AIRCRAFT COMPRISING A DIHYDROGEN SUPPLY SYSTEM AND A DIHYDROGEN HEAT TREATMENT SYSTEM

Abstract

AIRCRAFT COMPRISING A DIHYDROGEN SUPPLY SYSTEM AND A DIHYDROGEN HEAT TREATMENT SYSTEM. The invention relates to an aircraft comprising at least one dihydrogen tank (102), at least one dihydrogen consuming system (116), a supply line (108) arranged between a consuming system (116) and a tank (102), for each consuming system (116), a loop (110) containing a heat transfer fluid, for each tank (102) and each supply line (108), a supply heat exchanger (112) that exchanges heat between the heat transfer fluid and the dihydrogen, and for each consuming system (116), a return heat exchanger (114) that exchanges heat between the heat transfer fluid and the consuming system (116). With such an arrangement, the heating of the dihydrogen at the outlet of the tanks is ensured in a simple manner. Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: AIRCRAFT COMPRISING A DIHYDROGEN SUPPLY SYSTEM AND A DIHYDROGEN THERMAL TREATMENT SYSTEM Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aircraft comprising dihydrogen tanks, engine systems adapted to consume dihydrogen and a supply system and a system for thermal treatment of the dihydrogen. STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

[0002] In order to move, an aircraft conventionally comprises at least one engine system such as a turboprop. Such an engine system is generally powered by kerosene. For ecological reasons, it is now desirable to limit the consumption of kerosene which is replaced by dihydrogen.

[0003] The latter is stored in liquid form in a tank of the aircraft and the engine system comprises a consumer system which consumes the dihydrogen to provide thrust to the aircraft. Such a consumer system is for example a turbojet whose combustion chamber burns the dihydrogen, or a fuel cell which consumes dihydrogen to generate electric current powering an electric motor.

[0004] To improve the efficiency of the consumer system, it is desirable that the dihydrogen be consumed in gaseous form.

[0005] To do this, there are thermal installations which ensure the heating of the dihydrogen between the tank and the consumer system. Even if such thermal installations are satisfactory, they are relatively bulky. Statement of the invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an aircraft comprising dihydrogen tanks, engine systems adapted to consume dihydrogen and a supply system and a dihydrogen heat treatment system, where the heat treatment system is relatively less bulky than that of the state of the art.

[0007] For this purpose, an aircraft is proposed comprising:

[0008] - at least one tank containing dihydrogen,

[0009] - at least one motorization system comprising a power-consuming system hydrogen,

[0010] - for each consumer system and at least one reservoir, a pipeline supply arranged between said consumer system and said reservoir,

[0011] - for each motorization system, a loop containing a heat transfer fluid,

[0012] - for each tank and each supply pipe supplied by said tank, a supply heat exchanger arranged to exchange calories between the heat transfer fluid circulating in a loop and the dihydrogen circulating in the supply pipe leaving the tank, and

[0013] - for each consumer system, a return heat exchanger arranged in way of exchanging calories between the heat transfer fluid circulating in a loop and the consumer system of the motorization system.

[0014] With such an arrangement, the transfer of calories takes place between the loop and the dihydrogen, and it is therefore not necessary to install bulky and energy-consuming heating elements.

[0015] Advantageously, there are two reservoirs, there are 2*N consumer systems where N is an integer greater than 1, each reservoir has N outlets, and the supply pipes are arranged so that, on the one hand, each consumer system is supplied by two different outlets, and, on the other hand, two outlets do not supply the same pair of consumer systems.

[0016] Advantageously, there are four consumer systems, a first tank has a first and a second outlet, a second tank has a third and a fourth outlet, a first consumer system is connected to the first and the third outlet, a second consumer system is connected to the first and the second outlet, a third consumer system is connected to the second and the fourth outlet and a fourth consumer system is connected to the third and the fourth outlet.

[0017] Advantageously, there is a first supply heat exchanger at the first outlet, a second supply heat exchanger at the second outlet, a third supply heat exchanger at the third outlet, a fourth supply heat exchanger at the fourth outlet, and there is a first loop between the first supply heat exchanger and a first return heat exchanger at the first consumer system, a second loop between the second supply heat exchanger and a second return heat exchanger at the second consumer system, a third loop between the third supply heat exchanger and a third return heat exchanger at the third consumer system,and a fourth loop between the fourth supply heat exchanger and a fourth return heat exchanger at the fourth consumer system.

[0018] Advantageously, the aircraft comprises a first deflection pipe between the strand of the first, respectively third loop in which the heat transfer fluid circulates from the supply heat exchanger to the return heat exchanger and the strand of the second, respectively fourth loop in which the heat transfer fluid circulates from the supply heat exchanger to the return heat exchanger, a second bypass pipe between the strand of the first, respectively third loop in which the heat transfer fluid circulates from the return heat exchanger to the supply heat exchanger and the strand of the second, respectively fourth loop in which the heat transfer fluid circulates from the return heat exchanger to the supply heat exchanger, each bypass pipe is equipped with a first shut-off valve and on either side of the connection between a strand and a bypass pipe, said strand is equipped with a second shut-off valve. Brief description of the drawings

[0019] The above-mentioned features of the invention, as well as others, will appear more clearly on reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment, said description being made in relation to the attached drawings, among which:

[0020] [Fig-1] is a top view of an aircraft according to the invention,

[0021] [Fig.2] is a schematic representation of a di- hydrogen and a dihydrogen thermal treatment system according to a first embodiment of the invention,

[0022] [Fig.3] is a schematic representation of a dihydrogen supply system according to a second embodiment of the invention,

[0023] [Fig.4] is a schematic representation of a heat treatment system implemented in the second embodiment of the invention,

[0024] [Fig.5] is a schematic representation of a dihydrogen supply system according to a third embodiment of the invention, and

[0025] [Fig.6] schematically illustrates an example of a control unit implemented in the invention.

[0026] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0027] In the following description, the terms relating to a position are taken with reference to an aircraft in a forward position, that is to say as shown in [Fig.l] where the arrow F shows the direction of forward movement of the aircraft.

[0028] In the following description, and by convention, X is the longitudinal axis of the aircraft oriented positively forward in the direction of advancement of the aircraft, Y is the transverse axis which is horizontal when the aircraft is on the ground, and Z is the vertical axis or vertical height when the aircraft is on the ground, these three axes X, Y and Z being orthogonal to each other.

[0029] [Fig.l] shows an aircraft 100 which has a fuselage 130 on either side of which a wing 132 is fixed. Under each wing 132 is fixed at least one motorization system 104 and each motorization system 104 comprises a consumer system 116 which is designed to consume dihydrogen, in particular in gaseous form. Such a consumer system 116 is for example a combustion engine such as a turbojet whose combustion chamber burns dihydrogen, or a fuel cell which consumes dihydrogen to generate electric current supplying an electric motor.

[0030] In the embodiment of the invention shown in [Fig.l], there are four consumer systems 116 each driving a propeller 134.

[0031] The aircraft 100 also comprises at least one tank 102 containing dihydrogen, in particular in liquid form. In the embodiment presented here, there are two tanks 102 and they are arranged in the fuselage 130 and here at the rear of the latter.

[0032] The aircraft 100 also includes a supply system 136 which includes supply lines 108 which are arranged to guide the dihydrogen from each tank 102 to a consumer system 116.

[0033] Thus, for each consumer system 116 and at least one tank 102, there is a supply pipe 108 which is arranged between the consumer system 116 and the tank 102. Each tank 102 is equipped with at least one outlet 118 to which a single supply pipe is fluidically connected. Each outlet 118 is for example equipped with a pump which allows the dihydrogen to be set in motion in the pipe 108 connected to said outlet 118.

[0034] In the first embodiment of the invention shown in [Fig. 2], there are two tanks 102 and two motorization systems 104 each comprising a consumer system 116. Each tank 102 has an outlet 118 and each consumer system 116 is here supplied by a supply pipe 108 connected between an outlet 118 and said consumer system 116. Such an embodiment makes it possible to achieve segregation by physically separating each tank 102 and the motorization system 104 connected thereto from the other tank 102 and the other motorization system 104 connected thereto to avoid the propagation of a problem from one to the other.

[0035] In the second embodiment of the invention shown in [Fig.3], there is always a first tank 102 having a first and a second outlet 118, a second tank 102 having a third and a fourth outlet 118 and there are four consumer systems 116.

[0036] In this second embodiment, the first consumer system 116 is connected to the first and third outlets 118 by supply lines 108, the second ... second outlets 118 by supply lines 108, the third consumer system 116 is connected to the second and fourth outlets 118 by supply lines 108 and the fourth consumer system 116 is connected to the third and fourth outlets 118 by supply lines 108. With such an arrangement, a problem on one of the outlets 118 does not prevent each consumer system 116 from remaining supplied with hydrogen by at least one tank 102.

[0037] In the third embodiment shown in [Fig.5], there is still a first tank 102 having a first, a second and a third outlets 118, a second tank 102 having a fourth, a fifth and a sixth outlets 118 and there are six consumer systems 116.

[0038] In this third embodiment, the first consumer system 116 is connected to the first and fourth outlets 118 by supply lines 108, the second consumer system 116 is connected to the first and fifth outlets 118 by supply lines 108, the third consumer system 116 is connected to the second and third outlets 118 by supply lines 108, the fourth consumer system 116 is connected to the third and fourth outlets 118 by supply lines 108, the fifth consumer system 116 is connected to the sixth and fifth outlets 118 by supply lines 108, and the sixth consumer system 116 is connected to the second and sixth outlets 118 by supply lines 108.As previously, with such an arrangement, a problem on one of the outputs 118 does not prevent each consumer system 116 from remaining supplied with dihydrogen by at least one tank 102.

[0039] Generally speaking, with respect to the second and third embodiments of the invention, the aircraft 100 comprises two tanks 104 and 2*N consumer systems 116 where N is an integer strictly greater than one. There is therefore preferably an even number of consumer systems 116 which are distributed on either side of a vertical median plane of the aircraft 100.

[0040] Each tank 102 is equipped with N outlets 118 and each is connected to a supply pipe 108.

[0041] The supply pipes 108 are arranged so that, on the one hand, each consumer system 116 is supplied by two different outlets 118, and, on the other hand, two outlets 118 do not supply the same pair of consumer systems 116. Thus, a problem on one of the outlets 118 does not prevent each consumer system 116 from remaining supplied with dihydrogen by at least one tank 102.

[0042] Each tank 102 thus has as many outlets 118 as there are systems consumer 116 on each side of the aircraft 100 and each outlet 118 supplies two consumer systems 116. In the second embodiment of the invention of [Fig. 3], the supply lines 108 are arranged so that the first outlet 118 of the first tank 102 supplies dihydrogen to two consumer systems 116 on one side of the aircraft 100, the second outlet 118 of the second tank 102 supplies dihydrogen to two consumer systems 116 on the other side of the aircraft 100, the second outlet 118 of the first tank 102 and the first outlet of the second tank 102 supply dihydrogen to two consumer systems 116, one on each side of the aircraft 100.

[0043] To regulate the temperature of the dihydrogen between the tank 102 where it is stored and the consumer system 116 where it is consumed, the aircraft 100 comprises a thermal treatment system 200, 400, embodiments of which are shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

[0044] For each motorization system 104, the heat treatment system 200, 400 comprises a loop 110 containing a heat transfer fluid which circulates in said loop 110 for example by means of a pump 140 installed on said loop 110.

[0045] For each reservoir 102 and each supply pipe 108 supplied by said reservoir 102, i.e. for each outlet 118, the heat treatment system 200, 400 comprises a supply heat exchanger 112 arranged so as to exchange calories between the heat transfer fluid circulating in a loop 110 and the dihydrogen circulating in the supply pipe 108 at the outlet of the reservoir 102, i.e. at the outlet 118.

[0046] Due to the temperatures, the supply heat exchanger 112 ensures the transfer of calories from the heat transfer fluid to the dihydrogen which heats up while the heat transfer fluid cools down.

[0047] For each consumer system 116, the heat treatment system 200, 400 comprises a return heat exchanger 114 arranged so as to exchange calories between the heat transfer fluid circulating in a loop 110 and the consumer system 116 of the motorization system 104, i.e. the fuel cell or the combustion engine.

[0048] Due to the temperatures, the return heat exchanger 114 ensures the transfer of calories from the consumer system 116 to the heat transfer fluid which heats up while the consumer system 116 cools down.

[0049] The combination of such a supply system 136 and such a heat treatment system 200, 400 ensures, with a simple arrangement, the heating of the dihydrogen between the reservoir 102 and the consumer system 116 to make it pass from the liquid phase to the gaseous phase.

[0050] In the case of the first embodiment of [Fig.2], the separation into two distinct assemblies of the power supply system 136 and the heat treatment system 200 ensures independent operation of the two assemblies even in the event of a problem with one of them.

[0051] In the second embodiment shown in [Fig. 4], the heat treatment system 400 comprises a first feed heat exchanger 112 at the first outlet 118, a second feed heat exchanger 112 at the second outlet 118, a third feed heat exchanger 112 at the third outlet 118 and a fourth feed heat exchanger 112 at the fourth outlet 118.

[0052] There are also four loops 110 and four return heat exchangers 114, i.e. one of each per consumer system 116.

[0053] There is thus a first loop 110 between the first supply heat exchanger 112 and the first return heat exchanger 114 at the first consumer system 116, a second loop 110 between the second supply heat exchanger 112 and the second return heat exchanger 114 at the second consumer system 116, a third loop 110 between the third supply heat exchanger 112 and the third return heat exchanger 114 at the third consumer system 116, and a fourth loop 110 between the fourth supply heat exchanger 112 and the fourth return heat exchanger 114 at the fourth consumer system 116.

[0054] Each loop 110 thus ensures the heating of the dihydrogen between the outlet 118 and the associated consumer system 116.

[0055] Each loop 110 comprises a first strand 124 in which the heat transfer fluid circulates from the supply heat exchanger 112 to the return heat exchanger 114 and a second strand 125 in which the heat transfer fluid circulates from the return heat exchanger 114 to the supply heat exchanger 112.

[0056] A pump 140 is arranged on at least one of these strands 124 and 125 to drive the heat transfer fluid into the loop 110.

[0057] To ensure temperature regulation even in the event of an incident on a loop 110, the aircraft 100 comprises a first deflection pipe 122 between the first strand 124 of the first, respectively third loop 110 and the first strand 124 of the second, respectively fourth loop 110 and a second deflection pipe 123 between the second strand 125 of the first, respectively third loop 110 and the second strand 125 of the second, respectively fourth loop 110.

[0058] Each diversion pipe 122, 123 is equipped with a first shut-off valve 126 to prevent or release the passage for the heat transfer fluid in said diversion pipe 122, 123. At the same time, on either side of the connection between a strand 124, 125 and a diversion pipe 122, 123, said strand 124, 125 is equipped with a second stop valve 128 which also makes it possible to prevent or release the passage for the heat transfer fluid in the strand 124, 125 in question.

[0059] In normal operation, the second shutoff valves 128 are open and the first shutoff valves 126 are closed.

[0060] Each stop valve 126, 128 is preferably an electrically, pneumatically, or other controlled valve and controlled in opening and closing by a control unit 50 of the aircraft 100.

[0061] The aircraft 100 also includes a monitoring system which makes it possible to know if an incident occurs on one or other of the strands 124, 125 and depending on the information delivered by the monitoring system, the control unit 50 manages the stop valves 126 and 128 to best supply each loop 110. The monitoring system includes, for example, pressure sensors which monitor the pressure of the heat transfer fluid in each strand 124, 125.

[0062] According to a particular operating mode, if an incident occurs on a loop 110 between a bypass pipe 122, 123 and a return heat exchanger 114 as symbolized for example by the reference 60 of [Fig. 4], the two second stop valves 128 between the incident 60 and each bypass pipe 122, 123 are then controlled to close by the control unit 50 and the two first stop valves 126 are then controlled to open by the control unit 50. The return heat exchanger 114 concerned by the incident 60 is then no longer supplied with heat transfer fluid but the supply heat exchanger 112 concerned by the incident 60 remains supplied with heat transfer fluid by the second loop 110 which guarantees the heating of the dihydrogen at the first outlet 118.

[0063] According to a particular operating mode, if an incident occurs on a loop 110 between a bypass pipe 122, 123 and a supply heat exchanger 112 as symbolized for example by the reference 62 of [Fig. 4], the two second shutoff valves 128 between the incident 62 and each bypass pipe 122, 123 are then commanded to close by the control unit 50 to isolate the incident 62, but it is not provided to open the first shutoff valves 126 to limit the risks of contamination by dihydrogen of the two loops 110.

[0064] In the third embodiment shown in [Fig. 5], an example of a heat treatment system comprises, as for the second embodiment, a supply heat exchanger 112 at each outlet 118, a return heat exchanger 114 at each consumer system 116 and a loop 110 between the two heat exchangers 112 and 114. There is thus a first loop between the first outlet 118 and the first consumer system 116, a second loop between the second outlet 118 and the second consumer system 116 and so on up to a sixth loop. For reasons of clarity, only the first loop 110 has been shown in [Fig.5].

[0065] [Fig. 6] shows an embodiment of the control unit 50 which comprises, connected by a communication bus 51: a processor or CPU 52 (“Central Processing Unit” in English); a random access memory RAM 53 (“Random Access Memory” in English); a read only memory ROM 54 (“Read Only Memory” in English); a storage unit 55 such as a hard disk or a storage media reader, such as an SD card reader (“Secure Digital” in English); at least one communication interface 56, allowing for example the control unit to communicate with the sensors, the shut-off valves, etc.

[0066] The processor is capable of executing instructions loaded into the RAM from the ROM, an external memory (not shown), a storage medium (such as an SD card), or a communications network. When the equipment is powered on, the processor is capable of reading instructions from the RAM and executing them. These instructions form a computer program causing the processor to implement all or part of the described algorithms and steps.

[0067] All or part of the algorithms and steps described below can be implemented in software form by executing a set of instructions by a programmable machine, for example a DSP (“Digital Signal Processor”) or a microcontroller, or be implemented in hardware form by a machine or a dedicated component, for example an FPGA (“Field-Programmable Gate Array”) or an ASIC (“Application-Specific Integrated Circuit”).

Claims

Claims

1. Aircraft (100) comprising: - at least one tank (102) containing dihydrogen, - at least one engine system (104) comprising a dihydrogen consumer system (116), - for each consumer system (116) and at least one tank (102), a supply pipe (108) arranged between said consumer system (116) and said tank (102), - for each engine system (104), a loop (110) containing a heat transfer fluid, - for each tank (102) and each supply pipe (108) supplied by said tank (102), a supply heat exchanger (112) arranged so as to exchange calories between the heat transfer fluid circulating in a loop (110) and the dihydrogen circulating in the supply pipe (108) at the outlet of the tank (102), and - for each consumer system (116),a return heat exchanger (114) arranged to exchange calories between the heat transfer fluid circulating in a loop (110) and the consumer system (116) of the motorization system (104).,

2. Aircraft (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that there are two tanks (104), in that there are 2*N consumer systems (116) where N is an integer greater than 1, in that each tank (102) has N outlets (118), and in that the supply lines (108) are arranged so that, on the one hand, each consumer system (116) is supplied by two different outlets (118), and, on the other hand, so that two outlets (118) do not supply the same pair of consumer systems (116).

3. An aircraft (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that there are four consumer systems (116), in that a first tank (102) has first and second outlets (118), in that a second tank (102) has third and fourth outlets (118), in that a first consumer system (116) is connected to the first and third outlets (118), in that a second consumer system (116) is connected to the first and second outlets (118), in that a third consumer system (116) is connected to the second and fourth outlets (118) and in that

4.

5. that a fourth consumer system (116) is connected to the third and fourth outputs (118). Aircraft (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that there is a first supply heat exchanger (112) at the first outlet (118), a second supply heat exchanger (112) at the second outlet (118), a third supply heat exchanger (112) at the third outlet (118), a fourth supply heat exchanger (112) at the fourth outlet (118), and in that there is a first loop (110) between the first supply heat exchanger (112) and a first return heat exchanger (114) at the first consumer system (116), a second loop (110) between the second supply heat exchanger (112) and a second return heat exchanger (114) at the second consumer system (116),a third loop (110) between the third supply heat exchanger (112) and a third return heat exchanger (114) at the third consumer system (116), and a fourth loop (110) between the fourth supply heat exchanger (112) and a fourth return heat exchanger (114) at the fourth consumer system (116)., Aircraft (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a first deflection pipe (122) between the strand (124) of the first, respectively third loop (110) in which the heat transfer fluid circulates from the supply heat exchanger (112) to the return heat exchanger (114) and the strand (124) of the second, respectively fourth loop (110) in which the heat transfer fluid circulates from the supply heat exchanger (112) to the return heat exchanger (114), a second deflection pipe (123) between the strand (125) of the first, respectively third loop (110) in which the heat transfer fluid circulates from the return heat exchanger (114) to the supply heat exchanger (112) and the strand (125) of the second, respectively fourth loop (110) in which the heat transfer fluid circulates from the return heat exchanger (114) to the supply heat exchanger (112),in that each diverting pipe (122, 123) is equipped with a first shut-off valve (126) and in that on either side of the connection between a strand (124, 125) and a diverting pipe (122, 123), said strand (124, 125) is equipped with a second shut-off valve (128).

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