Top-Fuselage Cryogenic Tank Fairing for Safe Hydrogen Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrating large cryogenic tanks for liquid hydrogen fuel into aircraft poses challenges in terms of safe location, packaging, thermal management, and maintaining flight dynamics and structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a tank support system connected to the aircraft's fuselage, a set of cryogenic tanks, and a fairing that encases the tanks, positioned above the fuselage to minimize wetted area and protect against entrapment, with structural isolation and a rotor burst keep-out zone to ensure safety and aerodynamic efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If large cryogenic tanks are mounted on the aircraft, then sufficient liquid hydrogen storage capacity is achieved, but the aircraft's structural integrity and flight dynamics are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cryogenic tanks are extracted from the aircraft's internal structure and mounted externally on the fuselage. This separation allows the tanks to be attached without compromising the aircraft's internal structural integrity, while still providing the required storage capacity. The external mounting position is specifically chosen to minimize impact on flight dynamics.
Solution Approach 2:
A dedicated tank support system acts as an intermediary structure between the cryogenic tanks and the aircraft fuselage. This support system includes mounting brackets and structural elements that distribute the load and provide secure attachment without requiring modifications to the aircraft's primary structure, thereby preserving structural integrity.
2Quantity of substance
If cryogenic tanks are mounted on the aircraft, then liquid hydrogen storage is achieved, but thermal management challenges arise
Solution Approach 1:
The cryogenic tanks are designed to maintain an inert thermal environment that isolates the liquid hydrogen from external heat sources. The tanks are positioned externally and configured to minimize thermal exposure, creating a thermally isolated environment that preserves the cryogenic state of the hydrogen without requiring active thermal management systems.
3Quantity of substance
If cryogenic tanks are mounted on the aircraft, then sufficient fuel capacity is achieved, but safety risks from hydrogen entrapment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cryogenic tanks are extracted from potential entrapment zones and mounted in an exposed position on the fuselage. This external positioning ensures that hydrogen gas can freely disperse and prevents accumulation in confined spaces, eliminating the entrapment hazard while maintaining fuel capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tank positioning and support system design preemptively counteracts the potential harmful effect of hydrogen entrapment by configuring the mounting to ensure natural gas dispersion. The structure is designed from the outset to prevent the formation of hazardous gas pockets, rather than attempting to address entrapment after it occurs.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method for mounting a cryogenic tank on an aircraft. The system includes a tank support system connected to a crown region of a fuselage of an aircraft, a cryogenic tank connected to the tank support system, and a fairing encasing the tank support system and the cryogenic tank.