Heat source for hydrogen fuel supply system

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for a heat source of a hydrogen fuel supply system for a turbine engine are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a heat source configured to combust gaseous hydrogen to produce heat energy and combustion byproducts, a line to transport gaseous hydrogen from a hydrogen supply to the heat source, a vent coupled to the heat source to vent excess gaseous hydrogen and combustion byproducts, and a heat exchanger coupled to the heat source to heat liquid hydrogen in the line using heat energy of the heat source.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to burners for fuel supply systems, and more specifically, to heat sources for hydrogen fuel supply systems for turbine engines. Background Technology

[0002] Gas turbine engines are driven by the combustion of combustible fuel within the engine combustor. For hydrogen-powered gas turbines, the start-up and operation process introduces unique requirements due to the physical and chemical properties of hydrogen. Hydrogen fuel in gas turbine engines is typically stored as a liquid at extremely low temperatures to maintain its density and ensure efficient storage. Upon engine start-up, the liquid hydrogen is converted to a gaseous state for efficient mixing and combustion with air. A start-up heater is used to heat the liquid hydrogen to a gaseous state and allow it to mix effectively with air for combustion. Attached Figure Description

[0003] The specification with reference to the accompanying drawings sets forth a complete and enabling disclosure for those skilled in the art, wherein:

[0004] Figure 1 It is a simplified diagram of a hydrogen fuel distribution system that enables the teachings of this disclosure.

[0005] Figure 2 It illustrates Figure 1 A hydrogen fuel system that uses liquid hydrogen fuel to start the engine burner in a gas turbine engine.

[0006] Figure 3 The example system is illustrated schematically, in which the example auxiliary burner is... Figure 1 It operates in the hydrogen fuel supply system of a gas turbine engine.

[0007] Figure 4 The example system is illustrated schematically, in which an example auxiliary burner or alternative heat source is... Figure 1 It operates in the hydrogen fuel supply system of a gas turbine engine.

[0008] Figure 5 It can be implemented by example programmable circuits that can be executed, instantiated, and / or run. Figure 3 and Figure 4 A representative flowchart of example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations for an auxiliary burner.

[0009] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of an example processing platform, which includes components configured to execute, instantiate, and / or run. Figure 5 Example machine-readable instructions and / or execution of example operations to achieve Figure 3 The programmable circuitry for the auxiliary burner.

[0010] Typically, the same reference figures will be used in the accompanying drawings and related written descriptions to refer to the same or similar parts. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, the thickness of layers or regions may be magnified in the drawings. Although the drawings show layers and regions with clearly defined lines and boundaries, some or all of these lines and / or boundaries may be idealized. In reality, boundaries and / or lines may be unobservable, mixed, and / or irregular. Detailed Implementation

[0011] In gas turbine engines, power is generated by the combustion of fuel within the engine's combustor. For hydrogen-powered gas turbines, the process of starting and operating the engine introduces unique requirements due to the physical and chemical properties of hydrogen. Because of its low density, hydrogen is typically stored in its liquid form when used as fuel in gas turbine engines. However, liquid hydrogen (LH2) needs to be heated to its gaseous hydrogen (GH2) state before it can be released into the atmosphere or burned in the engine combustor. During engine startup, a starter heater is used to heat the liquid hydrogen before the engine generates sufficient heat to provide energy. The starter heater is used to heat the liquid hydrogen, ensuring it vaporizes and reaches the appropriate temperature and pressure for optimal combustion. The starter heater uses electrical energy or another heat source to heat the liquid hydrogen as it flows through. This ensures that the hydrogen is in a gaseous or gaseous state and at the appropriate temperature to mix with air in the combustor. Once heated, the hydrogen enters the combustor, where it mixes with air and is ignited by a spark or other ignition source. Additionally, an exhaust heater is used to heat the LH2 or GH2 in the exhaust system to ensure that any emitted H2 meets temperature regulations.

[0012] The methods and apparatus disclosed herein incorporate an auxiliary combustor into the hydrogen fuel supply system of a gas turbine engine for heating liquid hydrogen during engine start-up operation to change its phase to gaseous hydrogen. This auxiliary combustor eliminates the need for start-up heaters and exhaust heaters, which are typically electric heaters. This reduces the overall system weight, as electric heaters are heavy. The auxiliary combustor also eliminates the substantial power requirements typically associated with electric heaters.

[0013] For illustrative purposes, this disclosure will describe a combustor for an aircraft turbine engine. However, it should be understood that the various aspects of this disclosure described herein are not so limited and can have general applicability within engines, including compressors, power generation turbines, and non-aircraft applications, such as other mobile applications and non-mobile industrial, commercial, and residential applications.

[0014] Reference will now be made in detail to the architecture of the auxiliary combustor located within the turbine engine, one or more examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. Detailed descriptions use numbers and letters to denote features in the drawings. The same or similar designations in the drawings and description have been used to refer to the same or similar parts of this disclosure.

[0015] Unless otherwise specified, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” as used herein are used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to indicate the location or importance of individual components. In some examples, the descriptor “first” may be used to refer to a component in a detailed description, while the same component may be referred to by different descriptors in the claims, such as “second” or “third.” In such cases, it should be understood that such descriptors are used only to clearly distinguish these components in the context of the discussion (e.g., in the claims), where otherwise these components might share the same name. The terms “front” and “rear” refer to relative positions within a turbine engine or carrier and to the normal operating posture of the turbine engine or carrier. For example, for a turbine engine, “front” refers to a position closer to the engine intake, and “rear” refers to a position closer to the engine nozzle or exhaust port.

[0016] As used herein, the term "upstream" refers to the direction opposite to the direction of fluid flow, and the term "downstream" refers to the direction in the same direction as the fluid flow. The terms "front" or "forward" indicate something in front of it, and "rear" or "backward" indicate something behind it. For example, when used for fluid flow, front / forward can mean upstream, and rear / backward can mean downstream.

[0017] The term "fluid" can refer to either a gas or a liquid. The term "fluid connectivity" means that fluids can establish connections between specified areas.

[0018] Furthermore, as used herein, the term "radial" or "radially" refers to a direction away from a common center. For example, in the overall context of a turbine engine, radial refers to the direction along a ray extending between the engine's central longitudinal axis and its outer circumference.

[0019] The singular forms “a,” “one,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly specifies otherwise. Furthermore, as used herein, the term “group” or “set” of elements can refer to any number of elements, including only one.

[0020] All directional references (e.g., radial, axial, proximal, distal, up, down, upward, downward, left, right, lateral, front, rear, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, counterclockwise, upstream, downstream, forward, backward, etc.) are for identification purposes only to aid the reader's understanding of this disclosure and should not be construed as limiting, particularly regarding the position, orientation, or use of the various aspects of this disclosure described herein. Connection references (e.g., attachment, coupling, connection, and joining) should be interpreted broadly and may include intermediate members between sets of elements and relative movement between elements, unless otherwise stated. Therefore, a connection reference does not necessarily imply that two elements are directly connected and in a fixed relationship with each other. Exemplary figures are for illustrative purposes only, and the dimensions, positions, order, and relative sizes shown in the figures may vary.

[0021] The approximate language used throughout this specification and claims is intended to modify any quantitative expression that may allow for variation without altering its relevant essential function. Therefore, a value modified by one or more terms (e.g., “about,” “approximately,” “substantially,” and “basically”) is not limited to the specified precise value. At least in some cases, approximate language may correspond to the precision of the instrument used to measure the value, or the precision of the method or machine used to construct and / or manufacture the part and / or system. For example, approximate language may refer to a margin of 1%, 2%, 4%, 5%, 10%, 15%, or 20% at any of the endpoints of a single value, a range of values, and / or a defined range of values. Scope limitations are combined and interchanged throughout this specification and claims, and such scopes are identified and include all subscopes contained therein, unless otherwise indicated by context or language. For example, all scopes disclosed herein include endpoints, and endpoints may be combined independently of each other.

[0022] As used herein, the phrase “communication” (including its variants) covers direct communication and / or indirect communication through one or more intermediate components, and does not require direct physical (e.g., wired) communication and / or continuous communication, but additionally includes selective communication at regular intervals, predetermined intervals, non-periodic intervals and / or one-off events.

[0023] As used herein, a “system” or “controller module” may include at least one processor and memory. Non-limiting examples of memory may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, or one or more different types of portable electronic storage, such as a magnetic disk, digital versatile optical disc (DVD), optical disc-read-only memory (CD-ROM), or any suitable combination of these types of storage. The processor may be configured to run any suitable program or executable instructions designed to perform various methods, functions, processing tasks, calculations, etc., to implement or accomplish the technical operations or actions described herein. The program may include a computer program product that may contain a machine-readable medium for carrying or storing machine-executable instructions or data structures. Such a machine-readable medium may be any available medium accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer or other machine with a processor. Typically, such computer programs may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, algorithms, etc., that have the technical effect of performing a particular task or implementing a particular abstract data type.

[0024] "Comprising" and "including" (and all its forms and tenses) are used herein as open-ended terms. Therefore, whenever a claim uses any form of "comprising" and "including" (e.g., including, comprising, having, etc.) as a preamble or in any type of claim statement, it should be understood that additional elements, terms, etc., may be present without exceeding the scope of the corresponding claim or statement. As used herein, the phrase "at least" is as open-ended as the terms "comprising" and "including" when used as a transitional term, for example, in a claim preamble. The term "and / or," when used in forms such as A, B, and / or C, refers to any combination or subset of A, B, and C, for example (1) only A, (2) only B, (3) only C, (4) A and B, (5) A and C, (6) B and C, or (7) A and B and C. As in the context of describing structures, components, projects, objects, and / or things, the phrase “at least one of A and B” is intended to refer to an implementation that includes any of the following: (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as in the context of describing structures, components, projects, objects, and / or things, the phrase “at least one of A or B” is intended to refer to an implementation that includes any of the following: (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. As in the context of describing the performance or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, etc., the phrase “at least one of A and B” is intended to refer to an implementation that includes any of the following: (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as in the context of describing the performance or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, etc., the phrase “at least one of A or B” is intended to refer to an implementation that includes any of the following: (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0025] As used herein, singular references (e.g., “a,” “an,” “first,” “second,” etc.) do not exclude plurals. The term “a” or “an” refers to one or more of that object, as used herein. The terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more,” and “at least one” are used interchangeably herein. Furthermore, although listed separately, multiple means, elements, or actions may be implemented by, for example, the same entity or object. Additionally, although individual features may be included in different examples or claims, these features may be combined, and inclusion in different examples or claims does not imply that the combination of features is infeasible and / or disadvantageous.

[0026] As used herein, unless otherwise stated, the term "above" describes the relationship of two parts relative to the Earth. The first part is above the second part if the second part has at least one portion between the Earth and the first part. Similarly, as used herein, the first part is "below" the second part when the first part is closer to the Earth than the second part. As stated above, the first part may be above or below the second part, and their relative positional relationship may have one or more of the following: there are other parts between them, there are no other parts between them, the first part and the second part are in contact, or the first part and the second part are not in direct contact with each other.

[0027] As used in this patent, a statement that any part (e.g., layer, film, region, area, or plate) is in any way (e.g., positioned, located, disposed on, or formed on, etc.) over another part indicates that the referenced part is either in contact with the other part or that the referenced part is above the other part, with one or more intermediate parts in between.

[0028] As used herein, a connection reference (e.g., attachment, coupling, connection, and engagement) may include intermediate members between the elements referenced by the connection reference and / or relative movement between these elements, unless otherwise stated. Therefore, a connection reference does not necessarily imply that two elements are directly connected and / or in a fixed relationship with each other. As used herein, a statement that any part is “in contact” with another part is defined as the absence of an intermediate part between the two parts.

[0029] As used herein, “programmable circuit” is defined as including (i) one or more application-specific circuits (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) configured to perform a particular operation and including one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors), and / or (ii) one or more general-purpose semiconductor-based circuits programmable with instructions to perform a particular function and / or operation, and including one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors). Examples of programmable circuits include programmable microprocessors, such as central processing unit (CPU) capable of executing first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions; field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) programmable with second instructions to instantiate the configuration and / or structure of the FPGA corresponding to one or more operations and / or functions of the first instructions; graphics processing unit (GPU) capable of executing first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions; digital signal processor (DSP) capable of executing first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions; XPU, network processing unit (NPU), one or more microcontrollers capable of executing first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions and / or integrated circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). For example, an XPU can be implemented by a heterogeneous computing system that includes multiple types of programmable circuits (e.g., one or more FPGAs, one or more CPUs, one or more GPUs, one or more NPUs, one or more DSPs, etc., and / or any combination thereof) and orchestration techniques (e.g., application programming interfaces (APIs)) that can distribute computational tasks to one or more of the multiple types of programmable circuits that are suitable and available to perform the computational tasks.

[0030] As used herein, an integrated circuit / circuit is defined as one or more semiconductor packages containing one or more circuit elements, such as transistors, capacitors, inductors, resistors, current paths, diodes, etc. For example, an integrated circuit can be implemented as one or more of an ASIC, FPGA, chip, microchip, programmable circuit, semiconductor substrate connecting multiple circuit elements, system-on-a-chip (SoC), etc.

[0031] Figure 1 This is an example illustration of an aircraft 100 including an example fuel distribution system 102. The fuel distribution system 102 includes an example hydrogen tank 104 that supplies fuel to an example gas turbine engine 106. An example fuel conditioning system 110 is part of the fuel distribution system 102. The fuel conditioning system 110 heats liquid hydrogen, causing it to turn into a gas before entering the gas turbine engine 106, making it easier to combust. An example implementation of the fuel distribution system 102 is combined below. Figure 2 and Figure 3Description. Example tank 104 may contain hydrogen in various states, including liquid, gaseous, and cryogenic compressed states. Example tank 104 may be stored in any suitable location on an aircraft (e.g., in a wing, in the fuselage, in an external tank, etc.). In other examples, tank 104 may include multiple tanks (referred to herein as a tank group, etc.).

[0032] although Figure 1 The aircraft 100 shown is an airplane, but the embodiments described herein are also applicable to other fixed-wing aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The fuel distribution system 102 can be used to provide hydrogen fuel that will be burned in the example gas turbine engine 106 of the aircraft 100. Figure 1 In the illustrated examples, the aircraft includes a single gas turbine engine (e.g., gas turbine engine 106, etc.). In some examples, the aircraft 100 may include multiple gas turbine engines.

[0033] exist Figure 1 In this embodiment, fuel distribution system 102 is controlled and monitored by example fuel distribution controller circuit 108. For example, fuel distribution controller circuit 108 may regulate the flow of hydrogen through fuel distribution system 102 via one or more control mechanisms (e.g., valves, etc.) to meet the throttle requirements of aircraft 100. Fuel distribution controller circuit 108 monitors the health status of fuel distribution system 102. For example, fuel distribution controller circuit 108 may determine the amount of hydrogen flowing out of tank 104 and the amount flowing into gas turbine engine 106. Fuel distribution controller circuit 108 may compare the hydrogen flowing into fuel distribution system 102 with the hydrogen flowing out of fuel distribution system 102 to determine the mass loss rate of fuel distribution system 102. In some examples, fuel distribution controller circuit 108 may compare the determined mass loss rate with one or more thresholds to determine the health status of fuel distribution system 102. In some examples, fuel distribution controller circuit 108 may determine that there is a leak in fuel distribution system 102 and / or that the sensors of the fuel distribution system need to be recalibrated. Example implementations of fuel distribution controller circuit 108 are described below in conjunction with... Figure 4 describe.

[0034] The fuel tank embodiments described herein are also applicable to other applications in which hydrogen is used as fuel in aircraft 100. The embodiments described herein are also applicable to engines other than gas turbine engines. While gas turbine engine 106 is an example of a power generator that uses hydrogen as fuel to power aircraft 100, hydrogen can also be used as fuel in other power generators. For example, the power generator could be a fuel cell (e.g., a hydrogen fuel cell, etc.), in which hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell to generate electricity by reacting with air.

[0035] Figure 2An example hydrogen fuel system 200 for combustor start-up using a liquid hydrogen fuel supply in a hydrogen fuel system turbine engine is illustrated schematically. The hydrogen fuel system 200 for combustor start-up includes an LH2 source 202 for maintaining the hydrogen fuel in the liquid phase. For example, the LH2 source 202 can be configured to store the hydrogen fuel at a temperature of approximately -253°C or lower, and at a pressure greater than approximately 1 bar and less than approximately 10 bar, such as between approximately 3 bar and approximately 5 bar, or at other temperatures and pressures to maintain the hydrogen fuel substantially in the liquid phase. Figure 2 In the example, the burner start-up components are connected via flow path 204. In some examples, flow path 204 includes a low-pressure pump, a high-pressure pump, and piping. Flow control valves 206 and 208 are used to regulate the flow rate of LH2 from LH2 source 202. Flow control valves 206 and 208 may be configured to thermally insulate the cryogenic fuel during transmission so that the fluid does not heat, vaporize, and / or leak as a gas. Initially, the components in hydrogen flow path 204 are too hot for LH2 to remain liquid. When LH2 is introduced, it vaporizes into GH2 due to the high temperature. To manage the vaporized hydrogen, vent 214 is used to discharge unwanted GH2, preventing pressure buildup and ensuring safety during this phase. Figure 2 In the example, flow control valve 206 is connected to LH2 source 202 via flow path 204. Flow control valve 210 can be used to regulate the flow rate of GH2 downstream of heat exchanger 220.

[0036] The burner start-up components also include an exhaust heater 212 and an exhaust port 214 located downstream of the exhaust heater 212. Example exhaust heater 212 is used for, for example... Figure 1 The gas turbine engine operates in a fuel conditioning system 110. In some examples, the exhaust heater 212 is an electric heater. The exhaust heater 212 can be configured to use energy from a generator 216 coupled to the exhaust heater 212 to generate heat. The exhaust heater 212 is used to maintain a controlled temperature, ensuring that LH2 is not discharged through the exhaust port 214. This exhaust system helps maintain the conditions required for LH2 to remain liquid and prevents the discharge of cryogenic fuel. The exhaust heater 212 is used to control the phase and temperature of GH2 discharged through the exhaust port 214.

[0037] Heat exchanger 220 is coupled to LH2 source 202 and configured to convert hydrogen fuel from the liquid phase to the gas phase. For example, heat exchanger 220 may be in thermal communication with start-up heater 222 and with engine operating heat source 224 via control valve 226 to provide heat to raise the temperature of the hydrogen fuel, thereby changing the hydrogen fuel from the liquid phase to the gas phase and heating the GH2 to a temperature acceptable to the engine combustor. The converted hydrogen fuel is then directed to an example engine combustor 228. Engine combustor 228 is connected to... Figure 1The engine burner 118 is the same component. The required amount of fuel is supplied to the engine burner 228 using a flow control valve 210.

[0038] In some examples, the start-up heater 222 is an electric heater used to heat liquid hydrogen during engine start-up operation. When the start-up heater 222 is an electric heater, it uses electrical energy supplied from a source such as generator 216 to generate heat. The engine's operating heat source 224 is an example heat source used to increase the temperature of hydrogen fuel from LH2 source 202 after the engine combustor 228 is started.

[0039] Figure 3 An example hydrogen fuel system 300 is schematically illustrated, wherein an example auxiliary burner 302 is used for, for example, hydrogen fuel systems such as... Figure 1 The fuel regulation system 110 of the gas turbine engine shown operates. Figure 3 Many structures and Figure 2 The structures in these texts are the same or similar. For the sake of brevity, these structures will not be described again here. Instead, please refer to the above text for more details. Figure 2 A description is needed to obtain a complete description of these structures. For the convenience of this process, Figure 3 The same reference numbering was used for the same structure. Figure 3 In the illustrated example, LH2 source 202 is fluidly connected to the example auxiliary burner 302, rather than the exhaust heater 212. Figure 2 Flow path 204 connects LH2 source 202 to auxiliary burner 302. Flow path 204 delivers GH2 or LH2 from the hydrogen supply section (e.g., LH2 source 202) to auxiliary burner 302 during cooling. Example auxiliary burner 302 is additionally coupled to ignition source 304 to ignite or burn the generated GH2 during LH2 cooling. The heat generated by this combustion process is also used to change the phase of any LH2 arriving at auxiliary burner 302.

[0040] During the initial cooling phase of an LH2 system, when the initial heat in the system causes the incoming LH2 to boil, a certain amount of GH2 needs to be emitted from the hydrogen fuel system. During the cooling process, system components (e.g., tanks, flow lines, and valves) dissipate heat into the LH2 and begin to cool. The hydrogen produced by boiling becomes GH2, which is typically emitted. However, Figure 3 In this example, the auxiliary burner 302 instead burns GH2 that would otherwise be emitted by the hydrogen fuel system. The auxiliary burner 302 produces combustion byproducts, which are discharged through an exhaust port 214 in fluid communication with the auxiliary burner 302. In some examples, the combustion byproduct is water. The heat generated by the auxiliary burner 302 is used to heat any LH2 flowing towards the exhaust port 214 before it reaches the exhaust port 214.

[0041] The auxiliary burner 302 is thermally connected to the heat exchanger 220. The heat exchanger 220 uses the heat energy from the auxiliary burner 302 to heat the LH2 in the pipeline from the hydrogen source (also known as the hydrogen supply section) 202 to the engine burner 228. During engine start-up operation, the LH2 in the pipeline does not need to be heated by activating the heater 222.

[0042] The auxiliary burner 302 is configured as a combined heater for heating GH2 in the exhaust system and as a start-up heater for heating LH2 during engine start-up operations. The auxiliary burner 302 replaces two electric heaters (e.g., exhaust heater 212 and start-up heater 222) in the hydrogen fuel system 200 and is configured as a combined heater to perform the functions of both exhaust heater 212 and start-up heater 222. In the disclosed example, unwanted GH2 that would normally be emitted is diverted to the auxiliary burner 302. The auxiliary burner ignites the GH2, converting it into heat energy. This process not only prevents gas waste but also generates additional energy from the GH2 to assist in starting the engine.

[0043] Figure 4 An example hydrogen fuel system 400 is schematically illustrated, wherein an example auxiliary combustor 402 operates during engine start-up operation to heat the hydrogen fuel. Figure 4 In the example, controller 404 coordinates the entry of heat load and hydrogen fuel into hydrogen fuel system 400. Hydrogen fuel system 400 includes heat source 406, cold zone 408, and hot zone 410.

[0044] Heat source 406 is configured to provide heat when engine burner 450 is off. Engine burner 450 and Figure 1 The engine burner 118 is the same component. In some examples, heat source 406 includes an auxiliary burner 402 fueled by GH2 412, LH2 414, or other available fuel source 416. In some examples, heat loss from electricity generated by fuel cell 418 acts as a heat source when the engine is off. In some examples, electric heater 420 is used as an available heat source. In a dual-engine application with a second engine 422, the second engine 422 acts as a heat source when it is running and engine burner 450 is off. In some examples, heat pump 424 powered by auxiliary power unit (APU) 426, other engines, or fuel cells acts as a heat source. Additionally, heat from APU 426 discharged by turbomachinery (e.g., via the APU lubrication system) can act as a heat source during engine start-up operation. In some examples, ground source 428 or other external sources are used as heat sources when the engine is off. Heat source 406 is thermally connected to start-up or discharge heat exchanger 430, which is fluidly connected to LH2 tank 432 in cold zone 408.

[0045] Cold zone 408 includes an LH2 tank 432 and a pressurization system 434. LH2 is stored at extremely low temperatures (e.g., -253ºC to -240ºC or -423ºF to -400ºF), and may evaporate (e.g., boil) if the temperature rises or the pressure is insufficient. The pressurization system 434 increases the pressure within the tank to keep the LH2 in a liquid state, overcomes pressure losses flowing through the burner, minimizes or otherwise reduces boiling, and helps ensure effective storage. The pressurization system 434 controls the pressure of the LH2, helping to ensure a continuous and reliable supply of hydrogen to the engine or fuel cell 418. The pressurization system 434 is coupled to a start-up or exhaust heat exchanger 430. The start-up or exhaust heat exchanger 430 is used to control the temperature and pressure of the hydrogen to help ensure that the hydrogen remains within the required parameter range.

[0046] The heat exchanger 430 is started or discharged through fluid connections to a first line 436 and a second line 438 in the hot zone 410. The first line 436 includes a drain valve 440 and a drain system 442. The drain valve 440 controls the fluid flow into the drain system 442. The drain system 442 discharges excess GH2 through its drain port.

[0047] The second line 438 in hot zone 410 includes a second heat exchanger 444, a fuel metering valve (FMV) 446, a nozzle 448, and an engine combustor 450 located downstream of the second heat exchanger 444. The second heat exchanger 444 is coupled between the hydrogen supply section (e.g., LH2 tank 432) and the engine combustor 450. The second heat exchanger 444 regulates the hydrogen fuel to a specific temperature, helping to ensure that the LH2 is heated to the appropriate temperature to supply hydrogen to the engine combustor 450 for engine start-up operations. In some examples, the second heat exchanger 444 is used to heat the hydrogen to the temperature required for optimal combustion in the engine combustor 450. The FMV 446 regulates the flow rate and pressure of the hydrogen fuel. The FMV 446 ensures that the correct amount of hydrogen is delivered to the nozzle 448 for combustion. The nozzle 448 distributes GH2 within the engine combustor 450. The nozzle 448 directs hydrogen into the engine combustor 450. The engine combustor 450 receives hydrogen from the nozzle 448. The hydrogen-air mixture is then ignited and burned in burner 450. The combustion process produces high-temperature gases that start or drive the engine.

[0048] exist Figure 4In the illustrated example, the fluid flow from LH2 tank 432 to hot zone 410 can be tracked by one or more sensors to sense various operability parameters of the hydrogen fuel system 400. For example, the hydrogen fuel system 400 includes a first sensor 452 configured to sense data indicating the fluid flow from LH2 tank 432 to emission system 442; and a second sensor 454 configured to sense data indicating the fluid flow from LH2 tank 432 to engine combustor 450.

[0049] A first sensor 452 is coupled between the start-up or discharge heat exchanger 430 and the discharge port in the discharge system 442. In some examples, the data sensed by the first sensor 452 includes the temperature, pressure, and / or flow rate of gaseous hydrogen and / or any other combustion byproducts. For example, the first sensor 452 may measure the temperature setpoint of at least one of the discharged gaseous hydrogen or combustion byproducts to be discharged by the discharge system 442. The discharge valve 440 controls the fluid flow from the LH2 tank 432 to the discharge system 442.

[0050] The second sensor 454 is connected between the second heat exchanger 444 and the engine combustor 450. In some examples, the data sensed by the second sensor 454 may be the temperature, pressure, and / or flow rate of the gaseous hydrogen fuel injected into the combustor 450. For example, the second sensor 454 may measure the target temperature of the incoming gaseous hydrogen fuel to be injected into the combustor 450.

[0051] Example controller 404 is in electrical communication with a first sensor 452 and a second sensor 454. Controller 404 is operatively coupled to an auxiliary combustor 402. When the temperature setpoint of the fluid to be discharged at the first sensor 452 is not met, controller 404 controls the intake of thermal energy from the auxiliary combustor 402 to enable hydrogen phase change. When the temperature of the incoming gaseous hydrogen at the second sensor 454 does not reach the target temperature, controller 404 coordinates the intake of thermal load and hydrogen to help ensure that the hydrogen fuel injected into the engine combustor 450 has an appropriate temperature. Thermal load includes the temperature used during engine start-up operation to change the LH2 phase state and increase the resulting GH2 temperature.

[0052] Refer again Figure 3 ,Although Figure 3 The diagram illustrates an example of implementing the auxiliary burner 302, but... Figure 3 One or more elements, processes, and / or devices illustrated in the diagram may be combined, divided, rearranged, omitted, eliminated, and / or implemented in any other way. Furthermore, Figure 3The example auxiliary burner can be implemented solely by hardware, or by a combination of hardware and software and / or firmware. Therefore, for example, the example auxiliary burner can be controlled by programmable circuitry combined with machine-readable instructions (e.g., firmware or software), processor circuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, logic circuitry, programmable processors, programmable microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), ASICs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), and / or field-programmable logic devices (FPLDs) (e.g., FPGAs). Furthermore, Figure 3 Example auxiliary burners may include, in addition to Figure 3 One or more elements, processes and / or devices other than those illustrated in Figure 3, or those that may replace those illustrated in Figure 3, and / or may include multiple of any or all of the illustrated elements, processes and devices.

[0053] Figure 5 The diagram shows example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations that can be executed by programmable circuitry to implement and / or instantiate. Figure 3 The control of the auxiliary burner, these example operations can be implemented and / or instantiated by programmable circuitry. Figure 3 The auxiliary burner is controlled. Machine-readable instructions may be one or more executable programs or part of one or more executable programs, executed by programmable circuitry, such as those described below. Figure 6 The programmable circuit 612 shown in the example processor programmable circuit platform 600 is discussed.

[0054] The program can be embodied in instructions (e.g., software and / or firmware) stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable storage media, such as cache memory, magnetic storage devices or disks (e.g., floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical storage devices or disks (e.g., Blu-ray discs, optical discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), etc.), redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID), registers, ROM, solid-state drives (SSDs), SSD memory, non-volatile memory (e.g., electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, etc.), volatile memory (e.g., any type of random access memory (RAM), etc.), and / or any other storage device or disk. Instructions on non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable media can be programmed and / or executed by programmable circuitry in one or more hardware devices, but the entire program and / or portions thereof can alternatively be executed and / or instantiated by hardware devices other than one or more programmable circuitry, and / or embodied in dedicated hardware. Machine-readable instructions can be distributed across multiple hardware devices and / or executed by two or more hardware devices (e.g., server and client hardware devices). For example, client hardware devices can be implemented by endpoint client hardware devices (e.g., hardware devices associated with human and / or machine users) or intermediate client hardware device gateways (e.g., radio access networks (RANs)) that facilitate communication between the server and the endpoint client hardware devices. Similarly, non-transitory computer-readable storage media can include one or more media. Furthermore, although the example program references... Figure 5 The flowchart is illustrated, but the example auxiliary burner can also be implemented using many other methods. For example, the execution order of the flowchart blocks can be changed, and / or some of the blocks described can be altered, eliminated, or combined. Additionally or alternatively, any or all blocks of the flowchart can be implemented by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuitry, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuitry, FPGAs, ASICs, comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuitry, etc.) configured to perform the corresponding operations without executing software or firmware. Programmable circuitry can be distributed across different network locations and / or localized to one or more hardware devices (e.g., single-core processors (e.g., single-core CPUs), multi-core processors (e.g., multi-core CPUs, XPUs, etc.)). For example, programmable circuitry can be a CPU and / or FPGA located in the same package (e.g., the same integrated circuit (IC) package or two or more separate housings), one or more processors in a single machine, multiple processors distributed across multiple servers in a server rack, multiple processors distributed across one or more server racks, etc., and / or any combination thereof.

[0055] The machine-readable instructions described herein can be stored in one or more compressed formats, encrypted formats, segmented formats, compiled formats, executable formats, packaged formats, etc. The machine-readable instructions described herein can be stored as data (e.g., computer-readable data, machine-readable data, one or more bits (e.g., one or more computer-readable bits, one or more machine-readable bits, etc.), bit streams (e.g., computer-readable bit streams, machine-readable bit streams, etc.)) or data structures (e.g., as part of instructions, code, code representations, etc.) that can be used to create, manufacture, and / or produce machine-executable instructions. For example, machine-readable instructions can be segmented and stored on one or more storage devices, disks, and / or computing devices (e.g., servers) located in the same or different locations within a network or network aggregate (e.g., in the cloud, at the edge, etc.). Machine-readable instructions may require installation, modification, adaptation, updating, combination, supplementation, configuration, decryption, decompression, unpacking, distribution, reallocation, compilation, etc., to enable computing devices and / or other machines to directly read, interpret, and / or execute them. For example, machine-readable instructions may be stored in multiple parts that are individually compressed, encrypted, and / or stored on different computing devices, wherein these parts, when decrypted, decompressed, and / or combined, form a set of computer-executable and / or machine-executable instructions that implement one or more functions and / or operations that may together form a program as described herein.

[0056] In another example, machine-readable instructions may be stored in a state readable by programmable circuitry, but require the addition of libraries (e.g., dynamic link libraries (DLLs)), software development kits (SDKs), application programming interfaces (APIs), etc., to execute the machine-readable instructions on a specific computing device or other device. In yet another example, machine-readable instructions may require configuration (e.g., storing settings, data input, recording network addresses, etc.) before all or part of the machine-readable instructions and / or corresponding programs can be executed. Therefore, machine-readable, computer-readable, and / or machine-readable media as used herein may include instructions and / or programs, regardless of their specific format or state.

[0057] The machine-readable instructions described in this article can be represented by any past, present, or future instruction language, scripting language, programming language, etc. For example, machine-readable instructions can be represented using any of the following languages: C, C++, Java, C#, Perl, Python, JavaScript, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Structured Query Language (SQL), Swift, etc.

[0058] As mentioned above, Figure 5Example operations can be implemented using executable instructions (e.g., computer-readable and / or machine-readable instructions) stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable media. As used herein, the terms non-transitory computer-readable medium, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, non-transitory machine-readable medium, and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium are explicitly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or storage disk, excluding propagation signals and transmission media. Examples of such non-transitory computer-readable media, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, non-transitory machine-readable media, and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage media include optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, HDDs, flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), CDs, DVDs, caches, any type of RAM, registers, and / or any other storage device or storage disk where information is stored for any duration (e.g., extended time periods, permanent, transient instances, for temporary buffering, and / or for caching information). As used herein, the terms "non-transitory computer-readable storage device" and "non-transitory machine-readable storage device" are defined as including any physical (mechanical, magnetic, and / or electrical) hardware designed to retain information for a period of time, excluding propagation signals and transmission media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage devices and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage devices include any type of random access memory, any type of read-only memory, solid-state memory, flash memory, optical disc, hard disk, disk drive, and / or redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system. As used herein, the term "device" refers to physical structures, such as mechanical and / or electrical equipment, hardware, and / or circuitry, which may or may not be configured with computer-readable instructions, machine-readable instructions, etc., and / or are manufactured for executing computer-readable instructions, machine-readable instructions, etc.

[0059] Figure 5 This is a representative flowchart of example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 500, which can be generated by programmable circuitry 612 ( Figure 6 ) Execute, instantiate, and / or run to achieve Figure 3 The auxiliary combustion circuit heats the liquid hydrogen to a phase change to gaseous hydrogen when the engine is off. Figure 5 Example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 500 begin at box 505, where the liquid hydrogen source 202 ( Figure 3 Gaseous hydrogen is supplied from the cooling of the liquid hydrogen system. For example... Figure 3 The auxiliary combustor 302 burns gaseous hydrogen (box 510) to generate heat during engine start-up operation to heat the liquid hydrogen before the engine generates sufficient heat. First sensor 452 ( Figure 4) Measure the fuel temperature setpoint and determine if the fuel temperature setpoint is met (box 515). If the fuel temperature setpoint is not met (box 515: No), then controller 404 ( Figure 4 ) Manage the start-up or discharge of heat exchanger 430 ( Figure 4 To adjust the heat intake, thereby enabling the hydrogen phase change to be effective (box 525). If the fuel temperature setpoint is met (box 515: Yes), then the exhaust port 214 ( Figure 3 The heat generated from the combustion of gaseous hydrogen in the auxiliary burner 302 is transferred to the start-up or exhaust heat exchanger 430 (box 530).

[0060] Second sensor 454 ( Figure 4 )Measure the gas entering the engine combustor 450 ( Figure 4 The target temperature of the hydrogen fuel is determined, and it is determined whether the target temperature for starting the engine is met (box 535). If the target temperature of the hydrogen fuel is not met (box 535: No), control returns to box 510, where auxiliary combustor 302 burns more gaseous hydrogen to generate more heat. If the target temperature of the hydrogen fuel is met (box 535: Yes), nozzle 448 ( Figure 4 ) Inject hydrogen fuel into engine combustor 450 ( Figure 4 (Box 540). Inside the burner 450, the hydrogen-air mixture is ignited (Box 545). The combustion process generates high temperature and high pressure, thereby starting the engine (Box 550).

[0061] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of an example programmable circuit platform 600, which is configured to perform and / or instantiate... Figure 5 Example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations to implement Figure 3 The auxiliary burner. The programmable circuit platform 600 can be, for example, an embedded engine controller, a server, a personal computer, a workstation, a self-learning machine (e.g., a neural network), or a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone, smartphone, tablet computer, such as an iPad). TM ), or any other type of computing and / or electronic device.

[0062] The illustrated programmable circuit platform 600 includes a programmable circuit 612. The illustrated programmable circuit 612 is hardware. For example, the programmable circuit 612 can be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, FPGAs, microprocessors, CPUs, GPUs, DSPs, and / or microcontrollers from any desired family or manufacturer. The programmable circuit 612 can be implemented by one or more semiconductor-based (e.g., silicon-based) devices. In this example, the programmable circuit 612 implements an example auxiliary burner 302.

[0063] The illustrated programmable circuit 612 includes local memory 613 (e.g., cache, registers, etc.). The illustrated programmable circuit 612 communicates with main memory via bus 618, which includes volatile memory 614 and non-volatile memory 616. Volatile memory 614 may be implemented using synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), RAMBUS® dynamic random access memory (RDRAM®), and / or any other type of RAM device. Non-volatile memory 616 may be implemented using flash memory and / or any other desired type of memory device. Access to main memory, and more specifically, access to volatile memory 614 and non-volatile memory 616, is controlled by memory controller 617. In some examples, memory controller 617 may be implemented using one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, microcontrollers, or any other type of circuit from any desired series or manufacturer to manage the flow of data to and from volatile memory 614 and non-volatile memory 616.

[0064] The illustrated programmable circuit platform 600 also includes interface circuitry 620. Interface circuitry 620 can be implemented in hardware according to any type of interface standard, such as Ethernet interface, Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, Bluetooth® interface, Near Field Communication (NFC) interface, Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) interface, and / or Peripheral Component Interconnect Fast (PCIe) interface.

[0065] In the illustrated example, one or more input devices 622 are connected to interface circuitry 620. Input devices 622 allow users (e.g., human users, machine users, etc.) to input data and / or commands into programmable circuitry 612. Input devices 622 can be implemented, for example, audio sensors, microphones, keyboards, buttons, mice, touchscreens, touchpads, trackballs, isotope devices, and / or voice recognition systems.

[0066] One or more output devices 624 are also connected to the interface circuitry 620 of the illustrated example. The output devices 624 can be implemented, for example, display devices (e.g., light-emitting diode (LED), organic light-emitting diode (OLED), liquid crystal display (LCD), cathode ray tube (CRT) display, flat panel display (IPS), touchscreen, etc.), haptic output devices, printers, and / or speakers. Therefore, the interface circuitry 620 of the illustrated example typically includes a graphics driver card, a graphics driver chip, and / or graphics processor circuitry, such as a GPU.

[0067] The interface circuit 620 illustrated also includes communication devices such as transmitters, receivers, transceivers, modems, residential gateways, wireless access points, and / or network interfaces to facilitate data exchange with external machines (e.g., any type of computing device) via network 626. Communication can be achieved through, for example, Ethernet connections, digital subscriber line (DSL) connections, telephone line connections, coaxial cable systems, satellite systems, beyond-line-of-sight wireless systems, line-of-sight wireless systems, cellular telephone systems, optical connections, etc.

[0068] The illustrated programmable circuit platform 600 also includes one or more mass storage disks or devices 628 for storing firmware, software, and / or data. Examples of such mass storage disks or devices 628 include magnetic storage devices (e.g., floppy disks, drives, HDDs, etc.), optical storage devices (e.g., Blu-ray discs, CDs, DVDs, etc.), RAID systems, and / or solid-state storage disks or devices, such as flash memory devices and / or SSDs.

[0069] Machine-readable coded instructions 632 (can be accessed via) Figure 5 The machine-readable instructions (implemented) can be stored in mass storage device 628, volatile memory 614, non-volatile memory 616 and / or at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., CD or DVD, which may be removable).

[0070] As can be understood from the foregoing, example systems, apparatuses, articles, and methods incorporating auxiliary combustors have been disclosed. As described herein, when the engine is off, the auxiliary combustor provides a heat source for heating liquid hydrogen to gaseous hydrogen. For example, the auxiliary combustor generates heat by burning gaseous hydrogen available during the cooling process of liquid hydrogen in a hydrogen fuel system.

[0071] In hydrogen fuel systems, hydrogen is stored in a liquid state, and during engine start-up operations, start-up heaters and exhaust heaters are required to heat the liquid hydrogen to its gaseous state. These start-up and exhaust heaters are electric heaters, requiring a generator to power them. Furthermore, electric heaters are typically heavy, increasing the overall system weight. The methods and apparatus disclosed herein incorporate an auxiliary burner into the hydrogen fuel system for heating the liquid hydrogen to its phase transition to gaseous hydrogen. The auxiliary burner replaces the start-up and exhaust heaters, resulting in a lighter overall system and eliminating the need for a large power source.

[0072] Further aspects of this disclosure are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses:

[0073] An example apparatus includes: an auxiliary burner configured to burn gaseous hydrogen to generate heat and byproducts; a pipeline for supplying gaseous hydrogen from a hydrogen supply unit to the auxiliary burner; an exhaust port connected to the auxiliary burner for discharging excess gaseous hydrogen and combustion byproducts; and a heat exchanger connected to the auxiliary burner to utilize the heat energy from the auxiliary burner to heat liquid hydrogen in the pipeline.

[0074] According to the apparatus described in the preceding clause, the discharge port is connected to a first temperature sensor that measures the temperature setpoint of the emitted gaseous hydrogen and combustion byproducts.

[0075] According to any of the foregoing clauses, the auxiliary burner is used as an exhaust heater and a start-up heater during engine start-up operation.

[0076] According to any of the preceding clauses, the heat exchanger is connected between the hydrogen supply unit and the engine burner, and the heat exchanger is configured to heat the liquid hydrogen in the pipeline from the hydrogen supply unit to the engine burner.

[0077] The apparatus according to any of the foregoing clauses further includes a second temperature sensor for measuring the target temperature of hydrogen entering the engine combustor.

[0078] According to any of the foregoing clauses of the apparatus, the gaseous hydrogen is generated during the cooling phase of the hydrogen supply section.

[0079] The apparatus according to any of the foregoing clauses further includes a controller operatively coupled to the auxiliary combustor, the controller controlling the discharge of heat energy and the intake of hydrogen into the engine combustor.

[0080] According to any of the foregoing clauses, during the cooling of the hydrogen supply section, the gaseous hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supply section to the auxiliary burner via a pipeline.

[0081] According to any of the preceding clauses of the apparatus, the combustion byproducts include water.

[0082] An example method includes: supplying gaseous hydrogen from a cooling liquid hydrogen pipeline; burning the gaseous hydrogen in a heat source to generate heat energy and byproducts; discharging excess gaseous hydrogen and combustion byproducts; and using the heat energy from the heat source to heat the liquid hydrogen in the pipeline.

[0083] The method described in the foregoing clauses further includes measuring the temperature setpoints of the emitted gaseous hydrogen and combustion byproducts.

[0084] According to any of the foregoing clauses, the liquid hydrogen is heated to supply hydrogen to the engine combustor for engine start-up operations.

[0085] The method described according to any of the foregoing clauses further includes measuring the target temperature of the hydrogen entering the engine combustor.

[0086] The method according to any of the foregoing clauses further includes controlling the discharge of heat energy and the intake of hydrogen into the engine combustor.

[0087] An example apparatus includes: a controller that controls a heat load and the intake of hydrogen into an engine combustor; a heat source connected to a heat exchanger to supply the heat load; and a liquid hydrogen supply unit connected to the heat exchanger to supply hydrogen to the engine combustor via a pipeline.

[0088] The apparatus according to the foregoing clause further includes a first sensor connected between the heat exchanger and the outlet.

[0089] According to any of the foregoing clauses, the discharge port is configured to discharge excess gaseous hydrogen and byproducts of the heat source.

[0090] The apparatus according to any of the foregoing clauses further includes a second sensor connected between the heat exchanger and the engine combustor.

[0091] According to any of the foregoing clauses, the heat load includes the heat energy used in the engine burner start-up operation.

[0092] According to any of the foregoing clauses, the auxiliary burner burns gaseous hydrogen generated during the cooling of liquid hydrogen.

[0093] The device according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the heat source includes at least one of an auxiliary burner, a second engine, a heat pump, an auxiliary power unit, a fuel cell, or an electric heater.

[0094] The following claims are incorporated herein by reference. Although certain example systems, apparatuses, articles, and methods have been disclosed herein, the scope of this patent is not limited thereto. Rather, this patent covers all systems, apparatuses, articles, and methods that fall fully within the scope of the claims of this patent.

Claims

1. An apparatus, characterized in that, include: A heat source configured to burn gaseous hydrogen to generate thermal energy and combustion byproducts; A pipeline for transporting a first portion of liquid hydrogen from a hydrogen supply unit to the heat source at a first time, so as to absorb heat from the heat source and convert the first portion of liquid hydrogen into gaseous hydrogen; An exhaust port, connected to the heat source, is used to discharge excess gaseous hydrogen that has not been burned by the heat source and the combustion byproducts; and A heat exchanger connected to the heat source to use the thermal energy of the heat source to heat a second portion of liquid hydrogen in the pipeline at a second time.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The discharge port is connected to a first temperature sensor that measures the temperature setpoint of at least one of the emitted excess gaseous hydrogen or emitted combustion byproducts.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat source is used as an exhaust heater and a start-up heater during engine start-up operations.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat exchanger is connected between the hydrogen supply unit and the engine burner, and is configured to heat the second portion of liquid hydrogen in the pipeline from the hydrogen supply unit to the engine burner.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, It further includes a second temperature sensor for measuring the target temperature of the hydrogen entering the engine combustor.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, It further includes a controller operatively coupled to the heat source, the controller controlling the discharge of heat energy and the intake of hydrogen into the engine combustor.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gaseous hydrogen is generated during the cooling phase of the hydrogen flow path.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the cooling process of the hydrogen supply unit, the gaseous hydrogen is transported from the hydrogen supply unit to the heat source via pipeline.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat source includes at least one of an auxiliary burner, a second engine, a heat pump, an auxiliary power unit, a fuel cell, or an electric heater.

10. A method, characterized in that, include: Gaseous hydrogen is supplied from the cooling of the liquid hydrogen pipeline to cool the heat source in the first instance; The gaseous hydrogen in the heat source is burned in a second time to generate thermal energy and combustion byproducts; Excess gaseous hydrogen that is not burned in the heat source and the combustion byproducts are discharged from the heat source. as well as The liquid hydrogen in the pipeline is heated at a third time using the thermal energy from the heat source.

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