Cryogenic Aircraft Fuel Aeroshell Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The low energy density of liquid and supercritical hydrogen and methane poses challenges for storing sufficient fuel for long-range flights, while their high flammability and cryogenic temperatures raise safety concerns for passenger aircraft.
Innovation Solution
The design of a cryogenic-fuelled airliner featuring separate spherical hydrogen containers within an aeroshell, positioned above the wings to minimize drag and interference with the wing's airflow, along with a Boundary Layer Ingesting (BLI) propulsor to reduce skin friction drag.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If cryogenic liquid hydrogen or methane is used as fuel, then energy density is improved, but storage volume and safety concerns worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places spherical hydrogen containers inside an aeroshell that is mounted on the aircraft fuselage. The aeroshell acts as an outer protective shell that contains the fuel containers, creating a nested structure where the containers are housed within the shell. This nesting approach optimizes space utilization and reduces the overall storage volume required while maintaining adequate fuel quantity for long-range flights.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel storage system is divided into multiple separate spherical hydrogen containers rather than using a single large tank. This segmentation allows for more efficient packing within the aeroshell, improves safety by isolating fuel in separate compartments, and enables modular design that can be optimized for the available space on the aircraft fuselage.
2Use of energy by moving object
If cryogenic liquid hydrogen or methane is used as fuel, then energy density is improved, but safety concerns worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fuel storage system from the traditional wing-mounted location and places it on the fuselage in an aeroshell. This separation isolates the cryogenic fuel away from the passenger cabin and critical aircraft systems, reducing safety concerns related to high flammability and cryogenic temperatures. The aeroshell acts as a protective barrier that distances the fuel from areas where leaks could cause harm.
Solution Approach 2:
The aeroshell provides a protective enclosure for the hydrogen containers, cushioning against potential hazards before they can affect the aircraft. The shell structure is designed to contain and control any potential fuel leaks or thermal effects, providing a safety buffer between the cryogenic fuel and the aircraft structure and passengers.
3Loss of energy
If fuel tanks are positioned on the fuselage, then aerodynamic drag is reduced, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The aeroshell serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides aerodynamic streamlining to reduce drag, acts as a protective enclosure for the fuel containers, and serves as a mounting structure for the fuel system. By combining these functions into a single integrated component, the design reduces the number of separate parts needed and simplifies the overall structure despite the unconventional fuselage-mounted location.
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 design achieves lower drag and empty weight for a given storage volume, improves aircraft stability by preventing hydrogen sloshing, provides redundancy in fuel storage, and enhances safety by isolating fuel leaks from the passenger cabin.
Implementation Method 1
a Boundary Layer Ingesting (BLI) propulsor to reduce skin friction drag
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft includes a fuselage and a wing, at least one hydrogen fuel tank and a fuel line configured to delivery fuel from the fuel tank to the engine. The fuel tank is installed externally of the fuselage and wing, and comprises an external aeroshell containing a plurality of pressure vessels configured to contain pressurised fuel therein.