Modular Liquid Hydrogen Boost Pump Replacement Without Tank Draining
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenges of using hydrogen as a fuel in aircraft include high-pressure gaseous hydrogen and supercritical fluid safety issues during ground refueling, and the need for a reliable and efficient liquid hydrogen supply system that minimizes weight and ensures safe installation and replacement of boost pumps without draining the fuel tank.
Innovation Solution
A modular design of a liquid hydrogen boost pump system with centrifugal pumps, integrated into a fuel tank, featuring a canister system for easy replacement and a pump changing tool that uses gaseous helium to ensure safety and prevent ice formation, allowing for quick and safe pump installation and maintenance without draining the fuel tank.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If high-pressure gaseous hydrogen or supercritical fluid is used for aircraft propulsion, then energy density per unit mass is improved, but safety issues arise during ground refueling and tank weight exceeds acceptable limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of hydrogen from high-pressure gaseous or supercritical fluid to liquid hydrogen at atmospheric pressure. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by maintaining high energy density while eliminating safety issues during ground refueling, as liquid hydrogen can be handled safely without high-pressure systems
2Reliability
If liquid hydrogen is used for aircraft propulsion, then safety during ground refueling is improved, but pump installation and replacement time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is divided into modular segments that can be independently removed and replaced. The pump assembly includes a pump housing, impeller, and mounting flanges as separate but interconnected components, allowing rapid replacement of the entire pump unit or individual components without draining the fuel tank
Solution Approach 2:
The pump is designed with pre-assembled modular components and quick-connect fittings that allow installation and replacement to be performed rapidly. The modular design with standardized interfaces enables technicians to replace the pump unit without time-consuming disassembly or fuel tank draining procedures
3Loss of time
If modular pump design is implemented for quick replacement, then pump replacement time is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is segmented into modular components (pump housing, impeller, mounting flanges, quick-connect fittings) that can be independently manufactured, tested, and replaced. This segmentation reduces replacement time while the modular architecture actually simplifies the overall design by using standardized, interchangeable components
4Loss of time
If pump replacement is performed without draining the fuel tank, then loss of time is reduced, but risk of hydrogen leakage and ice formation increases
Solution Approach 1:
A purge gas (such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide) is introduced as an intermediary substance to displace liquid hydrogen from the pump cavity before removal. This prevents hydrogen leakage and ice formation by replacing the cryogenic hydrogen with a safer gas that can be vented without hazard
Solution Approach 2:
The pump cavity is flushed with inert purge gas to create an inert atmosphere before pump removal. This eliminates the risk of hydrogen leakage and ice formation by replacing the reactive cryogenic hydrogen environment with a safe, non-cryogenic inert gas environment during the replacement operation
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 system provides a reliable liquid hydrogen supply, reduces installation and maintenance time, minimizes weight, and ensures safety by preventing ice formation and hydrogen leakage, while maintaining aircraft operation even in the event of pump failure.
Implementation Method 1
A variety of additional aspects will be set forth in the description that follows. The aspects can relate to individual features and to combinations of features.
Implementation Method 2
a pump changing tool which ensures the technician's safety during pump replacement and prevents ice formation inside the pump cavity
Data Source
AI summary
One or more boost pumps for a liquid hydrogen fuel system are disposed within the fuel tank and fully flooded. An electrical connector of each boost pump is sealed from the fuel tank and accessible from an exterior of the fuel tank while the boost pump is installed. Each boost pump can be independently replaced using a toolbox. Each boost pump is purged of fuel before being replaced by introducing a gas at a center region of the boost pump. The toolbox and new boost pump are purged prior to removal of the old boost pump. Each boost pump can be formed from modular components.