Long endurance hydrogen powered vehicle

An aircraft comprising:

• a fuselage;
• wings attached to the fuselage at an attachment location, wherein the wing to fuselage length ratio is about 3.0 or greater;
• first and second spherical cryogenic containers for containing liquid hydrogen, the first container ahead of the wing attachment location, the second container rear of the wing attachment location, each of said cryogenic containers comprising an external portion secured at said attachment location to a frame portion of said fuselage;
• a first and a second pump respectively associated with the first and second spherical cryogenic container each adapted for pumping liquid hydrogen, each first and second pump having a suction in fluid communication with a first and a second interior each respectively associated with each of the first and second spherical cryogenic containers;
• an engine adapted for combusting gaseous hydrogen as fuel;
• a cooling system comprising a circulating coolant, the coolant removing waste heat generated by air compression and hydrogen combustion;
• and
• a heat exchanger in fluid communication with a discharge of the pump, and in fluid communication with the coolant, the heat exchanger transferring heat from coolant to liquid hydrogen when the aircraft is in use, wherein the fuselage comprises a design that conforms to a predetermined shape and size of each of the first and second spherical cryogenic containers.

An aircraft comprising:

• a fuselage having wings extending from the fuselage, wherein the aircraft has high aspect ratio wings having a wingspan to fuselage length ratio of about 3.0 or greater;
• a spherical cryogenic container adapted to contain liquid hydrogen, the spherical cryogenic container located within and mounted to the fuselage, said cryogenic container comprising an external portion secured to a frame portion of said fuselage;
• a pump adapted for pumping liquid hydrogen, the pump having a suction in fluid communication with an interior of the cryogenic container;
• an internal combustion engine for combusting gaseous hydrogen as fuel to provide propulsion;
• an intercooled compression system supplying compressed air to the engine;
• and
• a heat exchanger in fluid communication with a discharge of the pump, and in fluid communication with a coolant, the heat exchanger transferring heat from coolant to liquid hydrogen when the aircraft is in use, wherein the fuselage comprises a design that conforms to a predetermined shape and size of the spherical cryogenic container.