Liquid Hydrogen Tank Venting to Prevent BMS Ice Blockage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid hydrogen reservoirs face issues with ice formation in the boil-off management system (BMS) due to cold boil-off gas and high humidity at low ambient temperatures, leading to potential catalyst blockage and system failure.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a return line that feeds back warm exhaust gas from the BMS into the mixing chamber via a temperature-controlled valve, using the Venturi principle to warm the chamber passively and prevent ice formation, while ensuring the exhaust gas stream is not impeded, and implementing a controlled boil-off valve to manage pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If a boil-off valve is used to discharge gaseous hydrogen to maintain pressure, then pressure control is improved, but ice formation in the mixing chamber occurs due to cold hydrogen and high humidity at low ambient temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful cold exhaust gas from the catalyst into a beneficial heating source by routing it through the return line back to the mixing chamber. This循环利用 transforms the cold gas that causes icing into a heating medium that prevents ice formation, solving the contradiction between pressure control and ice prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The return line acts as an intermediary component that transports the exhaust gas from the catalyst back to the mixing chamber. This intermediary pathway enables the thermal energy from the exhaust gas to be transferred to the mixing chamber, preventing ice formation while maintaining the pressure control function of the boil-off valve.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If exhaust gas is fed back into the mixing chamber to prevent ice formation, then ice prevention is improved, but counterpressure may impede the exhaust gas stream
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by providing heating only where it is most needed - in the mixing chamber where ice formation occurs. The return line delivers warm exhaust gas specifically to this location without impeding the overall exhaust flow, as the heating function is localized and does not create significant backpressure on the exhaust system.
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
Effectively prevents ice formation in the BMS at low ambient temperatures, ensuring reliable operation of the liquid hydrogen reservoir by maintaining a warm environment in the mixing chamber without electrical heating and avoiding counterpressure issues.
Implementation Method 1
using the Venturi principle to warm the chamber passively
Implementation Method 2
a catalyst arranged downstream of the mixing chamber for the catalytic conversion of the gaseous hydrogen with the air
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid hydrogen reservoir and a method for operating a liquid hydrogen reservoir. The liquid hydrogen reservoir includes a cryostatic container operable to hold liquid hydrogen; a discharge line operable to discharge gaseous hydrogen in the cryostatic container; a boil-off management system (BMS), a return line, and a boil-off valve (BOV). The BMS that includes a mixing chamber operable to mix the gaseous hydrogen with ambient air, a catalyst arranged downstream of the mixing chamber and operable for a catalytic conversion of the gaseous hydrogen with the ambient air, and an exhaust gas line arranged downstream of the catalyst and operable to discharge the gas stream to the environment. The return line is operable to connect the exhaust gas line to the mixing chamber to facilitate a return flow of at least a partial stream of the exhaust gas line into the mixing chamber.