Solar-thermal fluid heating for aerospace platforms
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsShailesh Atreya, Michael F. Stoia, Tina R. Stoia, Russell K. Jones
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Abstract
An aerospace platform includes a structure having a cavity and a light-transmissive portion that exposes the cavity to sunlight. The aerospace platform further includes a fluid heating system. The fluid heating system includes a fluid-carrying, thermally absorptive structure within the cavity, and a solar collector for collecting light transmitted through the light-transmissive portion and focusing the collected light onto the absorptive structure. The thermally absorptive structure has a high surface absorptivity that retains thermal energy when exposed to solar irradiance and heats fluid contained therein.
Claims24
An aerospace platform comprising:
- a platform structure having a cavity and a light-transmissive portion that exposes the cavity to sunlight;
- and
- a fluid heating system including:
- a fluid-carrying, thermally absorptive structure within the cavity;
- a solar collector for collecting solar irradiance transmitted through the light-transmissive portion and focusing the collected solar irradiance onto the thermally absorptive structure;
- and
- means for moving the solar collector to track the Sun;
- the thermally absorptive structure having high surface absorptivity that retains thermal energy when exposed to solar irradiance and heats water contained therein.
A system for generating gaseous oxygen and hydrogen for an aerospace platform having a window that transmits solar irradiance, the system comprising:
- a water-carrying, thermally absorptive container within the cavity;
- a solar collector, having a line of sight to the window, for collecting solar irradiance transmitted through the window and focusing the collected solar irradiance onto the thermally absorptive container, the thermally absorptive container having high surface absorptivity that retains thermal energy when exposed to solar irradiance and heats water contained therein to produce steam;
- and
- an electrolyzer for performing high temperature electrolysis to break down the steam into oxygen and hydrogen.
A method for an aerospace platform, the method comprising
- flowing water into an absorptive container having a line of sight to a light-transmissive section of the aerospace platform;
- heating the water in the container to produce steam, the water heated by collecting solar irradiance transmitted by the light-transmissive section of the aerospace platform, and focusing the collected solar irradiance onto the container;
- and
- performing high temperature electrolysis to produce hydrogen and oxygen from the steam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.