Structurally integrated vacuum tank and method of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12269608-B2
Application number	US-202318336989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2023
Priority date	Jun 17, 2023
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

There is provided a structurally integrated vacuum tank that includes a vacuum tank main portion extending between vacuum tank end portions. The vacuum tank main portion includes a vacuum tank skin forming a cylinder. The vacuum tank skin has a longitudinal cross section with a profile geometry configured for buckling prevention for the vacuum tank skin under external pressure loads. The vacuum tank skin is configured to provide a pressure barrier between an outside ambient pressure and a vacuum in an interior of the vacuum tank main portion. The vacuum tank main portion further includes a plurality of stiffener members coupled to surface portions of the vacuum tank skin. The vacuum tank skin and the plurality of stiffener members are configured to carry structural loads.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system for a structure, the structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system comprising:
a structurally integrated vacuum tank comprising:
a vacuum tank main portion extending between vacuum tank end portions, the vacuum tank main portion comprising:
a vacuum tank skin forming a cylinder, the vacuum tank skin having a longitudinal cross section with a profile geometry configured for buckling prevention for the vacuum tank skin under external pressure loads, and the vacuum tank skin configured to provide a pressure barrier between an outside ambient pressure and a vacuum in an interior of the vacuum tank main portion; and
a plurality of stringers coupled to one of, outer surface portions of the vacuum tank skin, or outer surface portions and inner surface portions of the vacuum tank skin, wherein the vacuum tank skin and the plurality of stringers are configured to carry structural loads;

a pressure tank mounted within the structurally integrated vacuum tank, and attached to an interior of the structurally integrated vacuum tank, via a forward tank attach fitting and an aft tank attach fitting, the pressure tank containing a cryogenic fluid; and
a vacuum cavity that forms a gap between a pressure tank outer surface of the pressure tank, and a vacuum tank inner surface of the structurally integrated vacuum tank, such that the pressure tank is not in direct contact with both the vacuum tank skin and the plurality of stringers.

2. The structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal cross section comprises a corrugated cross section having a sinusoidal shape with peaks and valleys that alternate, and with a substantially straight portion in between each peak and each valley.

3. The structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system of claim 2 , wherein a curve is added to the substantially straight portion between each peak and each valley of the sinusoidal shape.

4. The structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of stringers comprises one of, a box stringer, a T-shaped stringer, a U-shaped stringer, a single hat stringer, a double hat stringer, a blade stringer, a plank stringer, a C-shaped stringer, a J-shaped stringer, an L-shaped stringer, or an I-shaped stringer.

5. The structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system of claim 4 , wherein the box stringer comprises a first section and a second section, and the vacuum tank skin is clamped between the first section and the second section, via one or more fastener assemblies.

6. The structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system of claim 5 , wherein the box stringer further comprises a sealing element comprising one of:
a fayed surface sealing element;
an externally applied sealing element; or
a rubber grommet sealing element.

7. The structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system of claim 1 , wherein the profile geometry of the longitudinal cross section of the vacuum tank skin has a shape comprising one or more of a corrugated shape, a sinusoidal shape, a superimposed curves shape, a symmetrical shape, a non-symmetrical shape, a pointed corner shape, a hat shape, or a fractal shape.

8. The structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder formed by the vacuum tank skin comprises one of:
an untapered cylinder; or
a tapered cylinder.

9. The structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stringers and the vacuum tank skin are made of one or more metal materials comprising aluminum, aluminum alloy, steel, stainless steel, titanium alloy, copper, and copper alloy.

10. The structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of stringers has an external profile that is a substantially straight external profile, and an internal profile corresponding to the profile geometry of the vacuum tank skin.

11. An aircraft, comprising:
a fuselage with a plurality of fuselage barrel sections, and an outer aero skin at a fuselage mold line; and
a structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system, comprising:
a structurally integrated vacuum tank integrated with the fuselage, the structurally integrated vacuum tank having a vacuum tank main portion extending between vacuum tank end portions, the vacuum tank main portion comprising:
a vacuum tank skin forming a cylinder, the vacuum tank skin having a longitudinal cross section with a profile geometry configured for buckling prevention for the vacuum tank skin under external pressure loads and flight loads, and the vacuum tank skin configured to provide a pressure barrier between an outside ambient pressure and a vacuum in an interior of the vacuum tank main portion; and
a plurality of stringers coupled to one of, outer surface portions of the vacuum tank skin, or outer surface portions and inner surface portions of the vacuum tank skin, and the plurality of stringers coupled to the outer aero skin, wherein the plurality of stringers and the vacuum tank skin are configured to carry fuselage bending loads;

a pressure tank mounted within the structurally integrated vacuum tank, to obtain the structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system, the pressure tank containing a cryogenic fluid and attached to an interior of the structurally integrated vacuum tank, via a forward tank attach fitting and an aft tank attach fitting; and
a vacuum cavity that forms a gap between a pressure tank outer surface of the pressure tank, and a vacuum tank inner surface of the structurally integrated vacuum tank, such that the pressure tank is not in direct contact with both the vacuum tank skin and the plurality of stringers.

12. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the structurally integrated vacuum tank is configured without the outer aero skin in an omitted outer aero skin configuration, so that the vacuum tank skin and the plurality of stringers are exposed to an air flow.

13. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the profile geometry of the longitudinal cross section of the vacuum tank skin has a shape comprising one or more of, a corrugated shape, a sinusoidal shape, a superimposed curves shape, a symmetrical shape, a non-symmetrical shape, a pointed corner shape, a hat shape, or a fractal shape.

14. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of stringers has an external profile that is a substantially straight external profile, and an internal profile corresponding to the profile geometry of the vacuum tank skin.

15. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the cryogenic fluid comprises one of:
liquid hydrogen; or
liquid natural gas.

16. A method of using a structurally integrated vacuum jacketed tank system to maximize a volume of cryogenic fluid stored in a structure, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a structurally integrated vacuum tank integrated with the structure, the structurally integrated vacuum tank having a vacuum tank main portion extending between vacuum tank end portions, the vacuum tank main portion comprising:
a vacuum tank skin forming a cylinder, the vacuum tank skin having a longitudinal cross section with a profile geometry configured for buckling prevention for the vacuum tank skin under external pressure loads, and the vacuum tank skin configured to provide a pressure barrier between an outside ambient pressure and a vacuum in an interior of the vacuum tank main portion; and
a plurality of stringers coupled to one of, outer surface portions of the vacuum tank skin, or ou

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Grip Robert E
• Kutzmann Aaron J
• Noel Nathaniel J

Classifications

• F17C2270/0189

  Planes · CPC title

• F17C2205/0126

  One vessel · CPC title

• F17C2221/033

  Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG · CPC title

• F17C2221/012

  Hydrogen · CPC title

• F17C2203/012

  on or in the wall, e.g. ribs · CPC title