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。无人机目前由长续航时间低可靠性汽油发动机或短续航时间高可靠性电力推进提供动力。如果采用适当的储氢方法，氢燃料电池提供了长时间、高可靠性的推进潜力。通过该项目开发的创新储氢系统，燃料电池电动汽车可以通过减少排放和促进地面和空中的能源独立来促进国民健康和福利。该项目将为电动无人机开发一种新型液氢储罐，以提高武装部队监视平台的可靠性和性能，降低美国服务人员的风险，同时确保我们国家的国防。同样的电动平台将通过检查关键的能源和交通基础设施，并在自然灾害期间作为第一反应者的情报和通信平台，促进国家福利。此外，该项目开发的关键技术将通过展示工程塑料在低温（-238 ° F）环境中的能力和性能来扩大增材制造的实用性。这种低温等级的3D打印聚合物部件具有广泛的影响，包括降低成本，跨越从医疗设备和航天器到药物和食品加工的低温依赖技术领域。增材制造的聚合物迄今为止从未用于低温应用。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项目成功至关重要。 由于大多数低温研究，如-423 ° F氢渗透聚合物，自20世纪60年代以来就没有研究过，因此需要广泛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将其成本有效地应用于绝缘板或罐壁的制造方法来填补知识空白。虽然先前的研究已经确定了一种耐低温热循环的聚合物共混物，但微裂纹的可能性尚未得到彻底解决，并将在本项目中进行评估。从未在商业低温应用中使用过的新型绝缘材料将进行热特性分析并集成到原型罐中。该项目将通过完成液氢燃料填充和测量质量蒸发率来测试计算流体动力学模型的性能。