Replaceable cartridge for liquid hydrogen

• US 7,810,669 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Westenberger, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu; Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALKER, NED ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US11/072,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20050224514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 22056004-56015, 220562-564, 220586-592, 220/901, 244/172.2, 244/172.3
• US Class Current: 220/560.07
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 1/00 Pressure vessels, e.g. gas cylinder, gas tank, replaceable cartridge pressurised apparatus for purposes other than storage, see the relevant subclasses such as A62C, B05B; associated with vehicles, see the appropriate subclass of classes B60 - B64; pressure vessels in general F16J12/00 ; autoclaves B01J3/04; tank vehicles B60P3/22; railway tank wagons for carrying fluent materials B61D5/00; accumulators for supplying fluid under pressure F15B1/04; liquefied gas stoves F24C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/01 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0104 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0157 Polygonal
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/035 with substantially horizontal main axis
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/056 Small (<1 m3)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0391 by vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0629 Two walls
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0157 for transport
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0332 Safety valves or pressure relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0335 Check-valves or non-return valves
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/037 Quick connecting means, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/05 Vessel or content identifications, e.g. labels
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/012 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0161 cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0192 Three-phase, e.g. CO2 at triple point
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/033 Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/043 in the gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/0123 gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/033 Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/0107 : by pressurising the ullage
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/0306 : using the same fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/0374 : in the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/0388 : separate
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/032 : using computers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0417 : with electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/043 : Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0439 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0491 : Parameters measured at or inside the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/00 : Purposes of gas storage and gas handling
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2265/031 : by discharge
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2265/032 : by recovery
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0105 : Ships
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0134 : placed above the ground
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0168 : by vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0178 : Cars
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0189 : Planes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 220/901 : Liquified gas content, cryogenic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4973 : Replacing of defective part

Abstract

A replaceable cartridge for coupling to a consumer or to a filling station, wherein the replaceable cartridge comprises at least one disconnectable connection coupling for connection to the consumer or the filling station. Furthermore, the replaceable cartridge comprises a tank for holding liquid hydrogen.

Claims

1. A replaceable cartridge for coupling to a consumer or to a filling station, wherein the replaceable cartridge comprises:

at least one disconnectable connection coupling for connection to the consumer or to the filling station; and

a tank for receiving liquid hydrogen,

wherein the tank comprises an internal tank, an external tank, and a device for supplying heat to the internal tank, and

wherein for storing liquid or partially liquefied hydrogen, the internal tank and the external tank are thermally decoupled by means of superinsulation,

the superinsulation having a heat transfer coefficient selected so that, when the cartridge is in use, a desired amount of heat transfer from the environment at ambient temperature to the internal tank effects formation of desired amount of gaseous hydrogen commensurate with a non-zero consumption by the consumer of the so-formed gaseous hydrogen,

such that the replaceable cartridge does not require any regulating devices for controlling the quantity of hydrogen delivered.

2. The replaceable cartridge of claim 1,

wherein the replaceable cartridge is designed for use in aircraft.

3. The replaceable cartridge of claim 1,

wherein the tank is designed for holding liquid or partially liquefied hydrogen.

4. The replaceable cartridge of claim 1,

wherein, for the purpose of filling the tank, the replaceable cartridge can be coupled to the filling station by means of the at least one disconnectable connection coupling;

wherein the cartridge can be coupled to the consumer by means of the at least one disconnectable connection coupling in order to provide liquid hydrogen to said consumer; and

wherein when required the replaceable cartridge can simply be disconnected from the consumer by means of the at least one disconnectable connection coupling and can be exchanged for another replaceable cartridge.

5. The replaceable cartridge of claim 1,

wherein the device for supplying heat to the internal tank controls the supplied heat;

and

wherein by controlling the heat supplied to the internal tank a quantity of gaseous hydrogen to be delivered to the consumer is controlled.

6. The replaceable cartridge of claim 1,

wherein at least one protective cap is provided for the at least one disconnectable connection coupling;

wherein for the purpose of storage or transport of the replaceable cartridge, the at least one protective cap can be arranged above the at least one disconnectable connection coupling.

7. The replaceable cartridge of claim 6,

wherein the protective cap defines a space;

wherein a catalyst is provided in the space; and

wherein, by means of the catalyst, hydrogen which evaporates into the space from the at least one connection coupling is catalytically utilised.

8. The replaceable cartridge of claim 1,

wherein the replaceable cartridge comprises encoding which designates at least one type of the replaceable cartridge.

9. The replaceable cartridge of claim 8,

wherein the encoding, by means of the at least one disconnectable connection coupling, is designed such that only one connection to a consumer which corresponds to the encoding or to a filling station which corresponds to the encoding is possible.

10. An aircraft comprising a replaceable cartridge for coupling to a consumer or to a filling station, wherein the replaceable cartridge comprises:

at least one disconnectable connection coupling for connection to the consumer or to the filling station; and

a tank for receiving liquid hydrogen,

wherein the tank comprises an internal tank, an external tank, and a device for supplying heat to the internal tank; and

wherein for storing liquid or partially liquefied hydrogen the internal tank and the external tank are thermally decoupled by means of superinsulation,

the superinsulation having a heat transfer coefficient selected so that, when the cartridge is in use, a desired amount of heat transfer from the environment at ambient temperature to the internal tank effects formation of desired amount of gaseous hydrogen commensurate with a non-zero consumption by the consumer of the so-formed gaseous hydrogen,

such that the replaceable cartridge does not require any regulating devices for controlling the quantity of hydrogen delivered.