Liquid Hydrogen Tank Insulation Structure to Prevent Inner Tank Collision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional in-vehicle liquid hydrogen tanks face issues with the inner tank colliding with the outer tank during impacts, leading to potential damage and hydrogen leakage due to the suspension of the inner tank by shock-absorbing materials, which can be damaged or deformed.
Innovation Solution
A configuration with a heat-insulation clearance between the inner and outer tanks, including a vacuum area and an area filled with heat-insulation material, supports the inner tank to prevent collision while maintaining high insulation properties, using superinsulation and a rupture disc to manage pressure and enhance safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the inner tank is suspended and held by shock-absorbing material, then the inner tank is protected from collision during impact, but the shock-absorbing material may be damaged or deformed causing the inner tank to collide with the outer tank
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the shock-absorbing material from the system and replaces it with a heat-insulation material that provides both thermal insulation and mechanical support functions. This extraction eliminates the reliability issue of shock-absorbing material failure while maintaining collision protection through the structural support of the heat-insulation material.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat-insulation material serves dual functions: providing thermal insulation to maintain liquid hydrogen temperature and providing mechanical support to prevent inner tank collision with the outer tank. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for separate shock-absorbing material while maintaining protection reliability.
2Temperature
If a vacuum heat-insulation layer is formed between the outer tank and inner tank, then heat transfer to the inner tank is inhibited, but the inner tank may collide with the outer tank during vehicle collision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the vacuum heat-insulation layer with heat-insulation material filling in the same space between the outer tank and inner tank. The vacuum layer provides superior thermal insulation while the heat-insulation material provides mechanical support to prevent collision, thus merging thermal protection and mechanical protection functions in one integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat-insulation material acts as an intermediary substance that fills the space between the vacuum heat-insulation layer and the inner/outer tanks. It provides mechanical support and collision protection while allowing the vacuum layer to maintain its thermal insulation function, thus mediating between thermal protection and mechanical protection requirements.
3Reliability
If the heat-insulation clearance is completely filled with heat-insulation material, then the inner tank is supported to prevent collision, but the heat-insulation property decreases due to heat conduction through the material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different regions within the heat-insulation clearance: a vacuum area with superior heat-insulation property and areas filled with heat-insulation material for mechanical support. This localized differentiation allows each region to optimize for its primary function while contributing to the overall system performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat-insulation clearance is segmented into multiple functional zones: vacuum areas for thermal insulation and heat-insulation material-filled areas for mechanical support. This segmentation allows the system to simultaneously achieve high heat-insulation properties and reliable collision protection by distributing different functions to different spatial segments.
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
Stable storage of liquid hydrogen is achieved by preventing inner tank collisions and maintaining insulation, reducing the risk of damage and leakage, while also simplifying manufacturing and reducing weight and cost through efficient pressure management.
Implementation Method 1
The heat-insulation clearance has: a vacuum area that is not filled with the heat-insulation material
Implementation Method 2
In the vacuum area, heat is not transferred except by radiation
Implementation Method 3
an area that is filled with the heat-insulation material and thus allows the inner tank to be surface-supported by the heat-insulation material
Implementation Method 4
When a strong impact is applied to the in-vehicle liquid hydrogen tank, the shock-absorbing material is possibly damaged or deformed
Implementation Method 5
The outer tank may have a rupture disc that is ruptured when an internal pressure of the outer tank becomes equal to or higher than a specified allowable pressure
Data Source
AI summary
An in-vehicle liquid hydrogen tank includes: an inner tank that stores liquid hydrogen; an outer tank that accommodates the inner tank; and a heat-insulation material that is arranged in a heat-insulation clearance as a clearance between the inner tank and the outer tank and holds the inner tank to be separated from an inner surface of the outer tank. The heat-insulation clearance has: a vacuum area that is not filled with the heat-insulation material; and an area that is filled with the heat-insulation material and thus allows the inner tank to be surface-supported by the heat-insulation material.