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US 3,951,362 AGranted
Cryogenic tank and aircraft structural interface
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsRobert K. Robinson, Philip C. Whitener
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cryogenic fuel tank of a cylindrical design having toroidal surface ends, is suspended in aircraft structure through a central front mount member; and the rear of the tank is supported by rod elements which extend: from a mounting ring about the tank, to mount points rearwardly within the interior of the fuselage. The central front mount member has a baffles attached thereto, so as to prevent undue sloshing of the liquid within the tank. The front end of the tank suspension absorbs radial and axial loads, but no bending moments; and the aft linkage suspension arrangement takes primarily radial and torsional loads. Also the aft suspension provides for unrestrained axial and radial contraction and expansion of the outer shell of the tank.
Claims11
A fluid container for an airplane, comprising:
- an elongated cylindrically shaped container for positioning longitudinally within the fuselage of the airplane;
- said container having a cylindrical center section and semi-toroidal-ring surface end members;
- a baffle assembly having a core support structure;
- said baffle assembly being mounted within the container in spaced relation to the interior wall surfaces of the container by said core structure interconnecting the semi-toroidal-ring surface end members through their centers to react the baffle assembly sloshing fluid pressure loads against the semi-toroidal-ring end members and to allow the surfaces of the semi-toroidal-ring end members to work in relieving expansion and contraction forces on the container without abrasion of the baffle assembly;
- a front and a rear mounting ring, each being integral with the central portion of a semi-toroidal-ring surface end member and fixedly secured to the end of the core structure of the baffle assembly for mounting the container to aircraft support structure in spaced relationship from the interior sides of the fuselage.
2 more elements
A fluid container for an airplane, comprising:
- an elongated cylindrically shaped container for positioning longitudinally within the fuselage of the airplane;
- said container having a cylindrical center section and semi-toroidal-ring surface end members;
- a baffle assembly having a core support structure;
- said baffle assembly being mounted within the container in spaced relation to the interior wall surfaces of the container by said core structure interconnecting the semi-toroidal-ring surface end members through their centers to react the baffle assembly sloshing fluid pressure loads against the semi-toroidal-ring end members and to allow the surfaces of the semi-toroidal-ring end members to work in relieving expansion and contraction forces in the container without abrasion of the baffle assembly;
- a forward mounting ring integral with the central portion of the forward semi-toroidal-ring surface end member and fixedly secured to the forward end of the core structure of the baffle assembly for mounting the forward end of the container to aircraft support structure in spaced relationship from the sides of the fuselage;
- and a rear mounting ring rigidly secured around the outer periphery of the container at the rear end of the cylindrical center section for mounting the rear end of the container through a circumferential series of attachment fittings to airplane fuselage structure in spaced relationship from the interior sides of the fuselage.
3 more elements
A liquefied gas transport airplane, comprising:
- an elongated cylindrically shaped container for the liquefied gas, extending longitudinally within the fuselage of the airplane;
- said container having a cylindrical center section and semi-toroidal-ring surface end member;
- a baffle assembly having a core support structure;
- said baffle assembly being mounted within the container in spaced relation to the interior wall surfaces of the container by said core structure interconnecting the semi-toroidal-ring surface end members through their centers to react the baffle assembly sloshing fluid pressure loads against the semi-toroidal-ring end members and to allow the surfaces of the semi-toroidal-ring end members to work in relieving expansion and contraction forces on the container without abrasion of the baffle assembly;
- a front and a rear support for the container, each being fixedly secured to airplane structure and fastened at opposite ends of the container to both the central portion of the semi-toroidal-ring surface member and to the end of the core structure of the baffle assembly for retaining the container in spaced relationship form the interior sides of the fuselage.
2 more elements
A liquefied gas transport airplane, comprising:
- an elongated cylindrically shaped container for the liquefied gas, extending longitudinally within the fuselage of the airplane;
- said container having a cylindrical center section and semi-toroidal-ring surface end members;
- a baffle assembly having a core support structure;
- said baffle assembly being mounted within the container in spaced relation to the interior wall surfaces of the container by said core structure interconnecting the semi-toroidal-ring surface end members through teir centers to react the baffle assembly sloshing fluid pressure loads and to allow the surfaces of the semi-toroidal-ring end members to work in relieving expansion and contraction forces on the container without abrasion of the baffle assembly;
- a forward support for the container fixedly secured to airplane structure and fastened to both the central portion of the forward semi-toroidal-ring surface member and to the forward end of the core structure of the baffle assembly;
- for retaining the forward end of the container in spaced relationship from the side of the fuselage;
- and a rear support for the container comprising a flange secured around the outer periphery of the container at the rear end of the cylindrical center section, and attachment fittings interconnecting the flange with fuselage structure for supporting the rear end of the container in spaced relationship from the interior side of the fuselage.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.