereby reducing resource waste. The output of the filter 46 is connected to the input of the first valve 44. The output of the first valve 44 is connected to the input of the second separator 43 and the input of the second valve 45, respectively. A sensor 47 is located in the pipeline between the filter 46 and the first valve 44 to facilitate measuring the oxygen content of the mixed gas. The input of the second heat exchanger 41 is connected to the output of the first heat exchanger 27, facilitating the input of the first exhaust gas into the inerting unit 04. The output of the second separator 43 is connected to the input of the first battery 31 and the input of the second valve 45, respectively. This facilitates the separation of oxygen and inert gas from the mixed gas by the second separator 43, thereby preventing the inert gas delivered to the methanol tank 11 from having an excessively high oxygen content, which could affect the safe storage of methanol. The output of the second valve 45 is connected to the input of the methanol tank 11. The inerting tank 48 can be connected to the input of the methanol tank 11 via the second valve 45, allowing the inerting tank 48 to store excess mixed gas. The output of the gas supply unit 05 is connected to the input of the first battery 31. The input of the power unit 06 is electrically connected to the output of the first converter 32.

[0097] In this embodiment, the power generation unit 03 may further include a second battery 33 and a second converter 34. The second battery 33 is electrically connected to the input end of the power consumption unit 06 via the second converter 34. When the electric energy output by the first battery 31 cannot meet the power demand of the power consumption unit 06, the second battery 33 can replenish the electric energy within a certain period of time to play an emergency role. The gas supply unit 05 may include an air supply machine 51 and a third separator 52. The input end of the air supply machine 51 is connected to the external space. The output end of the air supply machine 51 is respectively connected to the input end of the third separator 52 and the input end of the first battery 31. The output end of the third separator 52 is respectively connected to the input end of the first battery 31 and the input end of the methanol tank 11. When the electricity demand of the power consumption unit 06 is too large, the hydrogen production unit 02 needs to consume a large amount of methanol. The excessive methanol consumption leads to an increased demand for inert gas in the methanol tank 11. When the inert gas in the inerting unit 04 is insufficient, the oxygen and inert gas in the air can be separated by the third separator 52. Then the gas supply unit 05 supplies inert gas to the methanol tank 11 and oxygen to the first battery 31 to ensure the safe storage of methanol and stable pressure in the methanol tank 11, and to ensure the stable output of electricity by the first battery 31.

[0098] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-mentioned embodiments are specific examples for implementing the present disclosure, and that in actual applications, various changes may be made thereto in form and detail without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for supplying energy to an aircraft, characterized in that: The aircraft energy supply method includes: Step S10: Based on the electricity demand of the electricity consuming unit being less than or equal to the demand threshold, the material storage unit supplies methanol at a first flow rate and water at a second flow rate to the hydrogen producing unit; Step S20, based on the material storage unit supplying methanol at the first flow rate and water at the second flow rate to the hydrogen production unit, the reaction chamber of the hydrogen production unit supplies hydrogen to the first cell of the power generation unit, and the gas supply unit supplies air to the first cell; Step S30, based on the reaction chamber supplying hydrogen to the first battery and the gas supply unit supplying air to the first battery, the first battery supplies electric energy to the power consumption unit at a first power; Step S40: Based on the first battery supplying electric energy at the first power to the power-consuming unit, a first tail gas is transported to the inerting unit through the first heat exchanger of the hydrogen production unit; wherein the first tail gas includes carbon dioxide and water emitted from the combustion of methanol in the combustion chamber of the hydrogen production unit, and inert gas emitted from the reaction of hydrogen in the first battery with air; In step S50 , based on the first tail gas flowing through the first heat exchanger and being transported to the inerting unit, the inerting unit inputs inert gas into the methanol tank of the storage unit and inputs water into the water tank of the storage unit.

2. The aircraft energy supply method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step S20 includes: Step S21, based on the material storage unit supplying methanol at the first flow rate and water at the second flow rate to the hydrogen production unit, the first heater is heated to a first temperature threshold, and the second heater is heated to a second temperature threshold; Step S22, based on the first heater being heated to the first temperature threshold and the second heater being heated to the second temperature threshold, methanol flows through the first evaporation chamber to complete vaporization and water flows through the second evaporation chamber to complete vaporization; Step S23, based on the methanol flowing through the first evaporation chamber to complete vaporization and the water flowing through the second evaporation chamber to complete vaporization, the vaporized methanol flows into the reaction chamber and the combustion chamber respectively, and the vaporized water flows into the reaction chamber; In step S24, the vaporized methanol flows into the reaction chamber and the combustion chamber respectively and the vaporized water flows into the reaction chamber, the reaction chamber supplies hydrogen to the first cell of the power generation unit, and the air supply unit supplies air to the first cell.

3. The aircraft energy supply method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step S40 includes: Step S41: supplying electric energy at the first power to the power-consuming unit based on the first battery, and discharging residual hydrogen and inert gas after the reaction by the first battery; In step S42 , the first battery discharges residual hydrogen and inert gas after the reaction, and the residual hydrogen after the reaction flows into the combustion chamber of the hydrogen production unit for combustion, and the first tail gas flows through the first heat exchanger of the hydrogen production unit and is transported to the inerting unit.

4. The aircraft energy supply method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step S50 includes: Step S51: Based on the first tail gas flowing through the first heat exchanger and being transported to the inerting unit, the second heat exchanger cools the first tail gas; Step S52: After the first tail gas is cooled by the second heat exchanger, the first tail gas flows into the first separator for gas-liquid separation; Step S53, based on the first tail gas flowing into the first separator to complete gas-liquid separation, the water in the first separator is transported to the water tank of the storage unit, and the mixed gas in the first separator is transported to the filter; wherein the mixed gas includes carbon dioxide, inert gas, and oxygen; Step S54, obtaining the oxygen content of the mixed gas based on the mixed gas flowing through the filter; Step S55 : Based on the oxygen content of the mixed gas being less than a first threshold, the mixed gas is transported to the methanol tank of the storage unit.

5. The aircraft energy supply method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The step S50 further includes: Step S56: Based on the oxygen content of the mixed gas being greater than or equal to the first threshold, the mixed gas is transported to a second separator; In step S57 , the mixed gas is delivered to the second separator, and the second separator delivers the oxygen separated from the mixed gas to the first cell and delivers the mixed gas from which oxygen is removed to the methanol tank.

6. The aircraft energy supply method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The step S50 further includes: Step S58, obtaining the pressure in the methanol tank based on the mixed gas being delivered to the methanol tank; Step S59 : Based on the pressure in the methanol tank being greater than or equal to a first pressure threshold, stop delivering the mixed gas to the methanol tank and store the remaining mixed gas in an inerting tank.

7. The aircraft energy supply method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The aircraft energy supply method further includes: Step S11: Based on the power demand of the power consuming unit being greater than the demand threshold, the first battery supplies power to the power consuming unit at a second power; wherein the second power is greater than the first power; Step S12: Based on the first battery supplying electric energy to the power consumption unit at the second power, the first exhaust gas flow is transported to the inerting unit through the first heat exchanger; Step S13, based on the first tail gas flowing through the first heat exchanger and being transported to the inerting unit, obtaining the amount of inerting gas in the inerting unit and the pressure in the methanol tank; Step S14: based on the amount of inert gas in the inerting unit being less than a set gas threshold and the pressure in the methanol tank being less than a second pressure threshold, disconnecting the gas supply machine from the first battery and controlling the third separator of the gas supply unit to separate the air supplied by the gas supply machine into oxygen and inert gas; In step S15 , the air supplied by the air supply machine is separated into oxygen and inert gas by the third separator, and the third separator delivers the oxygen to the first battery and the inert gas to the methanol tank.

8. The aircraft energy supply method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The step S11 includes: Step S111: Based on the electricity demand of the electricity consuming unit being greater than the demand threshold, the material storage unit supplies methanol at a third flow rate and water at a fourth flow rate to the hydrogen production unit; wherein the third flow rate is greater than the first flow rate; and the fourth flow rate is greater than the second flow rate; Step S112, based on the material storage unit supplying methanol at the third flow rate and water at the fourth flow rate to the hydrogen production unit, the reaction chamber supplies hydrogen to the first battery, and the gas supply machine supplies air to the first battery; Step S113, based on the reaction chamber supplying hydrogen to the first battery and the gas supply machine supplying air to the first battery, the first battery supplies electric energy to the power-consuming unit at a second power and the second battery supplies electric energy to the power-consuming unit; wherein, the second power is greater than the first power; the power generation unit includes the first battery, the second battery, a first converter, and a second converter; the first battery is electrically connected to the power-consuming unit through the first converter; and the second battery is electrically connected to the power-consuming unit through the second converter.

9. An aircraft energy supply system, wherein the aircraft energy supply system is applied to an aircraft energy supply method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The aircraft energy supply system includes: A material storage unit, the material storage unit comprising a methanol tank, a methanol pump, a water tank, and a water pump; the input end of the methanol pump is connected to the output end of the methanol tank; the input end of the water pump is connected to the output end of the water tank; A hydrogen production unit, comprising a reaction chamber, a combustion chamber, a first evaporation chamber, a second evaporation chamber, a first heater, a second heater, and a first heat exchanger; the outer peripheral wall of the reaction chamber abuts the inner peripheral wall of the combustion chamber; the inner peripheral wall of the first evaporation chamber abuts a portion of the outer peripheral wall of the combustion chamber; the inner peripheral wall of the second evaporation chamber abuts a portion of the outer peripheral wall of the combustion chamber; the first evaporation chamber and the second evaporation chamber are spaced apart; the first heater is arranged in the inner chamber of the first evaporation chamber; the second heater is arranged in the inner chamber of the second evaporation chamber; the inner peripheral wall of the first heat exchanger abuts the outer peripheral wall of the first evaporation chamber and the outer peripheral wall of the second evaporation chamber respectively; the input end of the first evaporation chamber is connected to the output end of the methanol pump; the output end of the first evaporation chamber is connected to the input end of the reaction chamber and the input end of the combustion chamber respectively through pipelines; the input end of the second evaporation chamber is connected to the output end of the water pump; the output end of the second evaporation chamber is connected to the input end of the reaction chamber through a pipeline; the output end of the combustion chamber is connected to the input end of the first heat exchanger; A power generation unit, the power generation unit comprising a first battery and a first converter; the input end of the first battery is connected to the output end of the reaction chamber; the output end of the first battery is electrically connected to the input end of the first converter; the output end of the first battery is connected to the input end of the combustion chamber; An inerting unit, comprising a second heat exchanger, a first separator, a second separator, a first valve, a second valve, a filter, a sensor, and an inerting tank; the output end of the second heat exchanger is in communication with the input end of the first separator; the output end of the first separator is in communication with the input end of the water tank and the input end of the filter respectively; the output end of the filter is in communication with the input end of the first valve; the output end of the first valve is in communication with the input end of the second separator and the input end of the second valve respectively; the sensor is disposed on a pipeline between the filter and the first valve; the input end of the second heat exchanger is in communication with the output end of the first heat exchanger; the output end of the second separator is in communication with the input end of the first battery and the input end of the second valve respectively; the output end of the second valve is in communication with the input end of the methanol tank; the inerting tank is in communication with the input end of the methanol tank via the second valve; an air supply unit, wherein an output end of the air supply unit is connected to an input end of the first battery; An electric unit, wherein an input end of the electric unit is electrically connected to an output end of the first converter.

10. An aircraft energy supply system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The power generation unit also includes a second battery and a second converter; the second battery is electrically connected to the input end of the power consumption unit through the second converter; the gas supply unit includes a gas supply machine and a third separator; the input end of the gas supply machine is connected to the external space; the output end of the gas supply machine is respectively connected to the input end of the third separator and the input end of the first battery; the output end of the third separator is respectively connected to the input end of the first battery and the input end of the methanol tank.

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