Patent Application
20240092498
This disclosure generally relates to unmanned aircraft, and more specifically to a wing tank vaporizer for a solid oxide fuel cell on an unmanned aircraft.
Traditionally, internal combustion engines have been used to power aircraft. Batteries and alternate power sources or generators can present a lower cost, less maintenance, and lower system mass if used to power aircraft. For example, a solid oxide fuel cell generator may be used to power an aircraft using a fuel stored in a tank. However, problems related to fluid flow and maintenance may occur.
To assist in understanding the present disclosure, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
To facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure, the following examples of certain embodiments are given. The following examples are not to be read to limit or define the scope of the disclosure. Embodiments of the present disclosure and its advantages are best understood by referring to
The first tank 108 may be operable to house or contain a fuel to be used to power the vehicle 100. Without limitations, the first tank 108 may be operable to contain any suitable volume of fuel, such as about 8.6 liters. In embodiments, the fuel may be any suitable fluid for producing energy, such as propane. For example, the first tank 108 may be fluidly connected to the body 102 and operable to direct the fuel to the body 102 to be consumed to produce energy. As illustrated, the first tank 108 may be disposed along the first wing 104. In one or more embodiments, the first tank 108 may alternatively be disposed along the second wing 106 rather than the first wing 104. Without limitations, the first tank 108 may be secured to the first wing 104 or second wing 106 through any suitable method, including through the usage of fasteners, welding, adhesives, interlocking components, interference fit, and any combination thereof. In embodiments, suitable fasteners may include studs, bolts, nuts, washers, screws, nails, rivets, brackets, clamps, and the like.
The first tank 108 may be offset from the body 102 by a suitable distance. The first tank 108 may be any suitable size, height, shape, and any combinations thereof. With reference to
While the example of vehicle 100 will be used throughout this disclosure as an example application of the methods and systems described herein, any suitable apparatus or structure onto which the first tank 108 and fuel system (discussed further below) may be incorporated into is also contemplated in this disclosure. For example, vehicle 100 may be any type of vehicle, including an aircraft, a landcraft, a watercraft, a train, a hovercraft, and a helicopter.
The first tank 108 may be fluidly coupled to the second tank 202, wherein the second tank 202 may be fluidly coupled to the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204. As best seen in
The evaporator coil 206 may be incorporated with, secured to, or coupled to the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204. The evaporator coil 206 may be disposed at an end, on top of, at a side of, below, or any combination thereof in relation to the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204. Without limitations, the evaporator coil 206 may be secured to the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204 through any suitable method, including through the usage of fasteners, welding, adhesives, interlocking components, interference fit, and any combination thereof. In embodiments, suitable fasteners may include studs, bolts, nuts, washers, screws, nails, rivets, brackets, clamps, and the like. In one or more embodiments, the evaporator coil 206 may be disposed at an end of the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204.
In one example embodiment, a cathode blower assembly disposed at an end of the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204 may be removed. The evaporator coil 206 may be disposed against the exposed end of the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204, wherein an end plate may secure the evaporator coil 206 to the end of the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204. Once the evaporator coil 206 and end plate are aligned with the end of the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204, the cathode blower assembly may be re-attached to the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204, thereby incorporating the evaporator coil 206 into an end of the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204. Without limitations, there may be one or more spacers or standoffs used to compress the evaporator coil 206 to the end plate and to the end of the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204. In embodiments, the evaporator coil 206 may be any suitable size, height, shape, and any combinations thereof. In further embodiments, the evaporator coil 206 may comprise any suitable materials, including, but not limited to, metals, nonmetals, polymers, ceramics, composites, and any combinations thereof. Without limitations, the evaporator coil 206 may comprise aluminum.
The evaporator coil 206 may operate as a heat exchanger and may be configured to transfer heat from the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204 to the received fuel discharged by the first tank 108. In embodiments, the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204 may operate at high temperatures. For example, the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204 may have a core temperature of about 800° C. and an outer temperature of about 100° C. As the temperature of the received fuel may be lower than the operating temperatures of the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204, heat transfer may occur to increase the temperature of the received fuel via the evaporator coil 206. During operations, the increase in temperature may cause a phase change in the fuel. For example, the evaporator coil 206 may receive the fuel as a liquid. As the temperature of the fuel increases due to the heat transfer, the fuel may transition to a gaseous state.
The fuel having an increased temperature due to the heat transfer through the evaporator coil 206 may be discharged from the evaporator coil 206 and flow into the second tank 202. Similar to the first tank 108, the second tank 202 may be operable to house or contain fuel to be used to power the vehicle 100, wherein the fuel is a mixture partly comprising the gaseous state 208a and the liquid state 208b. Without limitations, the second tank 202 may contain any suitable volume of fuel, such as about 2.2 liters. The second tank 202 may be any suitable size, height, shape, and any combinations thereof. In further embodiments, the second tank 202 may comprise any suitable materials, including, but not limited to, metals, nonmetals, polymers, ceramics, composites, and any combinations thereof. In one or more embodiments, there may be a manifold 212 secured to the opening of second tank 202, wherein the opening may function as both an inlet and outlet. The manifold 212 may be any suitable pipe fitting operable to provide one or more connections to other components in fuel system 200.
The second tank 202 may receive the fuel having an increased temperature discharged from the evaporator coil 206 in a gaseous state. Receiving the fuel in a gaseous state may prevent the second tank 202 from overfilling with fuel, as the second tank 202 initially contains a mixture of fuel partly in the liquid state 208b. During operations, the second tank 202 may discharge fuel to be directed to the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204, wherein the discharged fuel is the gas portion of the mixture. The discharged fuel may flow out the second tank 202 through the manifold 212. The fuel system 200 may further comprise a regulator 214 disposed downstream of the second tank 202 and operable to decrease a pressure of the fuel discharged from the second tank 202. The regulator 214 may be any suitable pressure-relief device operable to lower the pressure of a fluid flowing therethrough. The regulator 214 may be coupled to the manifold 214, incorporated into the manifold, or disposed at a distance downstream from the manifold 214. In prior embodiments wherein the fuel received by the regulator 214 was in the liquid state 208b, the regulator 214 would freeze and fail. The present disclosure provides for the fuel to be vaporized wherein the fuel received by the regulator 214 may be in the gaseous state 208a, thereby allowing continuous functionality of the regulator 214. After the pressure reduction of the fuel by the regulator 214, the fuel may be received by the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204 through an inlet 216.
The solid oxide fuel cell generator 204 may be configured to generate energy by oxidizing the received fuel. The solid oxide fuel cell generator 204 may be any suitable size, height, shape, and any combinations thereof. In further embodiments, the se solid oxide fuel cell generator 204 may comprise any suitable materials, including, but not limited to, metals, nonmetals, polymers, ceramics, composites, and any combinations thereof. The solid oxide fuel cell generator 204 may be any suitable electrochemical conversion device. In embodiments, the solid oxide fuel cell generator 204 may comprise a solid oxide or ceramic electrolyte to conduct negative oxygen ions from a cathode to an anode. The solid oxide fuel cell generator 204 may comprise a planar fuel cell design, tubular design, modified planar cell design, or any combination thereof. In one or more embodiments, the generated energy may be utilized in operating the vehicle 100.
While the example of fuel system 200 used throughout this disclosure describes specific components, such as the first tank 108, second tank 202, solid oxide fuel cell generator 204, evaporator coil 206, manifold 212, and regulator 214, any additional suitable apparatus or structure may be incorporated into the fuel system 200. For example, fuel system 200 may further comprise any suitable piping, fittings, conduit, valves, pumps, sensors, circuitry, and the like.
The present disclosure may provide numerous advantages, such as the various technical advantages that have been described with respective to various embodiments and examples disclosed herein. Other technical advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims. Moreover, while specific advantages have been enumerated in this disclosure, various embodiments may include all, some, or none of the enumerated advantages.
Herein, “or” is inclusive and not exclusive, unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Therefore, herein, “A or B” means “A, B, or both,” unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Moreover, “and” is both joint and several, unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Therefore, herein, “A and B” means “A and B, jointly or severally,” unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context.
The scope of this disclosure encompasses all changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodiments described or illustrated herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. The scope of this disclosure is not limited to the example embodiments described or illustrated herein. Moreover, although this disclosure describes and illustrates respective embodiments herein as including particular components, elements, feature, functions, operations, or steps, any of these embodiments may include any combination or permutation of any of the components, elements, features, functions, operations, or steps described or illustrated anywhere herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. Furthermore, reference in the appended claims to an apparatus or system or a component of an apparatus or system being adapted to, arranged to, capable of, configured to, enabled to, operable to, or operative to perform a particular function encompasses that apparatus, system, component, whether or not it or that particular function is activated, turned on, or unlocked, as long as that apparatus, system, or component is so adapted, arranged, capable, configured, enabled, operable, or operative. Additionally, although this disclosure describes or illustrates particular embodiments as providing particular advantages, particular embodiments may provide none, some, or all of these advantages.
