Systems, methods, and apparatus for refueling hydrogen aircraft
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorConstantinos Minas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Example systems, methods, and apparats for refueling hydrogen aircraft are disclosed herein. An example multiphase hydrogen refueling system includes a liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank coupled to at least one of a cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH2) tank and a gaseous hydrogen (GH2) tank; a liquid nitrogen (LN2) tank; and a hydrant coupled to the LH2 tank, the CcH2 tank, the GH2 tank, and the LN2 tank, the hydrant including: a transfer line to refuel an aircraft with at least LH2, CcH2, or GH2; a purge valve to purge the transfer line using at least one of nitrogen (N2) from the LN2 tank or GH2 from the GH2 tank; and a GH2 return line to transmit evaporated GH2 back to the GH2 tank.
Claims17
A multiphase hydrogen refueling system comprising:
- a liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank coupled to at least one of a cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH2) tank and a gaseous hydrogen (GH2) tank;
- a liquid nitrogen (LN2) tank;
- and
- a hydrant coupled to the LH2 tank, the CcH2 tank, the GH2 tank, and the LN2 tank, the hydrant including:
- an LH2 port fluidly coupled to the LH2 tank;
- an LH2 line including an LH2 valve, the LH2 line including a first male connector;
- a transfer line to refuel an aircraft with at least LH2, CcH2, or GH2, the transfer line coupled to the LH2 line and a cryogenic port of the aircraft, the transfer line includes a first female connector coupled to the first male connector, the cryogenic port including a second male connector, and the transfer line including a second female connector coupled to the second male connector;
- a purge valve to purge the transfer line using at least one of nitrogen (N2) from the LN2 tank or GH2 from the GH2 tank;
- and
- a GH2 return line to transmit evaporated GH2 back to the GH2 tank.
A multiphase hydrogen refueling system comprising:
- a liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank coupled to at least one of a cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH2) tank and a gaseous hydrogen (GH2) tank;
- a liquid nitrogen (LN2) tank;
- and
- a hydrant coupled to the LH2 tank, the CcH2 tank, the GH2 tank, and the LN2 tank, the hydrant including:
- a transfer line to refuel an aircraft with at least LH2, CcH2, or GH2;
- a GH2 port coupled to the GH2 tank;
- a first GH2 line including a first GH2 valve;
- a second GH2 line;
- an LH2 port fluidly coupled to the LH2 tank;
- an LH2 line including an LH2 valve;
- a temperature sensor coupled to the LH2 line;
- a sensor to detect an amount of GH2 in at least one of the transfer line or the LH2 line;
- a purge valve to purge the transfer line using at least one of nitrogen (N2) from the LN2 tank or GH2 from the GH2 tank;
- and
- an N2 line, the N2 line including an N2 valve, the first GH2 line and the N2 line are fluidly coupled to the LH2 line via the purge valve;
- an N2 port coupled to the LN2 tank and the N2 line;
- a GH2 return line to transmit evaporated GH2 back to the GH2 tank, the GH2 return line fluidly coupled to the GH2 tank, the GH2 return line coupled to the LH2 line via a GH2 return valve,
- a hydrant vent line coupled to the LH2 line via a hydrant vent valve;
- and
- a controller to:
- open the hydrant vent valve;
- open the purge valve;
- open the N2 valve;
- begin a first counter;
- and
- close the N2 valve when the first counter satisfies a first time threshold.
A method for refueling a hydrogen aircraft using a hydrant, the method comprising:
- purging a liquid hydrogen (LH2) line and a transfer line of the hydrant with nitrogen (N2) and gaseous hydrogen (GH2), the transfer line coupled to the LH2 line, the LH2 line coupled to an LH2 tank via an LH2 port;
- cooling the LH2 line and the transfer line with liquid hydrogen (LH2) from the LH2 tank;
- and
- refueling an aircraft via the transfer line with LH2 fuel from the LH2 tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.