Partial exhaust gas condensation with inverse Brayton control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12270333-B2
Application number	US-202318238655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2023
Priority date	Aug 28, 2023
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

A turbine engine assembly generates an exhaust gas flow that is communicated through a core flow path. The exhaust gas flow is split into a first exhaust gas flow and a second exhaust gas flow. Water is extracted in a condenser from the second exhaust gas flow. The extracted water is transformed into a steam flow in an evaporator system utilizing thermal energy from at least the second exhaust gas flow. An exit flow from the condenser is communicated through an exhaust compressor and compressed to a higher pressure exit flow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an aircraft propulsion system, the aircraft propulsion system comprising a compressor section where an inlet airflow is compressed, a combustor section where the compressed inlet airflow is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate an exhaust gas flow that is communicated through a core flow path, a turbine section through which the exhaust gas flow expands to generate a mechanical power output, wherein the exhaust gas flow is split into a first exhaust gas flow and a second exhaust gas flow, a condenser where water from the second exhaust gas flow is condensed and extracted, wherein the first exhaust gas flow bypasses the condenser, an evaporator system where thermal energy from at least the second exhaust gas flow is utilized to generate a steam flow from at least a portion of water extracted by the condenser for injection into the core flow path, an exhaust compressor which receives the second exhaust gas flow from the condenser and compresses the second exhaust gas flow to form a higher pressure exit flow, and an exhaust mixer downstream from the condenser, wherein the first exhaust gas flow and the higher pressure exit flow are merged within the exhaust mixer, the method comprising:
generating the exhaust flow containing a mixture of steam, compressed air, and fuel;
splitting the generated exhaust flow into the first exhaust flow and the second exhaust flow with the second exhaust flow being less than half of the generated exhaust flow;
thermally communicating the second exhaust flow with a cold sink in the condenser for cooling the second exhaust flow;
condensing and extracting water from the cooled second exhaust flow; and
controlling the second exhaust flow through the condenser by selectively operating the exhaust compressor based on a cooling capacity of the cold sink.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the cold sink includes a heat transfer circuit in thermal communication with the cold sink flow and the condenser, wherein the heat transfer circuit is configured to cool the second exhaust flow in the condenser.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , generating a steam flow with thermal energy from the generated exhaust flow and injecting at least portion of the steam flow into a core flow path.

4. A turbine engine assembly comprising:
a compressor section where an inlet airflow is compressed;
a combustor section where the compressed inlet airflow is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate an exhaust gas flow that is communicated through a core flow path;
a turbine section through which the exhaust gas flow expands to generate a mechanical power output, wherein the exhaust gas flow is split into a first exhaust gas flow and a second exhaust gas flow;
a condenser where water from the second exhaust gas flow is condensed and extracted, wherein the first exhaust gas flow bypasses the condenser;
an evaporator system where thermal energy from at least the second exhaust gas flow is utilized to generate a steam flow from at least a portion of water extracted by the condenser for injection into the core flow path; and
an exhaust compressor which receives the second exhaust gas flow from the condenser and compresses the second exhaust gas flow to form a higher pressure exit flow; and
an exhaust mixer downstream from the condenser, wherein the first exhaust gas flow and the high pressure exit flow are merged within the exhaust mixer.

5. The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 4 , wherein thermal energy from the first exhaust gas flow and the second exhaust gas flow is utilized to generate the steam flow.

6. The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 4 , wherein the second exhaust gas flow is less than or equal to half of a total exhaust gas flow generated in the combustor section.

7. The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 4 , further including a heat transfer circuit in thermal communication with a cold sink flow and the condenser, wherein the heat transfer circuit is configured to cool the second exhaust gas flow in the condenser.

8. The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 4 , including a steam turbine where a steam flow generated by the evaporator system is expanded before communication to the combustor section.

9. The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 8 , wherein an exit steam flow from the steam turbine is reheated by the exhaust gas flow prior to communication to the combustor section.

10. The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 4 , wherein the exhaust compressor is driven by an electric motor.

11. The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 10 , further including a controller programmed for operating the electric motor to control flow through the condenser to tailor condenser operation to an available cooling capacity.

12. The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 4 , wherein the exhaust compressor is coupled to a drive shaft driven by a mechanical drive device.

13. An aircraft propulsion system comprising:
a propulsor for generating propulsive thrust;
a core engine comprising a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section, wherein inlet airflow is compressed in the compressor section, mixed with fuel, and ignited in the combustor section to generate an exhaust gas flow that is communicated through a core flow path and expanded through the turbine section to generate shaft power utilized to drive the propulsor, wherein the exhaust gas flow is split into a first exhaust gas flow and a second exhaust gas flow and the second exhaust gas flow is equal to or less than half of the exhaust gas flow;
a condenser where water from the second exhaust gas flow is condensed and extracted;
an evaporator system where thermal energy from at least the second exhaust gas flow is utilized to generate a steam flow from at least a portion of water extracted by the condenser for injection into the core flow path;
a cold sink in thermal communication with the second exhaust gas flow in the condenser for cooling the second exhaust gas flow;
an exhaust compressor which receives the second exhaust gas flow from the condenser, compresses the second exhaust gas flow to form a higher pressure exit flow and is configured to control the second exhaust gas flow through the condenser to tailor water extraction to an available cooling capacity provided by the cold sink; and
an exhaust gas mixer downstream from the condenser, wherein the first exhaust gas flow and the higher presser exit flow are merged within the exhaust mixer.

14. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the cold sink includes a heat transfer circuit in thermal communication with a cold sink flow and the condenser, wherein the heat transfer circuit is configured to cool the second exhaust gas flow in the condenser.

15. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the exhaust compressor is driven by an electric motor operated by a controller programmed for operating the electric motor to control the second exhaust gas flow through the condenser.

16. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the exhaust compressor is coupled to a drive shaft driven by a mechanical drive device.

17. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 13 , including a steam turbine where steam flow generated by the evaporator system is expanded before communication to the core flow path and an exit steam flow from the steam turbine is reheated by the exhaust gas flow prior to communication to the core flow path.

18. The aircraft propulsio

Assignees

• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Terwilliger Neil J
• Smith Lance L

Classifications

• F05D2270/08

  to produce clean exhaust gases · CPC title

• F05D2260/213

  by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

  for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines · CPC title

• F02C7/16

  characterised by cooling medium · CPC title

• F02C7/141

  of working fluid · CPC title