Dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation

Abstract

This invention discloses a dual-fuel turbojet engine with chemical regenerative braking and fuel cell power generation, relating to the field of aero-engine technology. The engine includes an air intake, compressor, combustion chamber, turbine, exhaust nozzle, chemical regenerator, air regenerator, liquid ammonia storage tank and pump, solid oxide fuel cell, and aviation kerosene storage tank and pump. Its core features are: the chemical regenerator utilizes waste heat from the exhaust nozzle wall to catalytically decompose liquid ammonia to produce hydrogen; the air regenerator uses the same heat source to heat air drawn from the compressor; the generated hydrogen and high-temperature air respectively enter the anode and cathode of the solid oxide fuel cell for power generation. This invention significantly improves onboard power generation capacity and overall engine energy utilization efficiency by recovering exhaust waste heat to drive an independent fuel cell power generation system, without extracting power from the engine main shaft, while reducing the impact on the core engine's propulsion performance, thus combining high economic efficiency and high environmental friendliness.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aero-engines, particularly to turbojet engines, and more specifically to a dual-fuel turbojet engine that generates electricity using a chemical regenerative combined fuel cell. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of avionics information technology and integrated aircraft design, the types, quantities, and functional integration of modern aircraft avionics are continuously increasing, placing higher demands on the power supply capacity, reliability, and stability of airborne electrical systems. Traditional turbojet engines primarily rely on extracting mechanical energy from the turbine shaft to drive generators for onboard power generation. This method directly leads to an increase in turbine pressure ratio and a decrease in exhaust temperature, thereby reducing the engine's thermodynamic performance and affecting thrust output and fuel economy. With the continuous growth of electrical loads, further increasing the power extracted from engines has become a key constraint on improving aircraft performance and energy efficiency.

[0003] On the other hand, the global aviation industry's dual pursuit of economic efficiency and environmental friendliness has driven in-depth research into the comprehensive energy utilization efficiency of engines. Turbojet engines generate a large amount of high-temperature waste heat at the exhaust nozzle. In traditional designs, this heat energy is usually not effectively utilized and is directly discharged into the atmosphere, resulting in energy waste. How to efficiently recover and utilize exhaust waste heat has become an important way to improve the overall thermal efficiency of engines.

[0004] In recent years, high-temperature fuel cell technology, especially solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), has shown application potential in distributed power generation and aviation auxiliary power due to its high energy conversion efficiency, fuel flexibility, and adaptability to high-temperature environments. Meanwhile, ammonia, as a hydrogen-rich carrier, can safely and efficiently produce hydrogen through catalytic decomposition, making it suitable as a hydrogen source for fuel cells. Combining the ammonia decomposition endothermic process with engine waste heat recovery can achieve both efficient utilization of exhaust heat and provide a clean hydrogen source for onboard electrical systems, thus forming a promising integrated energy management solution.

[0005] However, a mature design integrating a chemical regeneration-ammonia decomposition hydrogen production-high-temperature fuel cell power generation system with a dual-fuel turbojet engine is currently lacking. Existing engines still have significant shortcomings in simultaneously meeting the requirements of high propulsion efficiency, high power generation capacity, and high energy utilization. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new type of power system that can significantly improve onboard power generation capacity and overall thermal efficiency while ensuring propulsion performance, in order to meet the comprehensive requirements of next-generation aircraft for economy, comfort, and environmental protection. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation, aiming to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A dual-fuel turbojet engine for generating electricity using a chemical regenerative combined fuel cell includes: an intake, a compressor, a combustion chamber, a turbine, a tail nozzle, a chemical regenerator, an air regenerator, a liquid ammonia storage tank, a liquid ammonia fuel pump, a solid oxide fuel cell, a jet fuel storage tank, and a jet fuel pump. The intake duct has its inlet connected to the outside atmosphere and its outlet connected to the compressor inlet; the combustion chamber has an air inlet and a fuel inlet, and the air inlet of the combustion chamber is connected to the compressor outlet; the turbine inlet is connected to the combustion chamber outlet; the exhaust nozzle inlet is connected to the turbine outlet, and its outlet is connected to the atmosphere; the chemical regenerator inlet is connected to the liquid ammonia fuel pump outlet; the air regenerator inlet is connected to the compressor interstage bleed air passage; the liquid ammonia fuel pump inlet is connected to the liquid ammonia storage tank outlet; the solid oxide fuel cell anode inlet is connected to the chemical regenerator outlet, its cathode inlet is connected to the air regenerator outlet, and the solid oxide fuel cell exhaust port is connected to the outside atmosphere; the aviation kerosene fuel pump inlet is connected to the aviation kerosene storage tank outlet, and its outlet is connected to the combustion chamber fuel inlet; the compressor and the turbine are mechanically connected via a rotor shaft.

[0009] Through the above technical solution, this invention integrates a chemical regenerator, an air regenerator, and a solid oxide fuel cell with the core of a traditional turbojet engine, constructing a highly efficient integrated energy management system. This solution utilizes waste heat from the exhaust pipe walls to catalytically decompose liquid ammonia in the chemical regenerator to produce hydrogen, and preheats the air using the air regenerator, all providing the working fluid for the solid oxide fuel cell to generate electricity. This effectively recovers traditionally wasted exhaust heat energy, converting it into electrical energy, thereby significantly improving the overall energy utilization rate of the engine. Simultaneously, this independent generator-electric system greatly increases the onboard power generation capacity, reduces the extraction of power from the engine's main shaft, and avoids the resulting turbine performance degradation. Ultimately, while ensuring or even enhancing propulsion performance, it improves the engine's thermal efficiency and work capacity.

[0010] Preferably, in the above-mentioned dual-fuel turbojet engine with chemical regeneration combined with fuel cell power generation, both the chemical regenerator and the air regenerator are regenerative cooling pipe structures and are arranged on the outer wall of the tail nozzle. The high-temperature wall of the tail nozzle is used as a heat source to avoid the regenerator directly contacting the high-temperature gas in the tail nozzle for heat exchange, thereby reducing the pressure loss of the gas and improving the engine's working capacity.

[0011] Preferably, in the above-mentioned dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regeneration combined with fuel cell power generation, the inner wall of the regeneration cooling channel of the chemical regenerator is coated with a nickel-based catalyst coating to improve the reaction rate and speed of the ammonia decomposition reaction. The inlet working fluid is liquid ammonia, and the outlet working fluid is hydrogen and nitrogen.

[0012] Preferably, in the above-mentioned dual-fuel turbojet engine with chemical regeneration combined with fuel cell power generation, the chemical regenerator and the air regenerator are arranged along the axial direction of the tail nozzle, and the chemical regenerator is located upstream of the air regenerator, first exchanging heat with the high-temperature gas in the tail nozzle.

[0013] Preferably, in the above-mentioned dual-fuel turbojet engine with chemical regeneration combined with fuel cell power generation, both the chemical regenerator and the air regenerator adopt a counter-current heat exchange method.

[0014] Preferably, in the above-mentioned dual-fuel turbojet engine for power generation using a chemical regenerative combined fuel cell, the anode working fluid of the solid oxide fuel cell is a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen produced by the decomposition of the chemical regenerator, and the cathode working fluid is air heated by the air regenerator.

[0015] Preferably, in the above-mentioned dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation, the temperature of the fuel gas after heat exchange by the chemical regenerator and the temperature of the air after heat exchange by the air regenerator are both in the range of 600°C to 800°C.

[0016] Preferably, in the above-mentioned dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation, the air flowing into the air regenerator is low-pressure air drawn from the compressor stages and pressurized by subsequent stages of the compressor.

[0017] Preferably, in the aforementioned dual-fuel turbojet engine with chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation, the engine is a hybrid power system. The combustion chamber burns aviation kerosene to generate high-temperature gas, which drives the turbine and compressor as the core propulsion components. An independent power generation system is formed by the chemical regenerator, the air regenerator, and the solid oxide fuel cell. The core engine provides heat energy by burning aviation kerosene, which is then expelled through the expansion and acceleration of the exhaust nozzle to power the aircraft. In the power generation system, liquid ammonia is heated by the high-temperature exhaust nozzle wall and decomposed by a catalyst to produce hydrogen and nitrogen. The hydrogen then enters the solid oxide fuel cell to generate electricity, supplying power to the aircraft's onboard electrical equipment.

[0018] Preferably, in the above-mentioned dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation, the type of turbojet engine includes a turbojet engine and a turbofan engine.

[0019] As can be seen from the above technical solution, compared with the prior art, the present invention discloses a dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation, which has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention improves the energy utilization rate and thermal efficiency of the engine by extracting waste heat from the wall of the high-temperature tailpipe using ammonia fuel and air.

[0020] 2. This invention employs a hybrid power system, utilizing the decomposition of ammonia fuel to produce hydrogen, which is then fed into a fuel cell to generate electricity, thereby increasing the system's power output, reducing the electrical power extracted by the aircraft from the system's main shaft, and improving the core engine system's work capacity. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 The attached figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of the dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation provided by the present invention.

[0023] in: 1 is the air intake; 2 is the compressor; 3 is the combustion chamber; 4 is the turbine; 5 is the tail nozzle; 6 is the chemical regenerator; 7 is the air regenerator; 8 is the liquid ammonia storage tank; 9 is the liquid ammonia fuel pump; 10 is the solid oxide fuel cell; 11 is the aviation kerosene storage tank; 12 is the aviation kerosene fuel pump. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] See appendix Figure 1 The present invention discloses a dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regeneration combined with fuel cell power generation, comprising: an intake duct 1, a compressor 2, a combustion chamber 3, a turbine 4, a tail nozzle 5, a chemical regenerator 6, an air regenerator 7, a liquid ammonia storage tank 8, a liquid ammonia fuel pump 9, a solid oxide fuel cell 10, a jet fuel storage tank 11, and a jet fuel pump 12. The inlet of intake duct 1 is connected to the outside atmosphere, and its outlet is connected to the inlet of compressor 2; combustion chamber 3 has an air inlet and a fuel inlet, and the air inlet of combustion chamber 3 is connected to the outlet of compressor 2; the inlet of turbine 4 is connected to the outlet of combustion chamber 3; the inlet of tail nozzle 5 is connected to the outlet of turbine 4, and its outlet is connected to the atmosphere; the inlet of chemical regenerator 6 is connected to the outlet of liquid ammonia fuel pump 9; the inlet of air regenerator 7 is connected to the interstage bleed air passage of compressor 2; the inlet of liquid ammonia fuel pump 9 is connected to the outlet of liquid ammonia storage tank 8; the anode inlet of solid oxide fuel cell 10 is connected to the outlet of chemical regenerator 6, and its cathode inlet is connected to the outlet of air regenerator 7, and the exhaust port of solid oxide fuel cell 10 is connected to the outside atmosphere; the inlet of aviation kerosene fuel pump 12 is connected to the outlet of aviation kerosene storage tank 11, and its outlet is connected to the fuel inlet of combustion chamber 3; compressor 2 and turbine 4 are mechanically connected via rotor shaft.

[0026] To further optimize the above technical solution, both the chemical regenerator 6 and the air regenerator 7 are regenerative cooling pipe structures and are arranged on the outer wall of the tail nozzle 5, using the high-temperature wall of the tail nozzle 5 as a heat source.

[0027] To further optimize the above technical solution, the inner wall of the regeneration cooling channel of the chemical regenerator 6 is coated with a nickel-based catalyst coating.

[0028] To further optimize the above technical solution, the chemical regenerator 6 and the air regenerator 7 are arranged along the axial direction of the tail nozzle 5, and the chemical regenerator 6 is located upstream of the air regenerator 7.

[0029] To further optimize the above technical solution, both the chemical regenerator 6 and the air regenerator 7 adopt a counter-current heat exchange method.

[0030] To further optimize the above technical solution, the anode working fluid of the solid oxide fuel cell 10 is a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen produced by the decomposition of the chemical regenerator 6, and the cathode working fluid is air heated by the air regenerator 7.

[0031] To further optimize the above technical solution, the temperature of the fuel gas after heat exchange by the chemical regenerator 6 and the temperature of the air after heat exchange by the air regenerator 7 are both within the range of 600℃ to 800℃.

[0032] To further optimize the above technical solution, the air flowing into the air regenerator 7 is low-pressure air drawn from the interstage of compressor 2 and pressurized by the subsequent stage of compressor 2.

[0033] To further optimize the above technical solution, the engine is a hybrid power system, in which the combustion chamber 3 burns aviation kerosene to generate high-temperature gas to drive the turbine 4 and compressor 2 as the core propulsion components, while the chemical regenerator 6, air regenerator 7 and solid oxide fuel cell 10 constitute an independent power generation and electronics system.

[0034] To further optimize the above technical solutions, turbojet engines include turbojet engines and turbofan engines.

[0035] The working process of the dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regeneration combined with fuel cell power generation provided in this embodiment is as follows: High-speed air from a distance enters the intake duct 1. After being decelerated and pressurized by the intake duct 1, the incoming air forms a uniform and stable airflow. After entering the compressor 2, the airflow is divided into two streams after being pressurized by the compressor 2: one stream enters the air regenerator 7, and after being heated by the wall of the tail nozzle 5, its temperature rises to 600°C, and then enters the cathode of the solid oxide fuel cell 10; the other stream of high-pressure air flows out from the outlet of the compressor 2 and enters the combustion chamber 3.

[0036] After being drawn in by the fuel pump 12, aviation kerosene flows out of the storage tank 11 and is evenly injected into the combustion chamber 3. There, it mixes thoroughly with high-pressure air and burns, forming high-temperature, high-pressure combustion gas. The combustion gas then flows out of the combustion chamber 3 and enters the turbine 4, driving it to perform work. The turbine 4, connected to the rotor shaft, drives the compressor 2. After completing its work in the turbine 4, the combustion gas enters the tailpipe 5, where it expands further and is ejected at high speed, providing power to the aircraft.

[0037] Liquid ammonia stored in the liquid ammonia storage tank 8 is drawn into the chemical regenerator 6 by the liquid ammonia fuel pump 9. After being heated by the high-temperature wall of the tail nozzle 5 and catalyzed by the catalyst, it decomposes to produce hydrogen and nitrogen, which then enter the anode of the solid oxide fuel cell 10. After fully reacting with the high-temperature air therein, it generates electricity to power the onboard electrical equipment. The exhaust gas from the reaction is discharged from the fuel cell 10 and directly into the atmosphere.

[0038] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the method section.

[0039] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation, characterized in that, include: Air intake (1), compressor (2), combustion chamber (3), turbine (4), tail nozzle (5), chemical regenerator (6), air regenerator (7), liquid ammonia storage tank (8), liquid ammonia fuel pump (9), solid oxide fuel cell (10), aviation kerosene storage tank (11) and aviation kerosene fuel pump (12); The inlet of the air intake (1) is connected to the outside atmosphere, and its outlet is connected to the inlet of the compressor (2); the combustion chamber (3) has an air inlet and a fuel inlet, and the air inlet of the combustion chamber (3) is connected to the outlet of the compressor (2); the inlet of the turbine (4) is connected to the outlet of the combustion chamber (3); the inlet of the tail nozzle (5) is connected to the outlet of the turbine (4), and its outlet is connected to the atmosphere; the inlet of the chemical regenerator (6) is connected to the outlet of the liquid ammonia fuel pump (9); the inlet of the air regenerator (7) is connected to the interstage of the compressor (2). The bleed air passage is connected; the inlet of the liquid ammonia fuel pump (9) is connected to the outlet of the liquid ammonia storage tank (8); the anode inlet of the solid oxide fuel cell (10) is connected to the outlet of the chemical regenerator (6), its cathode inlet is connected to the outlet of the air regenerator (7), and the exhaust port of the solid oxide fuel cell (10) is connected to the outside atmosphere; the inlet of the aviation kerosene fuel pump (12) is connected to the outlet of the aviation kerosene storage tank (11), and its outlet is connected to the fuel inlet of the combustion chamber (3); the compressor (2) and the turbine (4) are mechanically connected through a rotor shaft.

2. The dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the chemical regenerator (6) and the air regenerator (7) are regenerative cooling pipe structures and are arranged on the outer wall of the tail nozzle (5), with the high-temperature wall of the tail nozzle (5) as the heat source.

3. The dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner wall of the regeneration cooling channel of the chemical regenerator (6) is coated with a nickel-based catalyst.

4. A dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The chemical regenerator (6) and the air regenerator (7) are arranged along the axial direction of the tail nozzle (5), and the chemical regenerator (6) is located upstream of the air regenerator (7).

5. A dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation according to claim 4, characterized in that, Both the chemical regenerator (6) and the air regenerator (7) adopt countercurrent heat exchange.

6. A dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anode working fluid of the solid oxide fuel cell (10) is a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen produced by the decomposition of the chemical regenerator (6), and the cathode working fluid is air heated by the air regenerator (7).

7. The dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature of the fuel gas after heat exchange by the chemical regenerator (6) and the temperature of the air after heat exchange by the air regenerator (7) are both in the range of 600°C to 800°C.

8. A dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air flowing into the air regenerator (7) is low-pressure air drawn from the interstage of the compressor (2) and pressurized by the subsequent stage of the compressor (2).

9. A dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The engine is a hybrid power system, wherein the combustion chamber (3) burns jet fuel to generate high-temperature gas to drive the turbine (4) and the compressor (2) as the core propulsion components, while the chemical regenerator (6), the air regenerator (7) and the solid oxide fuel cell (10) constitute an independent power generation system.

10. A dual-fuel turbojet engine for chemical regenerative combined fuel cell power generation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The types of turbojet engines include turbojet engines and turbofan engines.

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