An aircraft with a multi-walled fuel tank and method of manufacturing is presented. The aircraft includes a blended wing body and a fuel tank attached to the blended wing body configured to store liquified gas fuel. The fuel tank includes an inner wall, outer wall, and interstitial volume in between that is filled with insulation. The interstitial volume includes a reflective film layer and a structural insulation layer.

A dual-wall, vacuum-insulated container (30, 40) has an external wall (1), an internal wall (3) and there in-between a vacuum chamber (5), in which there is arranged a heat insulation device (2, 20). At least three temperature sensors (13, 13a, 13b, 14, 15) that are spaced apart from another recurringly register instantaneous temperatures (T.sub.1, T.sub.2, T.sub.2A, T.sub.2B, T.sub.3) of the container (30, 40). At least in some points there is calculated a temperature course using a heat insulation model on the basis of the construction and material characteristics of the container and the heat radiation resulting therefrom, which temperature course contains at least two of the temperatures (T.sub.1, T.sub.2, T.sub.2A, T.sub.2B, T.sub.3) registered. From the temperature course there is calculated a desired temperature value for the position of at least one further of the temperature sensors and compared with the actual temperature value actually registered by this temperature sensor. From the deviation between the desired temperature value and the actual temperature value there is detected a change of the heat insulation quality of the container.

Suspension system for an inner container mounted for thermal insulation in an outer container. Rod-shaped fixed bearing securing elements of a fixed bearing system engage the outer container and the inner container and can be stressed in tension and compression. Fixed bearing securing elements engage the inner container while being arranged so as to be distributed in an annular installation space between the inner container and outer container, and they engage the outer container while being distributed in the annular installation space. A floating bearing system with a floating bearing ring and annularly distributed floating bearing securing elements can be arranged in the outer container to support the inner container. The floating bearing securing elements can be stressed in tension by tension springs and/or in compression by compression springs and engage the floating bearing ring and the inner container or the outer container.

LNG, for use as a motor vehicle fuel, is stored in a manner that does not require massive tanks, eliminates evaporative loss and reduces refrigeration energy consumption. A Stirling cryocooler extends through a wall of a highly insulated, relatively low pressure container to its cold end located in the vapor phase above the liquid surface. The pressure or temperature of the LNG is sensed and applied to a feedback control that modulates the heat transfer rate of the Stirling cryocooler so that LNG vapor is liquefied at a rate to maintain a desired pressure and temperature within the container. Maintaining a superatmospheric pressure in the container reduces the energy consumption required for re-liquefaction of the LNG vapor. The apparatus is also usable for liquefaction of natural gas for refueling vehicles from the ubiquitous consumer level domestic gas distribution system.

A cryogenic pressure container for a motor vehicle has an inner container and an outer container. An evacuated space is arranged between the inner container and the outer container at least in some regions. The inner container has a synthetic material layer. A barrier layer is arranged at least in some regions between the synthetic material layer and the evacuated space. The barrier layer is designed and arranged so as to at least reduce the transfer of constituents leaking out of the synthetic material layer into the evacuated space, wherein a gap is formed at least in some regions between the barrier layer and the synthetic material layer.

A transport container for helium, with an inner container for receiving the helium, a coolant container for receiving a cryogenic liquid (N.sub.2), an outer container, in which the inner container and the coolant container are contained, a thermal shield, in which the inner container is contained and which can be actively cooled with the aid of a liquid phase of the cryogenic liquid (LN.sub.2), the thermal shield having at least one first cooling line, in which the liquid phase of the cryogenic liquid can be received for actively cooling the thermal shield, and an insulating element, which is arranged between the outer container and the thermal shield and which can be actively cooled with the aid of a gaseous phase of the cryogenic liquid (GN.sub.2), the insulating element having at least one second cooling line, in which the gaseous phase of the cryogenic liquid can be received.

A device for storing cryogenic fluid including a sealed internal shell delimiting the storage volume for the cryogenic fluid, a thermal insulation layer disposed around the internal shell, and a sealed external shell disposed around the insulation layer. The space between the internal shell and the external shell being under vacuum, the external shell resting on the periphery of the thermal insulation layer, and the thermal insulation layer having an insulating material of the “pressure-responsive” type. Also including a protective shell disposed around the external shell, and at least one supporting component having an end connected rigidly to the internal shell and a second end rigidly connected to the protective shell such that such that the assembly having the internal shell. The external shell and the thermal insulation layer under vacuum is suspended in the protective shell via the at least one supporting component.

A thermoelectric cryogenic material storage container including: an inner container containing cryogenic liquid material; a supply pipe connected to the inner container to supply the cryogenic liquid material from the outside to the inner container; an outer container for accommodating the inner container to be spaced apart from each other; a discharge pipe provided to be connected to the inner container to discharge a vaporized material of the cryogenic liquid material vaporized in the inner container to the outside of the outer container; and at least one thermoelectric module provided to have one side in contact with the outer side of the supply pipe and the other side in contact with the outer side of the discharge pipe. When current is supplied to the thermoelectric module, the other side becomes a heating side, and the one side becomes a cooling side.

An apparatus, namely an infrared (IR) interference shield, is described that can be utilized with a vehicle that employs hydrogen fueling, such as a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). For example, the IR interference shield is mounted onto the vehicle's hydrogen fueling receptacle. The IR interference shield is distinctly structured to reduce or prevent interference of IR wireless communication between a vehicle-side IR transmitter on the receptacle, and an IR receiver of the hydrogen fueling station. The IR interference shield can block interference to IR signals that may negatively affect IR wireless communication between the hydrogen fueling station and the vehicle. Thus, the IR interference shield improves reliability of the communication between the vehicle and the hydrogen fueling station, thereby improving the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the hydrogen refueling process.

A passive insulating tank support structure includes a first interface ring mounted to a first tank, a first support ring surrounding and spaced apart from the first interface ring, a second interface ring mounted to a second tank, a plurality of first struts coupling the first and second interface rings, a plurality of second struts coupling the first support ring and second interface ring, a plurality of third struts coupling the first support ring and a first heat source, a third interface ring mounted to the second tank, and a plurality of fourth struts coupling the third interface ring and a second heat source.