An aeroengine integrated with an inerting system and an aircraft

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of aviation system, more particularly to an aviation engine integrated with an inerting system and an aviation aircraft. It solves the problem that the traditional on-board nitrogen generation system technology needs to use the engine bleed air, thereby affecting the engine performance. The aviation engine comprises a compressor, a rotating shaft, a gas turbine, a power turbine, a generator, a compressor air splitter, an anode tail gas splitter, a combustion chamber, an anode tail gas blower, a reforming reactor, a fuel inerting system, a fuel pump, an electric propulsion system and a cathode tail gas splitter, wherein the fuel inerting system comprises a solid oxide fuel cell, a reformer heat exchange channel, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger and an oil tank. It reduces the influence of the inerting system on the weight of the aircraft, avoids the additional demand of the nitrogen generation system on the engine bleed air, and also meets the demand for electric energy under the trend of aircraft electrification, thereby ensuring the normal working performance of the engine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aviation systems technology, and more specifically to an aircraft engine and aircraft with an integrated inerting system. Background Technology

[0002] A fuel cell is a device that directly converts the chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy, without being limited by the Carnot cycle, and has high power generation efficiency. Among them, high-temperature solid oxide fuel cells have the advantage of a wide range of applicable fuels. Combining high-efficiency fuel cell technology with mature aviation gas turbine technology is a promising research direction in the aviation field. The total power generation efficiency of this hybrid system can reach more than 60%.

[0003] With the development of green aviation and aviation electrification, electric propulsion aircraft have become an important trend in future aviation development. Electric propulsion aircraft, also known as all-electric aircraft, no longer use traditional jet propulsion, but instead use electric power to drive propellers, ducted fans and other propulsion devices to achieve the aircraft's propulsion capability. Due to the low energy density of batteries, they cannot support the long-endurance operation of medium and large aircraft, resulting in poor range. Solid oxide fuel cell-turbine hybrid systems, as a high-energy-density and high-efficiency energy conversion device, can provide sufficient electrical energy for this type of aircraft, thereby ensuring the aircraft's range.

[0004] Aircraft fuel tanks are located on the wings and fuselage. Due to fuel evaporation, a significant amount of fuel vapor accumulates in the upper part of the tanks, creating a mixture with air that poses a potential hazard of combustion and explosion. FAA documents indicate that an oxygen concentration below 12% in passenger aircraft fuel tanks is considered an inert environment, preventing combustion. Therefore, introducing inert gases to reduce oxygen concentration is the primary method for addressing this issue. Besides carrying liquid nitrogen, onboard nitrogen generation systems have become the mainstream technology for inerting aircraft fuel tanks. These systems typically use hollow fiber membranes to separate bleed air from the engine, producing nitrogen-rich gas.

[0005] As can be seen from the above, fuel tank inerting is an essential part of ensuring aircraft safety. However, existing airborne nitrogen generation systems require the use of a large amount of engine bleed air, which will affect engine performance. This patent fully integrates the fuel tank inerting system with the engine, and utilizes part of the working fluid of the power system to achieve fuel tank inerting without affecting the performance of the power system. Therefore, an aero-engine and aircraft with an integrated inerting system have been invented. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention aims to propose an aero-engine and aircraft with an integrated inerting system to solve the problems of the rapidly increasing demand for electrical energy under the development of aircraft electrification and the impact on engine performance caused by the need for a large amount of engine bleed air in traditional airborne nitrogen generation system technology.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, according to one aspect of the present invention: an aero-engine with an integrated inerting system is provided, comprising a compressor, a shaft, a gas turbine, a power turbine, a generator, a compressor air splitter, an anode exhaust gas splitter, a combustion chamber, an anode exhaust gas blower, a reforming reactor, a fuel inerting system, a fuel pump, an electric propulsion system, and a cathode exhaust gas splitter. The fuel inerting system includes a solid oxide fuel cell, a reformer heat exchange passage, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, and a fuel tank. The compressor, gas turbine, power turbine, and generator are all connected to the shaft. The outlet end of the compressor is connected to the inlet end of the compressor air splitter. The compressor air splitter has two outlet ends. One outlet end of the compressor air splitter is connected to the cold end inlet of the first heat exchanger, and the cold end outlet of the first heat exchanger is connected to the cathode of the solid oxide fuel cell. The other outlet end of the compressor air splitter is connected to a first pipeline, which is connected to the cooling channel inlet of the solid oxide fuel cell. The cooling channel outlet of the solid oxide fuel cell is connected to the combustion chamber. The cathode outlet end of the solid oxide fuel cell is connected to the inlet end of a cathode exhaust gas splitter. The cathode exhaust gas splitter has two outlet ends, one of which is connected to... The second pipeline is connected to the inlet end of the reformer heat exchange channel. The outlet end of the reformer heat exchange channel is connected to the hot end inlet of the first heat exchanger. The hot end outlet of the first heat exchanger is connected to the hot end inlet of the second heat exchanger. The hot end outlet of the second heat exchanger is connected to the upper part of the fuel tank. The other outlet end of the cathode exhaust gas splitter is connected to the combustion chamber. The outlet end of the combustion chamber is connected to the gas turbine. The outlet end of the gas turbine is connected to the inlet end of the power turbine. The outlet end of the fuel tank is provided with a third pipeline, which is connected to the cold end inlet of the second heat exchanger. A fuel pump is provided on the third pipeline. The cold end outlet of the second heat exchanger is connected to the inlet end of the reforming reactor. The outlet end of the reforming reactor is connected to the anode inlet of the solid oxide fuel cell. The anode outlet of the solid oxide fuel cell is connected to the inlet end of the anode tail gas splitter. The anode tail gas splitter has two outlet ends. One outlet end of the anode tail gas splitter is connected to the combustion chamber, and the other outlet end is connected to the inlet end of the reforming reactor. At the same time, the anode tail gas blower is installed on the pipeline connecting the outlet end of the anode tail gas splitter and the reforming reactor. The electric propulsion system is electrically connected to the solid oxide fuel cell, and the generator is electrically connected to the electric propulsion system.

[0008] Furthermore, the heat exchange channel of the reformer and the reforming reactor are an integrated structure, and the inner wall of the reforming reactor is coated with a catalyst for the reforming hydrogen production reaction.

[0009] Furthermore, a valve is provided between the inlet end of the third pipeline and the fuel pump.

[0010] Furthermore, the electric propulsion system includes a power management unit, an electric motor, and an electric propeller. The energy inlet of the power management unit is electrically connected to the generator and the solid oxide fuel cell, respectively. The outlet of the power management unit is electrically connected to the electric motor, and the electric motor is connected to the electric propeller.

[0011] Furthermore, the power management unit includes a rectifier, an inverter, and an energy distribution module.

[0012] Furthermore, the cathode exhaust gas of the solid oxide fuel cell is a mixture of 10% oxygen and 90% nitrogen.

[0013] Furthermore, the oil storage tank includes two wing oil tanks and a central oil tank. The hot end outlet of the second heat exchanger is divided into three flow paths, and the three inert gas streams are connected to the gas inlets at the top of the three oil tanks in proportion to the size of the oil tanks.

[0014] Furthermore, the flow rate ratio of the two outlets of the cathode exhaust gas splitter is adjustable.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, an aircraft is provided, comprising the aforementioned aircraft engine.

[0016] In summary, the above-described device can achieve the following effects:

[0017] 1. Make full use of the exhaust gas from the cathode of the solid oxide fuel cell, which consists of high-concentration nitrogen and low-concentration oxygen. Therefore, it can be used as the inert gas source for the fuel inerting system and eliminates the need for the traditional complex onboard nitrogen generation system or the carrying of heavy and bulky liquid nitrogen tanks. This not only reduces the impact of the inerting system on the aircraft weight, but also avoids the additional demand for engine bleed air from the nitrogen generation system, ensuring the normal working performance of the engine.

[0018] 2. By fully utilizing the high-efficiency high-temperature fuel cell and further combusting the anode exhaust gas of the fuel cell, the energy is utilized in a cascade manner; the cathode exhaust gas of the fuel cell is further inerted and utilized, thus realizing the multi-functional utilization of waste gas.

[0019] 3. By using bypass air to cool the fuel cell, the safe operation of the fuel cell is ensured, and the energy of the bypass air is also increased. By using the fuel cell cathode exhaust gas to heat the reforming reaction, the energy requirements of the reforming reaction are met, and the temperature of the cathode exhaust gas is also reduced, which is beneficial to achieving the temperature requirements of the inerting gas. All of these indicate that the system makes full use of the energy of the working fluid in each flow path and achieves the cascade utilization of energy.

[0020] 4. By combining a solid oxide fuel cell with a gas turbine, air and fuel can be shared between the two components, which improves the system's compactness and significantly increases the system's efficiency compared to a single component. As the power system of an electric propulsion aircraft, this system has outstanding advantages due to its high power generation efficiency, which provides sufficient electrical energy to drive the propeller for long flight time. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an aero-engine with an integrated inerting system according to the present invention.

[0022] Compressor 1; Shaft 2; Gas turbine 3; Power turbine 4; Generator 5; Solid oxide fuel cell 6; Compressor air splitter 7; Anode exhaust gas splitter 8; Combustion chamber 9; Anode exhaust gas blower 10; Reformer reactor 11; Reformer heat exchange channel 12; First heat exchanger 13; Second heat exchanger 14; Oil tank 15; Fuel pump 16; Valve 17; Power management unit 18; Electric motor 19; Electric propeller 20; Cathode exhaust gas splitter 21. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present application can be combined with each other.

[0024] As shown in the accompanying drawings, according to one aspect of the present invention, an aero-engine with an integrated inerting system is provided, comprising a compressor 1, a shaft 2, a gas turbine 3, a power turbine 4, a generator 5, a compressor air splitter 7, an anode exhaust gas splitter 8, a combustion chamber 9, an anode exhaust gas blower 10, a reforming reactor 11, a fuel inerting system, a fuel pump 16, an electric propulsion system, and a cathode exhaust gas splitter 21. The fuel inerting system includes a solid oxide fuel cell 6, a reformer heat exchange passage 12, a first heat exchanger 13, a second heat exchanger 14, and a fuel tank 15. The compressor 1, gas turbine 3, power turbine 4, and generator 5 are all connected to the shaft 2. The outlet end of the compressor 1 is connected to the compressor air splitter 7. The compressor air splitter 7 has two outlets. One outlet of the compressor air splitter 7 is connected to the cold end inlet of the first heat exchanger 13, and the cold end outlet of the first heat exchanger 13 is connected to the cathode of the solid oxide fuel cell 6. The other outlet of the compressor air splitter 7 is connected to a first pipeline, which is connected to the cooling channel inlet of the solid oxide fuel cell 6. The cooling channel outlet of the solid oxide fuel cell 6 is connected to the combustion chamber 9. The cathode outlet of the solid oxide fuel cell 6 is connected to the inlet of the cathode exhaust gas splitter 21. The cathode exhaust gas splitter 21 has two outlets, and one outlet of the cathode exhaust gas splitter 21 is connected to... A second pipeline is connected to the inlet of the reformer heat exchange channel 12. The outlet of the reformer heat exchange channel 12 is connected to the hot end inlet of the first heat exchanger 13. The hot end outlet of the first heat exchanger 13 is connected to the hot end inlet of the second heat exchanger 14. The hot end outlet of the second heat exchanger 14 is connected to the upper part of the fuel tank 15. The other outlet of the cathode exhaust gas splitter 21 is connected to the combustion chamber 9. The outlet of the combustion chamber 9 is connected to the gas turbine 3. The outlet of the gas turbine 3 is connected to the inlet of the power turbine 4. A third pipeline is provided at the outlet of the fuel tank 15. The third pipeline is connected to the cold end inlet of the second heat exchanger 14. A fuel pump 16 is provided on the third pipeline. The cold end outlet of the second heat exchanger 14 is connected to the inlet end of the reforming reactor 11. The outlet end of the reforming reactor 11 is connected to the anode inlet of the solid oxide fuel cell 6. The anode outlet of the solid oxide fuel cell 6 is connected to the inlet end of the anode exhaust gas splitter 8. The anode exhaust gas splitter 8 has two outlet ends. One outlet end of the anode exhaust gas splitter 8 is connected to the combustion chamber 9, and the other outlet end is connected to the inlet end of the reforming reactor 11. At the same time, the anode exhaust gas blower 10 is installed on the pipeline connecting the outlet end of the anode exhaust gas splitter 8 and the reforming reactor 11. The electric propulsion system is electrically connected to the solid oxide fuel cell 6, and the generator 5 is electrically connected to the electric propulsion system.

[0025] In this embodiment, the reformer heat exchange channel 12 and the reforming reactor 11 are an integrated structure, and the inner wall of the reforming reactor 11 is coated with a catalyst for the reforming hydrogen production reaction to facilitate the reaction.

[0026] In this embodiment, a valve 17 is provided between the inlet end of the third pipeline and the fuel pump 16 to facilitate the sealing of the oil storage tank and improve safety.

[0027] In this embodiment, the electric propulsion system includes a power management unit 18, a motor 19, and an electric propeller 20. The energy inlet of the power management unit 18 is electrically connected to the generator 5 and the solid oxide fuel cell 6, respectively. The outlet of the power management unit 18 is electrically connected to the motor 19, and the motor 19 is connected to the electric propeller 20. The power management unit 18 includes, but is not limited to, a rectifier, an inverter, and an energy distribution module. The power management unit 18 is prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0028] In this embodiment, the cathode exhaust gas of the solid oxide fuel cell 6 is a mixture of 10% oxygen and 90% nitrogen, which eliminates the need for a separate nitrogen cylinder and enables fuel inerting.

[0029] In this embodiment, the oil tank 15 includes two wing oil tanks and a central oil tank. The hot end outlet of the second heat exchanger 14 is divided into three flow paths, and the three inert gases are connected to the gas inlets at the top of the three oil tanks in proportion to the size of the oil tanks.

[0030] In this embodiment, the flow ratio of the two outlets of the cathode exhaust gas splitter 21 is adjustable. According to the flight conditions and the remaining fuel condition of the fuel tank, the ratio of the two cathode exhaust gases split by the cathode exhaust gas splitter is appropriately adjusted to meet the real-time demand of the fuel tank for the inerting gas flow rate.

[0031] According to another aspect of the present invention, an aircraft is provided, comprising the aforementioned aircraft engine.

[0032] The working process of an aero-engine with an integrated inerting system: Air from the environment is first compressed by compressor 1, and then split into two paths by compressor air splitter 7. One path flows through the cooling channel of solid oxide fuel cell 6, and then enters combustion chamber 9; the other path enters the first heat exchanger 13 for heating, and then enters the cathode inlet of solid oxide fuel cell 6. After reaction in solid oxide fuel cell 6, the exhaust gas from the cathode outlet of solid oxide fuel cell 6 is a gas with low oxygen content. After passing through cathode exhaust gas splitter 21, it enters reformer heat exchange channel 12, and then passes through the first heat exchanger 13 and the second heat exchanger 14 for cooling before entering fuel tank 15. Another part of the cathode exhaust gas enters combustion chamber 9; fuel from fuel tank 15 passes through valve 17 and fuel pump 16, and then enters the second heat exchanger 14 for heating, and then enters reformer 11 for fuel reaction before being fed into solid oxide fuel cell 6. Anode inlet; The exhaust gas from the anode outlet of the solid oxide fuel cell 6 enters the combustion chamber 9 after passing through the anode exhaust gas splitter 8, and the other part is pressurized by the anode exhaust gas blower 10 and enters the reforming reactor 11, and then enters the anode inlet of the solid oxide fuel cell 6; After the three gases entering the combustion chamber 9 undergo combustion reaction, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas at the outlet enters the gas turbine 3 to do work and then enters the power turbine 4 to do work, and then is discharged into the environment; The power turbine 4 drives the generator 5 through the shaft 2 to generate electrical work, and the electrical energy is transmitted to the power management unit 18 through the wire. At the same time, the solid oxide fuel cell 6 also transmits electrical energy to the power management unit 18 through the wire; Finally, the electrical energy is delivered to the electric motor 19, and the electric motor 19 further drives the propeller 20 to generate thrust or pull. In the whole process, the high concentration of nitrogen in the exhaust gas at the cathode outlet of the fuel cell is used to inertize the fuel, thereby ensuring the safe operation of the fuel tank.

[0033] Of course, the above description is not a limitation of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the examples given. Any changes, modifications, additions or substitutions made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention are also within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aero-engine with an integrated inerting system, characterized in that: The system includes a compressor (1), a shaft (2), a gas turbine (3), a power turbine (4), a generator (5), a compressor air splitter (7), an anode exhaust gas splitter (8), a combustion chamber (9), an anode exhaust gas blower (10), a reforming reactor (11), a fuel inerting system, a fuel pump (16), an electric propulsion system, and a cathode exhaust gas splitter (21). The fuel inerting system includes a solid oxide fuel cell (6), a reformer heat exchange channel (12), a first heat exchanger (13), a second heat exchanger (14), and a fuel tank (15). The compressor (1), gas turbine (3), power turbine (4), and generator (5) are all connected to the shaft (2). The outlet end of the compressor (1) is connected to the compressor air splitter. The compressor air splitter (7) is connected to the inlet end of the compressor air splitter (7). The compressor air splitter (7) has two outlet ends. One outlet end of the compressor air splitter (7) is connected to the cold end inlet of the first heat exchanger (13). The cold end outlet of the first heat exchanger (13) is connected to the cathode of the solid oxide fuel cell (6). The other outlet of the compressor air splitter (7) is connected to the first pipeline. The first pipeline is connected to the cooling channel inlet of the solid oxide fuel cell (6). The cooling channel outlet of the solid oxide fuel cell (6) is connected to the combustion chamber (9). The cathode outlet end of the solid oxide fuel cell (6) is connected to the inlet end of the cathode exhaust gas splitter (21). The flow divider (21) has two outlet ends. One outlet end of the cathode exhaust gas splitter (21) is connected to a second pipeline, which is connected to the inlet end of the reformer heat exchange channel (12). The outlet end of the reformer heat exchange channel (12) is connected to the hot end inlet of the first heat exchanger (13). The hot end outlet of the first heat exchanger (13) is connected to the hot end inlet of the second heat exchanger (14). The hot end outlet of the second heat exchanger (14) is connected to the upper part of the fuel tank (15). The other outlet end of the cathode exhaust gas splitter (21) is connected to the combustion chamber (9). The outlet end of the combustion chamber (9) is connected to the gas turbine (3). The outlet end of the gas turbine (3) is connected to the inlet end of the power turbine (4). The fuel tank (15) is connected to a third pipeline at its outlet end, which is connected to the cold end inlet of the second heat exchanger (14). A fuel pump (16) is installed on the third pipeline. The cold end outlet of the second heat exchanger (14) is connected to the inlet end of the reforming reactor (11). The outlet end of the reforming reactor (11) is connected to the anode inlet of the solid oxide fuel cell (6). The anode outlet of the solid oxide fuel cell (6) is connected to the inlet end of the anode exhaust gas splitter (8). The anode exhaust gas splitter (8) has two outlet ends. One outlet end of the anode exhaust gas splitter (8) is connected to the combustion chamber (9), and the other outlet end is connected to the inlet end of the reforming reactor (11).Meanwhile, the anode exhaust gas blower (10) is installed on the pipeline connecting the outlet end of the anode exhaust gas distributor (8) and the reforming reactor (11). The electric propulsion system is electrically connected to the solid oxide fuel cell (6), and the generator (5) is electrically connected to the electric propulsion system.

2. The aero-engine with an integrated inerting system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reformer heat exchange channel (12) and the reformer reactor (11) are an integrated structure, and the inner wall of the reformer reactor (11) is coated with a catalyst for the reforming hydrogen production reaction.

3. The aero-engine with an integrated inerting system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A valve (17) is provided between the inlet end of the third pipeline and the fuel pump (16).

4. An aero-engine with an integrated inerting system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electric propulsion system includes a power management unit (18), an electric motor (19), and an electric propeller (20). The energy inlet of the power management unit (18) is electrically connected to the generator (5) and the solid oxide fuel cell (6), respectively. The outlet of the power management unit (18) is electrically connected to the electric motor (19), and the electric motor (19) is connected to the electric propeller (20).

5. An aero-engine with an integrated inerting system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The power management unit (18) includes a rectifier, an inverter, and an energy distribution module.

6. An aero-engine with an integrated inerting system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cathode exhaust gas of the solid oxide fuel cell (6) is a mixture of 10% oxygen and 90% nitrogen.

7. An aero-engine with an integrated inerting system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fuel tank (15) includes two wing fuel tanks and a central fuel tank. The hot end outlet of the second heat exchanger (14) is divided into three flow paths, and the three inert gases are connected to the gas inlets at the top of the three fuel tanks in proportion to the size of the fuel tanks.

8. An aero-engine with an integrated inerting system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow ratio of the two outlets of the cathode tail gas splitter (21) is adjustable.

9. An aircraft, characterized in that: The aircraft engine included in any one of claims 1-8.

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