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CN-116624275-B - Systems and methods of operating a fuel cell assembly, a gas turbine engine, or both

CN116624275BCN 116624275 BCN116624275 BCN 116624275BCN-116624275-B

Abstract

A method for operating a propulsion system having a gas turbine engine and a fuel cell assembly is provided. The fuel cell assembly includes a fuel cell. The method includes receiving gas composition data from an output product of the fuel cell and controlling operation of the fuel cell assembly, the gas turbine engine, or both in response to the received gas composition data from the output product of the fuel cell.

Inventors

  • WANG HONGGANG
  • Ladislaw A. Potirello
  • MICHAEL ANTHONY BENJAMIN

Assignees

  • 通用电气公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20230217
Priority Date
20220221

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A method of operating a propulsion system having a gas turbine engine and a fuel cell assembly, the fuel cell assembly including a fuel cell, the method comprising: receiving gas composition data from an output product of the fuel cell, and Controlling operation of the fuel cell assembly, the gas turbine engine, or both in response to the received gas composition data from the output product of the fuel cell; Wherein receiving the gas composition data comprises receiving the gas composition data from a gas sensor, and wherein controlling operation of the fuel cell assembly, the gas turbine engine, or both, in response to the received composition data comprises: controlling operation of the fuel cell assembly, the gas turbine engine, or both using model-based control, and wherein using the model-based control comprises: determining estimated gas composition data using the model, and Actual gas composition data is determined based on the determined estimated gas composition data and the received gas composition data using a fusion filter.
  2. 2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: The propulsion system is operated during a flight operation, Wherein receiving gas composition data from the output product of the fuel cell comprises receiving gas composition data from the output product of the fuel cell while operating the propulsion system during the flight operation.
  3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving gas composition data from the output product of the fuel cell further comprises sensing composition data from the output product of the fuel cell with a time resolution of ten minutes or less.
  4. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving gas composition data from the output product of the fuel cell further comprises sensing composition data from the output product of the fuel cell with a time resolution of one minute or less.
  5. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving gas composition data from the output product of the fuel cell further comprises sensing composition data from the output product of the fuel cell with a time resolution of one second or less.
  6. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving gas composition data from an output product of the fuel cell further comprises sensing composition data from the output product of the fuel cell with a multi-gas sensor that operates with a variable control parameter.
  7. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling operation of the fuel cell assembly, the gas turbine engine, or both comprises controlling operation of the fuel cell assembly.
  8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein controlling operation of the fuel cell assembly comprises modifying an operating parameter of the fuel cell assembly in response to the received gas composition data from the output product of the fuel cell.
  9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the operating parameter comprises a fuel flow rate to the fuel cell assembly, a fuel pressure, an equivalence ratio of a fuel processing unit of the fuel cell assembly, a steam to carbon ratio of the fuel processing unit of the fuel cell assembly, an air pressure, an air flow rate, an anode to cathode differential pressure, an anode inlet temperature, a cathode inlet temperature, a fuel cell stack temperature, a fuel cell current, a fuel cell utilization, a fuel cell air utilization, or a combination thereof.
  10. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling operation of the fuel cell assembly, the gas turbine engine, or both comprises controlling the gas turbine engine.
  11. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein controlling operation of the gas turbine engine comprises modifying an operating parameter of the gas turbine engine in response to the received gas composition data from the output product of the fuel cell.
  12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the operating parameters of the gas turbine engine comprise a combustor fuel flow rate, a combustor fuel-air ratio, a fuel flow rate ratio between a combustor fuel stream and a fuel cell fuel stream, a variable bleed valve, variable guide vanes, a low pressure shaft speed, a high pressure shaft speed, a variable fan nozzle, an engine-driven generator output, or a combination thereof.
  13. 13. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: The model is calibrated based on the received gas composition data.
  14. 14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising: The model is calibrated in response to the received gas composition data.
  15. 15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising: based on the determined estimated gas composition data, a fault of the gas sensor is detected.
  16. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the gas composition data of an output product comprises a percentage of hydrogen within the output product.
  17. 17. A propulsion system, comprising: a gas turbine engine including a combustion section having a combustor; A fuel cell assembly including a fuel cell stack having fuel cells defining an outlet configured to provide output products from the fuel cells to the combustor, and A control system including a gas sensor positioned to determine gas composition data of the output product at a location downstream of the fuel cell and upstream of the combustor, the control system configured to control operation of the fuel cell assembly, the gas turbine engine, or both in response to the determined gas composition data of the output product from the fuel cell, wherein controlling operation of the fuel cell assembly, the gas turbine engine, or both in response to the received composition data includes: controlling operation of the fuel cell assembly, the gas turbine engine, or both using model-based control, and wherein using the model-based control comprises: determining estimated gas composition data using the model, and Actual gas composition data is determined based on the determined estimated gas composition data and the received gas composition data using a fusion filter.
  18. 18. The propulsion system of claim 17, wherein the control system is further configured to determine the gas composition data from an output product of the fuel cell while operating the propulsion system during a flight operation.
  19. 19. The propulsion system of claim 18, wherein the control system is configured to determine the gas composition data for an output product from the fuel cell at a time resolution of one minute or less.
  20. 20. The propulsion system of claim 17, wherein the control system is configured to control operation of the fuel cell assembly by modifying an operating parameter of the fuel cell assembly, and wherein the operating parameter comprises a fuel flow rate to the fuel cell assembly, a fuel pressure, an equivalence ratio of a fuel processing unit of the fuel cell assembly, a steam-to-carbon ratio of the fuel processing unit of the fuel cell assembly, an air pressure, an air flow rate, an anode-to-cathode pressure differential, an anode inlet temperature, a cathode inlet temperature, a fuel cell stack temperature, a fuel cell current, a fuel cell utilization, a fuel cell air utilization, or a combination thereof.

Description

Systems and methods of operating a fuel cell assembly, a gas turbine engine, or both Technical Field The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for operating a fuel cell assembly, a gas turbine engine, or both. Background Gas turbine engines generally include a turbine and a rotor assembly. Gas turbine engines (such as turbofan engines) may be used for aircraft propulsion. In the case of a turbofan engine, the turbine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow order, and the rotor assembly is configured as a fan assembly. During operation, air is compressed in the compressor and mixed with fuel in the combustion section and ignited to generate combustion gases that flow downward through the turbine section. The turbine section extracts energy from the combustion gases for rotating the compressor section and fan assembly to power the gas turbine engine and propel an aircraft containing such gas turbine engine in flight. At least some gas turbine engines include fuel cell assemblies that are operable therewith. Drawings A full and enabling disclosure of the present disclosure, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which: FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an integrated fuel cell and burner assembly according to the present disclosure. Fig. 3 is a schematic axial view of the exemplary integrated fuel cell and burner assembly of fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a schematic illustration of a fuel cell of the fuel cell assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, which may be incorporated into the exemplary integrated fuel cell and burner assembly of fig. 2. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a gas turbine engine including an integrated fuel cell and combustor assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a propulsion system according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 8 is a schematic view of a fuel cell assembly according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a flow chart graphically depicting the interrelation of various aspects of a fuel cell assembly integrated into a gas turbine engine. Fig. 10 is a flowchart of a method for operating a propulsion system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure. Fig. 11 is a flowchart of a method for determining fuel cell leak diagnostic information according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure. Fig. 12 is a flowchart of an exemplary aspect of the method of fig. 11 for determining fuel cell leakage diagnostic information related to an off-board leakage. Fig. 13 is a flow chart of an exemplary aspect of the method of fig. 11 for determining fuel cell leak diagnostic information related to cross leaks. FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a method for determining carbon deposition diagnostic information according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure. Fig. 15A is a reporting module according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure. Fig. 15B is an inventory and maintenance table according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure. Fig. 16 is a flowchart of a method for operating a propulsion system according to another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure. Fig. 17 is a flow chart of a model-based control method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure. Fig. 18 is a flow chart of a modified fuel cell model according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure. Fig. 19 is a perspective view of an integrated fuel cell and burner assembly according to the present disclosure. Fig. 20 is a schematic view of a propulsion system according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 21 is a schematic diagram of a propulsion system according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 22 is a method of operating a propulsion system including a modular fuel cell assembly. FIG. 23 illustrates one embodiment of a multi-gas sensing system according to one embodiment. FIG. 24 illustrates a sensing circuit of the multi-gas sensing system shown in FIG. 23. FIG. 25 illustrates a system layout of a multi-gas sensing system according to one embodiment. FIG. 26 illustrates a flow chart of one embodiment of a method for sensing a plurality of different gas analytes using a multi-gas sensing system, according to one embodiment. FIG. 27 shows a graphical representation of the electrical response of individual sensing elements of a multi-gas sensing system, according to one embodiment. FIG. 28 shows a graphical representation of an electrical response in the