STTR Phase I: 3D Printed Vapor Cooled Liquid Hydrogen Storage Tank for Use in Enterprise Level Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

STTR 第一阶段：3D 打印气冷液氢储罐，用于企业级无人机

• 批准号: 1747234
• 负责人: Patrick Adam
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: The Protium Company
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1747234&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; 3D; Printed; Vapor

This STTR Phase I project will develop 3D printed liquid hydrogen fuel tanks for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). UAVs are currently powered by long endurance low reliability gasoline engines, or short endurance highly reliable electric propulsion. Hydrogen fuel cells offer the potential for long endurance highly reliable propulsion if the proper hydrogen storage method is used. Through the innovative hydrogen storage system developed by this project, fuel cell electric vehicles can advance national health and welfare through reduction of emissions, and promotion of energy independence both on the ground and in the air. This project will develop a new class of liquid hydrogen storage tanks for electric UAVs that will increase the reliability and performance of surveillance platforms in the armed forces, reducing risk to American service personnel while they secure the defense of our nation. The same electric platforms will promote the national welfare by enabling the inspection of key energy and transportation infrastructure and serving as intelligence and communications platforms for first responders during natural disasters. In addition, the key technology developed in this project will expand the utility of additive manufacturing by demonstrating the capabilities and performance of engineered plastics in cryogenic ( -238°F) environments. Such cryogenic rated 3D printed polymer parts have wide ranging impacts, including cost reduction, across cryogenic dependent technology areas from medical devices and spacecraft to drug and food processing.Additively manufactured polymers have never been used in cryogenic applications until now. The correct selection of polymer blend, testing and selection of a lightweight impermeable membrane, and thermal characterization of novel insulation materials are critical to project success. Since most cryogenic research, such as -423°F permeation of hydrogen through polymers, has not been studied since the 1960s, extensive cryogenic engineering and testing experience is required to apply modern materials and manufacturing methods to the project. The objectives of this project will fill knowledge gaps by testing metallized polymer films for hydrogen permeability, as well as manufacturing methods to cost effectively apply it to insulation panels or tank walls. While prior research has identified a polymer blend that is robust to cryogenic thermal cycling, the possibility of microcracking has not yet been thoroughly addressed and will be evaluated in this project. Novel insulation materials never before used in commercial cryogenic applications will be thermally characterized and integrated into the prototype tank. This project will conclude by completing a liquid hydrogen fuel fill and measuring the mass boil-off rate to test computational fluid dynamic modeled performance.

STTR 第一阶段项目将为无人机 (UAV) 开发 3D 打印液氢燃料箱，目前由长续航低可靠性汽油发动机提供动力，或短续航高可靠性氢燃料电池提供长续航潜力。如果使用适当的储氢方法，燃料电池电动汽车可以通过该项目开发的创新可靠的储氢系统，通过减少排放和促进地面和地面能源独立来促进国民健康和福祉。空气。该项目将为电动无人机开发一种新型液氢储罐，这将提高武装部队监视平台的可靠性和性能，在确保美国国防安全的同时降低美国军人面临的风险。通过对关键能源和交通基础设施进行检查并作为自然灾害期间急救人员的情报和通信平台来维护国家福祉。此外，该项目开发的关键技术将通过展示其能力和性能来扩大增材制造的效用。低温工程塑料（这种低温额定 3D 打印聚合物部件具有广泛的影响，包括降低成本，涵盖从医疗设备和航天器到药物和食品加工的低温相关技术领域。增材制造的聚合物从未用于低温应用。现在，正确选择聚合物共混物、测试和选择轻质防渗膜以及新型隔热材料的热特性对于项目成功至关重要，因为大多数低温研究（例如 -423°F 的氢气渗透）。自 20 世纪 60 年代以来尚未对聚合物进行研究，需要丰富的低温工程和测试经验才能将现代材料和制造方法应用于该项目。该项目的目标将通过测试金属化聚合物薄膜的氢渗透性以及氢渗透性来填补知识空白。虽然先前的研究已经确定了一种对低温热循环具有鲁棒性的聚合物混合物，但微裂纹的可能性尚未得到彻底解决，并将在该项目中进行评估。材料从不在用于商业低温应用之前，将对其进行热表征并集成到原型罐中，该项目将通过完成液氢燃料填充并测量质量蒸发率来测试计算流体动力学建模性能。