Gas Turbine Combustion Section With Nested Fuel Cell Stack
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engines face challenges in efficiently integrating fuel cell assemblies into the combustion section, leading to reduced hardware life and overall efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a fuel cell assembly within the combustion section of a gas turbine engine, where the fuel cell stack is positioned in a passageway between the combustion liner and casing, leveraging pressure differences and allowing fuel cells to extend axially for maximum power production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a fuel cell assembly is integrated into the combustion section of a gas turbine engine, then power output and efficiency are improved, but hardware life and reliability deteriorate due to thermal and mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel cell assembly is nested within the combustion section by positioning the fuel cell stack in the annular passageway between the combustion liner and casing. This nesting arrangement allows the fuel cell to utilize the existing engine structure and thermal environment, enabling power generation within the high-temperature combustion zone while maintaining structural integrity and protecting the fuel cell through proper thermal management design
Solution Approach 2:
The combustion liner is spaced apart from the casing to define an annular passageway specifically for housing the fuel cell assembly. This creates a localized environment with controlled thermal and mechanical conditions suitable for fuel cell operation, separating the fuel cell from direct exposure to the harshest thermal conditions while still allowing it to benefit from the thermal energy present in the combustion section
2Power
If the fuel cell stack extends axially for maximum power production, then power output increases, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The annular passageway between the combustion liner and casing serves multiple functions: it provides the flow path for compressed air to reach the turbine, and simultaneously houses the fuel cell stack for power generation. This multi-functional use of the existing engine structure allows the fuel cell assembly to be integrated without adding significant complexity, as the same space performs dual purposes
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel cell stack is arranged axially within the annular passageway, utilizing the axial dimension of the combustion section for power production. This axial arrangement allows maximum power output while fitting within the existing engine geometry, transforming the available space into an effective power generation zone without requiring radial or circumferential modifications that would increase complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances the robustness and efficiency of the fuel cell assembly integration, increasing hardware life and overall turbomachine efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cells that generate a power output
Implementation Method 2
air is compressed in the compressor and mixed with fuel and ignited in the combustion section for generating combustion gases
Data Source
AI summary
A combustion section defines an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction. The combustion section includes a casing that defines a diffusion chamber. A combustion liner is disposed within the diffusion chamber and defines a combustion chamber the combustion liner is spaced apart from the casing such that a passageway is defined between the combustion liner and the casing. A fuel cell assembly is disposed in the passageway. The fuel cell assembly includes a fuel cell stack that has a plurality of fuel cells each extending between an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end receives a flow of air and fuel and the outlet end provides output products to the combustion chamber. The fuel cell assembly further includes an electrical circuit that is electrically coupled to the plurality of fuel cells and that extends through the casing.