Centrifugal water molecular separation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12338751-B2
Application number	US-202318458696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2023
Priority date	Aug 30, 2023
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

An aircraft propulsion system includes a condenser at least partially disposed within the core flow path where water is extracted from the exhaust gas flow, an evaporator system that is at least partially disposed within the core flow path upstream of the condenser where thermal energy from the exhaust gas flow is utilized to generate a steam flow from at least a portion of water that is extracted by the condenser. Steam within the exhaust gas flow is concentrated into a portion of the exhaust gas flow that is communicated through the condenser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An 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;
a condenser at least partially disposed within the core flow path where water is extracted from the exhaust gas flow;
an evaporator system at least partially disposed within the core flow path upstream of the condenser where thermal energy from the exhaust gas flow is utilized to generate a steam flow from at least a portion of water extracted by the condenser for injection into a core flow path; and
a core exhaust gas separator where the exhaust gas flow is separated into a first exhaust gas flow and a second exhaust gas flow, wherein the second exhaust gas flow contains a higher concentration of steam than the first exhaust gas flow and only the second exhaust gas flow is communicated to the condenser.

2. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 1 , wherein thermal energy from both the first exhaust gas flow and the second exhaust gas flow is communicated to the evaporator system for generating the steam flow.

3. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second exhaust gas flow has a smaller flow volume than the first exhaust gas flow.

4. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the core exhaust gas separator is configured to utilize a radially directed flow to separate components of the exhaust gas flow by molecular weight.

5. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 4 , wherein core exhaust gas separator includes an outer outlet in communication with a first exhaust gas passage for the first exhaust gas flow and an inner outlet in communication with a second exhaust passage for the second exhaust gas flow.

6. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the core exhaust gas separator includes a separator portion disposed within an axial length between a rotating blade of the turbine section and an exit guide vane and the outer outlet and the inner outlet are disposed proximate the exit guide vane.

7. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the core exhaust gas separator includes a separator portion disposed within an axial length between a rotating blade of the turbine section and an exit guide vane and inner outlet is disposed upstream of the exit guide vane and at an angle relative to an engine longitudinal axis.

8. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the inner outlet is only partially annular about the longitudinal axis.

9. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 6 , wherein separator portion includes a radially outward curved portion for increasing rotational acceleration of the exhaust gas flow.

10. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 6 , further including a fixed swirling vane assembly disposed within the separator portion that is configured to induce swirling in exhaust gas flow entering the separator portion, wherein the fixed swirling vane assembly comprises multiple swirling vanes spaced circumferentially about an axis of rotation within the separator portion.

11. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the rotating blade comprises an aft most rotating blade and the turbine section includes a second rotating blade immediately upstream of the aft most rotating blade without a stator vane disposed therebetween.

12. The aircraft propulsion system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the core exhaust gas separator is annular about an engine axis.

13. A steam generation system for a turbine engine assembly, the water extraction system comprising:
a core exhaust gas separator where an exhaust gas flow is separated into a first exhaust gas flow and a second exhaust gas flow, wherein the second exhaust gas flow contains more water than the first exhaust gas flow, wherein the core exhaust gas separator is configured to utilize a radially directed flow to separate components of the exhaust gas flow by molecular weight;
a condenser configured to receive and extract water from only the second exhaust gas flow; and
an evaporator system where thermal energy from the exhaust gas flow is utilized to generate a steam flow from at least a portion of water extracted by the condenser for injection into a core flow path of a turbine engine.

14. The steam generation system as recited in claim 13 , wherein core exhaust gas separator includes an outer outlet in communication with a first exhaust gas passage for the first exhaust gas flow and an inner outlet in communication with a second exhaust passage for the second exhaust gas flow.

15. The steam generation system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the separator portion includes a radially outward curved portion for increasing rotational acceleration of the exhaust gas flow.

16. The steam generation system as recited in claim 15 , further including a fixed swirling vane assembly disposed within the separator portion that is configured to induce swirling in exhaust gas flow entering the separator portion.

17. A method of generating steam for injection into a core flow path of a turbine engine, the method comprising:
separating an exhaust gas flow into a first exhaust gas flow and a second exhaust gas flow, wherein the second exhaust gas flow contains more water than the first exhaust gas flow and is of a smaller flow volume than the first exhaust gas flow;
cooling only the second exhaust gas flow to condense water into a liquid form; and
extracting liquid water from only the second exhaust gas flow.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 , further including heating the extracted liquid water to generate a steam flow for communication to a core flow path.

19. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein separating the exhaust gas flow comprises generating a swirling flow in the exhaust gas flow to communicate heavier components through an outer outlet as part of the first exhaust gas flow and communicating more water through an inner outlet that the outer outlet as the second exhaust gas flow.

Assignees

• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Terwilliger Neil J
• Johnson Andressa L

Classifications

• F05D2220/323

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

• F01K7/16

  the engines being only of turbine type (the engines using steam of critical or overcritical pressure F01K7/32; the engines being of extraction or non-condensing type F01K7/34) · CPC title

• F01K3/26

  with heating by steam · CPC title

• F02C3/22

  the fuel or oxidant being gaseous at standard temperature and pressure (F02C3/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01D25/32

  Collecting of condensation water; Drainage {; Removing solid particles} · CPC title