Aircraft Hydrogen Cooling System with Dual Air Intakes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aircraft cooling systems are not optimized for dihydrogen fuel, which is stored in liquid form at very low temperatures and consumed in gaseous form, leading to inefficiencies in temperature regulation and vaporization.
Innovation Solution
The aircraft incorporates a dihydrogen-based cooling system with multiple heat exchangers and diversion pipes connected to the fuel line, allowing for temperature regulation of devices and engine components, and increasing the temperature of dihydrogen before combustion, while also utilizing heat exchangers for oil and electric generator cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cooling systems are used with liquid hydrogen fuel, then the system structure is simple, but the temperature regulation efficiency is poor and vaporization is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel line is designed to serve dual purposes: transporting liquid hydrogen fuel to the combustion chamber and functioning as a heat exchange conduit for cooling engine components. The fuel line includes sections that are in thermal contact with components needing cooling, allowing the cold fuel to absorb heat and vaporize while simultaneously cooling the engine parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold liquid hydrogen fuel itself is used as the cooling medium for engine components. As the fuel flows through the fuel line, it naturally absorbs heat from the engine components it contacts, vaporizing in the process. This eliminates the need for separate cooling systems while efficiently utilizing the fuel's low temperature.
2Temperature
If multiple heat exchangers are added to the fuel line, then the temperature regulation improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple heat exchange functions are merged into a single integrated fuel line structure. The fuel line incorporates several sections that contact different engine components (compressor, turbine, etc.), combining multiple cooling operations into one continuous flow path rather than using separate heat exchangers.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel line is designed with nested or integrated heat exchange sections where the fuel flow path is thermally coupled with engine component cooling channels. The fuel line effectively contains within its structure multiple heat transfer interfaces with different engine parts along its length.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system efficiently regulates the temperature of devices and engine components, improves dihydrogen vaporization, and enhances engine performance by optimizing the flow and pressure of dihydrogen, leading to better fuel efficiency and reduced air intake during takeoff.
Implementation Method 1
a first heat exchanger and a first pipe that passes through the first heat exchanger and supplies the devices to be heated downstream of the first heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
The use of heat exchangers on the dihydrogen pipeline makes it possible to regulate the temperature of the devices to be heated and of the engine, and to increase the temperature of the dihydrogen before its combustion
Implementation Method 3
which is stored in liquid form at a very low temperature and consumed by the turbojet in gaseous form
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an aircraft (100) comprising an engine (110), a hydrogen tank (108), heating devices (104), a first air intake (112) at low pressure or intermediate pressure, a second air intake (114) at high pressure, a first heat exchanger (116), a first pipe (118) which passes through the first heat exchanger (116) and supplies the heating devices (104), where upstream of the first heat exchanger (116), the first pipe (118) divides into two sub-pipes connected respectively to the first air intake (112) and to the second air intake (114), and a fuel pipe (130) connected between the tank (108) and the combustion chamber and passing through the first heat exchanger (116).The use of heat exchangers on the dihydrogen pipeline makes it possible to regulate the temperature of the devices to be heated and of the engine and to increase the temperature of the dihydrogen before its combustion.