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EP-4367373-B1 - TURBINE ENGINES HAVING HYDROGEN FUEL SYSTEMS

EP4367373B1EP 4367373 B1EP4367373 B1EP 4367373B1EP-4367373-B1

Inventors

  • HOLLEY, BRIAN M.
  • STAUBACH, JOSEPH B.
  • MULDOON, MARC J.
  • LENTS, CHARLES E.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20220708

Claims (11)

  1. An aircraft propulsion system (300;400), comprising: aircraft systems (304;404) comprising at least one hydrogen tank (224;332;432) and an aircraft-systems heat exchanger (356;458); and engine systems (302;402) comprising at least a main engine core, a high pressure pump (318;416), a hydrogen-air heat exchanger (360;424,468), an expander (234;420), and an engine-side generator (422) operably connected to the expander (420) and configured to generate electrical power, wherein the main engine core comprises a compressor section (24), a combustor section (26) having a burner (210;310;410), and a turbine section (28), wherein hydrogen is supplied from the at least one hydrogen tank (224;332;432) through a hydrogen flow path (226;344;444), passing through the aircraft-systems heat exchanger (356;458), the high pressure pump (318;416), the hydrogen-air heat exchanger (360;424,468), and the expander (234;420), prior to being injected into the burner (210;310;410) for combustion, wherein the aircraft-systems heat exchanger (356;458) is a hydrogen-to-air heat exchanger; and characterized in that the aircraft-systems heat exchanger (356;458) is part of a cabin air conditioning system (334;434) of an aircraft.
  2. The aircraft propulsion system (400) of claim 1, wherein the engine systems (402) comprise an engine-side generator (422) configured to generate at least 300kw of electrical power.
  3. The aircraft propulsion system (300;400) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the aircraft systems include an auxiliary power source (354;456) configured to receive hydrogen from the at least one hydrogen tank (332;432) to generate power.
  4. The aircraft propulsion system (300;400) of claim 3, wherein the auxiliary power source (354;456) is a fuel cell.
  5. The aircraft propulsion system (300;400) of claim 3, wherein the auxiliary power source (354;456) includes a burner for combusting the hydrogen to generate power.
  6. The aircraft propulsion system (300;400) of claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the auxiliary power source (354;456) is connected to a generator (340;440) to generate power onboard an aircraft.
  7. The aircraft propulsion system (300;400) of any of claims 3 to 6, wherein the auxiliary power source (354;456) is configured to generate at least 100kw of electrical power.
  8. The aircraft propulsion system (300;400) of any preceding claim, further comprising at least one pump (352;454) arranged along the hydrogen flow path (226;344;444) between the at least one hydrogen tank (224;332;432) and the aircraft-systems heat exchanger (356;458).
  9. The aircraft propulsion system (400) of any preceding claim, wherein the expander (234;420) is arranged between the hydrogen-air heat exchanger (424) and the burner (210;410) along the hydrogen flow path (226;444).
  10. The aircraft propulsion system (400) of any preceding claim, further comprising a valve (460) arranged along the hydrogen flow path (444) between the expander (420) and the burner (410), the valve (460) configured to control a flow of hydrogen into the burner (410).
  11. The aircraft propulsion system (400) of any preceding claim, wherein the hydrogen enters the expander (234;420) at temperatures up to the auto-ignition temperature of the hydrogen.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to turbine engines and aircraft engines, and more specifically to employing hydrogen fuel systems and related systems with turbine and aircraft engines. BACKGROUND Gas turbine engines, such as those utilized in commercial and military aircraft, include a compressor section that compresses air, a combustor section in which the compressed air is mixed with a fuel and ignited, and a turbine section across which the resultant combustion products are expanded. The expansion of the combustion products drives the turbine section to rotate. As the turbine section is connected to the compressor section via a shaft, the rotation of the turbine section drives the compressor section to rotate. In some configurations, a fan is also connected to the shaft and is driven to rotate via rotation of the turbine. Typically, liquid fuel is employed for combustion onboard an aircraft, in the gas turbine engine. The liquid fuel has conventionally been a hydrocarbon-based fuel. Alternative fuels have been considered, but suffer from various challenges for implementation, particularly on aircraft. Hydrogen-based and/or methane-based fuels are viable effective alternatives which may not generate the same combustion byproducts as conventional hydrocarbon-based fuels. The use of hydrogen and/or methane, as a gas turbine fuel source, may require very high efficiency propulsion, in order to keep the volume of the fuel low enough to feasibly carry on an aircraft. That is, because of the added weight associated with such liquid/compressed/supercritical fuels, such as related to vessels/containers and the amount (volume) of fuel required, improved efficiencies associated with operation of the gas turbine engine may be necessary. EP 3 623603 A1 discloses a prior art hybrid expander cycle with a turbogenerator and cooled power electronics. EP 4 019 752 A1 discloses gas turbine engines having cryogenic fuel systems. This document is prior art under Art 54(3) EPC only. BRIEF SUMMARY According to the present invention, there is provided an aircraft propulsion system as claimed in claim 1. In addition to one or more of the features described above, embodiments of the aircraft propulsion systems may include that the engine systems include an engine-side generator configured to generate at least 300kw of electrical power. In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, embodiments of the aircraft propulsion systems may include that the aircraft systems include an auxiliary power source configured to receive hydrogen from the at least one hydrogen tank to generate power. In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, embodiments of the aircraft propulsion systems may include that the auxiliary power source is a fuel cell. In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, embodiments of the aircraft propulsion systems may include that the auxiliary power source includes a burner for combusting the hydrogen to generate power. In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, embodiments of the aircraft propulsion systems may include that the auxiliary power source is connected to a generator to generate power onboard an aircraft. In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, embodiments of the aircraft propulsion systems may include that the auxiliary power source is configured to generate at least 100kw of electrical power. In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, embodiments of the aircraft propulsion systems may include at least one pump arranged along the hydrogen flow path between the at least one hydrogen tank and the aircraft-systems heat exchanger. In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, embodiments of the aircraft propulsion systems may include that the expander is arranged between the hydrogen-air heat exchanger and the burner along the hydrogen flow path. In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, embodiments of the aircraft propulsion systems may include a valve arranged along the hydrogen flow path between the expander and the burner, the valve configured to control a flow of hydrogen into the burner. In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, embodiments of the aircraft propulsion systems may include that the hydrogen enters the expander at temperatures up to the auto-ignition temperature of the hydrogen. The foregoing features and elements may be executed or utilized in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation thereof will become more apparent in light of the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following de