Underwater Cryogenic Storage Vessel Thermal Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing underwater vehicle fuel systems face challenges in efficiently storing and managing oxygen and carbon dioxide due to heat dissipation between storage tanks, leading to increased pressure and fluid expansion, which requires larger tank volumes and partial filling to accommodate expansion.

Innovation Solution

A concentrically arranged storage vessel design with multiple tanks and a storage compartment, where each tank is insulated to minimize heat transfer and protect fluids from external conditions, using a thermal conditioning unit to manage fluid states and pressures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If heat is supplied to one storage tank for boiling off oxygen, then oxygen can be supplied to the fuel cell, but heat dissipates to adjacent tanks increasing their temperature and pressure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoxygen supply to fuel cellVSAvoidtemperature of adjacent storage tanks

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The storage system is divided into separate storage tanks with individual insulation, allowing thermal management of each tank independently. This segmentation prevents heat from one tank affecting others, enabling selective heating of only the tank needing oxygen while maintaining stable temperatures in adjacent tanks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Thermal insulation acts as an intermediary barrier between storage tanks, blocking heat transfer pathways. The insulation layer prevents thermal energy from the heated tank from dissipating to adjacent tanks, thereby maintaining their temperature and pressure stability during oxygen boil-off operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of energy

If insulated vacuum gaps are added to storage tanks to reduce heat leak, then heat transfer to unused tanks is reduced, but the tanks take up larger volume

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat leak to unused tanksVSAvoidvolume of storage tanks

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Storage tanks are arranged in a nested or compact configuration where insulated vacuum gaps are integrated into the overall structure. The insulation is positioned in the spaces between tanks rather than adding external bulk, achieving thermal isolation while minimizing volume increase through efficient spatial arrangement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Reliability

If tanks are partially-filled to account for fluid expansion from heat leak, then fluid expansion can be accommodated, but greater tank volume is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccommodation of fluid expansionVSAvoidtank volume

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The insulation that prevents harmful heat leak also maintains more stable fluid temperatures, reducing unnecessary expansion. By converting the potential harm of heat transfer into beneficial thermal stability, the system can operate with higher fill levels without risking excessive pressure from unwanted expansion, thereby reducing required tank volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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

The solution effectively reduces heat transfer between tanks, maintains low temperatures for cryogenic fluids, and optimizes storage volume by minimizing the impact of external conditions, allowing for efficient storage and management of oxygen and carbon dioxide without excessive expansion.

Implementation Method 1

insulating the first storage tank and the second storage tank from external environmental conditions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Data Source

PatentUS9383065B1Underwater cryogenic storage vessel and method of using the same

Publication Date: 2016.07.05 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

Technologies are described herein for storing fluid in an underwater cryogenic storage vessel designed for use in a fuel system of an underwater vehicle. According to one aspect of the disclosure, a storage vessel includes at least two concentrically arranged storage tanks, which includes a first storage tank and a second storage tank. The first storage tank surrounds the second storage tank, such that the first storage tank is configured to protect the second storage tank from external environmental conditions. The storage vessel also includes a storage compartment positioned adjacent to the two storage tanks. In one embodiment, the storage vessel may be an underwater cryogenic storage vessel that stores liquid oxygen used as a reactant in a fuel cell and liquid carbon dioxide, which is an effluent of the fuel cell.