Thermally-integrated fluid storage and pressurization system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsGary D. Grayson, Mark W. Henley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A propulsion system may be operated by determining pressure in a cryogenic liquid tank storing a fluid and cooling the cryogenic liquid tank in response to determining that the pressure is greater than a predetermined value. The cryogenic liquid tank may be pressurized by admitting a gaseous form of the fluid into the cryogenic liquid tank in response to determining that the pressure in the cryogenic liquid tank is less than a predetermined value.
Claims18
A method of operating a propulsion system, comprising the steps of:
- determining pressure in a cryogenic liquid oxygen tank storing oxygen;
- cooling the cryogenic liquid oxygen tank by exchanging heat with a cryogenic liquid hydrogen tank via external cooling of a surface of the cryogenic liquid oxygen tank in response to determining that the pressure is greater than a predetermined value;
- pressurizing the cryogenic liquid oxygen tank via admission of a gaseous form of the oxygen in response to determining that the pressure is less than a predetermined value;
- and
- exchanging heat between a surface of the liquid hydrogen tank and a surface of a supercritical oxygen bottle.
A method of operating a propulsion system, comprising the steps of:
- determining pressure in a cryogenic liquid oxygen tank storing oxygen;
- cooling the cryogenic liquid oxygen tank in response to determining that the pressure is greater than a predetermined value;
- pressurizing the cryogenic liquid oxygen tank via admission of a gaseous form of the oxygen in response to determining that the pressure is less than a predetermined value;
- determining whether a main propulsion system burn is being conducted;
- determining a fill fraction of a supercritical bottle in response to determining that the main propulsion system burn is not being conducted;
- and
- filling the supercritical bottle in response to the fill fraction being below a predetermined fill fraction by performing the following:
- cooling the supercritical bottle;
- reducing the pressure in the supercritical bottle in response to the cooling thereof;
- transferring cryogenic liquid to the supercritical bottle;
- and
- warming the supercritical bottle.
A method of regulating a fluid storage system, comprising the steps of:
- storing liquid hydrogen in a liquid hydrogen tank;
- exchanging heat between a surface of the liquid hydrogen tank and a surface of a supercritical oxygen bottle via external cooling of the supercritical oxygen bottle;
- and
- regulating heat flow between the liquid hydrogen tank and the supercritical oxygen bottle in response to exchanging heat therebetween.
A method of operating a fluid storage system, comprising the steps of:
- storing liquid hydrogen in a liquid hydrogen tank;
- storing liquid oxygen in a liquid oxygen tank;
- activating a plurality of thermal switches coupling the liquid hydrogen tank to each one of the liquid oxygen tank, a supercritical hydrogen bottle, and a supercritical oxygen bottle;
- and
- exchanging heat between the liquid hydrogen tank and each one of the liquid oxygen tank, the supercritical hydrogen bottle, and the supercritical oxygen bottle via external cooling of a surface of the liquid oxygen tank, a surface of the supercritical hydrogen bottle, and a surface of the supercritical oxygen bottle in response to activating the thermal switches.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.