Hydrogen-Burning Torch Heating for Lightweight Fuel Delivery Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydrogen heating apparatus for gas turbine engines are bulky and heavy, necessitating a more compact and lightweight solution for efficiently heating liquid or gaseous hydrogen to appropriate temperatures for use as a fuel.
Innovation Solution
A heating device comprising a conduit with hydrogen-burning torches arranged to heat the fluid flow and a conduit geometry that stabilizes the flame, combined with a heating apparatus that supplies hydrogen and oxygen in a stoichiometric or hydrogen-rich ratio to the torches, and optionally includes a heat-exchanger for further temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a heat-exchanger is used to transfer heat from combustion products to hydrogen flow, then hydrogen can be heated to required temperature, but the apparatus size and weight increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heating function and hydrogen storage function into a single integrated vessel. The hydrogen storage tank serves dual purposes: storing hydrogen and acting as the heating chamber where combustion occurs directly within the hydrogen flow path. This eliminates the need for separate heat-exchangers and combustion chambers, significantly reducing apparatus weight while maintaining effective heating capability.
2Temperature
If a heat-exchanger is used to transfer heat from combustion products to hydrogen flow, then hydrogen can be heated to required temperature, but the apparatus size increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heating function and hydrogen storage function into a single integrated vessel. The hydrogen storage tank serves dual purposes: storing hydrogen and acting as the heating chamber where combustion occurs directly within the hydrogen flow path. This eliminates the need for separate heat-exchangers and combustion chambers, significantly reducing apparatus weight while maintaining effective heating capability.
3Temperature
If conventional heating apparatus is used, then hydrogen can be heated, but the device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heating function and hydrogen storage function into a single integrated vessel. The hydrogen storage tank serves dual purposes: storing hydrogen and acting as the heating chamber where combustion occurs directly within the hydrogen flow path. This eliminates the need for separate heat-exchangers and combustion chambers, significantly reducing apparatus weight while maintaining effective heating capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrogen storage tank is designed to perform multiple functions: storing hydrogen, serving as the combustion chamber, and acting as the heating apparatus. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall system while maintaining effective hydrogen heating capability.
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
The solution provides a compact, efficient, and lightweight means to heat hydrogen to the required temperatures, reducing size and weight while ensuring stable flame operation and precise temperature control.
Implementation Method 1
a hydrogen-burning torch arranged to heat the flow of fluid between the device input and the device output by flame-heating
Implementation Method 2
a heat-exchanger used to transfer heat from resulting combustion products to the remainder of the input flow of hydrogen in order to vaporise and/or heat it
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A heating device (100) comprises a device input (102) and a device output (104), a conduit (109) for conducting a flow of fluid from the device input to the device output, a hydrogen-burning torch (106A) arranged to heat the flow of fluid between the device input and the device output by flame-heating, and a spark ignitor (108A) arranged to light the torch. The heating device may be used to heat a flow of supercritical hydrogen derived from a store of liquid hydrogen to provide a flow of gaseous hydrogen. The device may be used in a fuel delivery system for a hydrogen-burning gas turbine engine, providing a weight saving compared to a hydrogen fuel delivery system having a fuel pre-heater which includes a heat-exchanger.