Monitoring systems for hydrogen fueled aircraft
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorConstantinos Minas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are for monitoring systems for hydrogen fueled aircraft. An example fuel distribution system distribution system includes a first hydrogen fuel tank, a first sensor associated with the first hydrogen fuel tank, a second sensor associated with the combustor, and a controller to determine a first rate of change in a first amount of hydrogen in the first hydrogen fuel tank based on a first input from the first sensor, determine a flow rate of hydrogen into the combustor based on a second input from the second sensor, determine an average mass loss rate based on the first rate of change and the flow rate and in response to determining the average mass loss rate satisfies a first threshold, determine a leak is present in the fuel distribution system.
Claims20
A fuel distribution system including:
- a first hydrogen fuel tank;
- a first sensor associated with the first hydrogen fuel tank;
- a second sensor associated with a combustor;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- determine a first rate of change in a first amount of hydrogen in the first hydrogen fuel tank based on (1) a liquid level of the first hydrogen fuel tank, (2) a volume of the first hydrogen fuel tank, (3) a first density of liquid hydrogen in the first hydrogen fuel tank, and (4) a second density of a gaseous hydrogen in the first hydrogen fuel tank, the liquid level based on a first input from the first sensor;
- determine a flow rate of hydrogen into the combustor based on a second input from the second sensor;
- determine an average mass loss rate based on the first rate of change and the flow rate;
- and
- in response to determining the average mass loss rate satisfies a first threshold, determine a leak is present in the fuel distribution system.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed, cause a processor to:
- determine a first rate of change in a first amount of hydrogen in a first hydrogen fuel tank based on (1) a liquid level of the first hydrogen fuel tank, (2) a volume of the first hydrogen fuel tank, (3) a first density of liquid hydrogen in the first hydrogen fuel tank, and (4) a second density of a gaseous hydrogen in the first hydrogen fuel tank, the liquid level based on a first input from a first sensor associated with the first hydrogen fuel tank;
- determine a flow rate of hydrogen into a combustor of a gas turbine engine based on a second input from a second sensor associated with the combustor, the combustor coupled to the first hydrogen fuel tank via a fuel distribution system;
- determine an average mass loss rate based on the first rate of change and the flow rate;
- and
- in response to determining the average mass loss rate satisfies a first threshold, determine a leak is present in the fuel distribution system.
A method including:
- determining a first rate of change in a first amount of hydrogen in a first hydrogen fuel tank based on (1) a liquid level of the first hydrogen fuel tank, (2) a volume of the first hydrogen fuel tank, (3) a first density of liquid hydrogen in the first hydrogen fuel tank, and (4) a second density of a gaseous hydrogen in the first hydrogen fuel tank, the liquid level based on a first input from a first sensor associated with the first hydrogen fuel tank;
- determining a flow rate of hydrogen into a combustor of a gas turbine engine based on a second input from a second sensor associated with the combustor, the combustor coupled to the first hydrogen fuel tank via a fuel distribution system;
- determining an average mass loss rate based on the first rate of change and the flow rate;
- and
- in response to determining the average mass loss rate satisfies a first threshold, determining a leak is present in the fuel distribution system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.