Hydrogen Steam Turbine Cycle With Intercooling and Water Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engines in aircraft face challenges in efficiently using hydrogen or methane fuels due to weight and volume penalties associated with fuel storage, requiring improved propulsion efficiency to carry these fuels feasibly, and conventional alternatives suffer from combustion byproduct issues.
Innovation Solution
A hydrogen steam and inter-cooled turbine engine system that incorporates a semi-closed loop steam injection cycle, utilizing exhaust heat to generate steam for improved performance by increasing turbine mass flow and power output, and includes features like steam injection, water injection for intercooling, and hybrid electric systems to reduce weight and volume of fuel storage components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If hydrogen or methane fuel is used in gas turbine engines, then combustion efficiency and environmental performance are improved, but fuel storage volume and weight increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of hydrogen fuel from gas to liquid (cryogenic storage), and further to supercritical fluid state. This parameter change dramatically reduces storage volume - supercritical hydrogen occupies approximately 1/1000th of the volume of gaseous hydrogen at standard conditions, making fuel storage feasible for aircraft applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from storing hydrogen in its conventional gaseous or liquid form to utilizing it in a supercritical state, effectively adding a new dimensional parameter (pressure-temperature state) to the storage solution. This allows the fuel to be stored in a compact form factor suitable for aircraft while maintaining high energy density.
2Adaptability or versatility
If liquid hydrogen fuel is stored onboard aircraft, then hydrogen propulsion is enabled, but weight and volumetric penalties increase by 15% to 25%
Solution Approach 1:
By transitioning hydrogen to a supercritical state through controlled pressure and temperature parameters, the patent achieves a density increase that directly reduces storage volume and associated weight penalties. The supercritical state allows hydrogen to be stored with approximately 15-25% less weight and volume compared to conventional liquid hydrogen storage systems.
3Reliability
If conventional liquid fuel is used in gas turbine engines, then established technology is maintained, but combustion byproduct emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains the proven gas turbine engine technology while changing the fuel state parameter to supercritical hydrogen. This allows the engine to operate with established, reliable technology while achieving zero-carbon emissions, as hydrogen combustion produces only water vapor rather than CO2 and other harmful byproducts associated with hydrocarbon fuels.
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 engine system achieves a significant reduction in fuel volume and weight, enhancing mission energy efficiency by up to 60%, while maintaining stable combustion and reducing NOx emissions, with improved thermal efficiency and reduced evaporator and condenser size.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporator downstream from the burner and arranged to use heat from the exhaust to evaporate water
Implementation Method 2
the evaporator downstream from the burner and arranged to use heat from the exhaust to evaporate water
Implementation Method 3
a condenser arranged downstream from the evaporator
Implementation Method 4
water injection for intercooling
Implementation Method 5
a turbine section across which the resultant combustion products are expanded. The expansion of the combustion products drives the turbine section to rotate.
Implementation Method 6
a compressor section that compresses air
Implementation Method 7
a combustor section in which the compressed air is mixed with a fuel and ignited
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A propulsion system for an aircraft (200) includes a fan (102) and a low pressure turbine (114) operably coupled to a first shaft (116), a low pressure compressor (104) and an intermediate pressure turbine (112) operably coupled to a second shaft (118), and a high pressure compressor (106) and a high pressure turbine (110) operably coupled to a third shaft (120). A burner (108) is arranged between the high pressure compressor (106) and the high pressure turbine (110), with a main flow path (124) defined through the propulsion system. A hydrogen fuel system is configured to supply hydrogen fuel to the burner (108). A condenser (134) is arranged along the main flow path (124) and configured to extract water from exhaust from the burner (108). An evaporator (132) is arranged along the main flow path (124) and configured to receive a portion of the water to generate steam which is injected into the main flow path (124) upstream from the evaporator (132).