Cooling architecture using cryogenic fuels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12428166-B2
Application number	US-202218146001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2022
Priority date	Dec 23, 2022
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

A system for cooling a superconducting motor includes a combustor and fuel tank that contains a fuel. The system further includes a cooling system that provides the fuel to the superconducting motor or a cryocooler to cool the superconducting motor, resulting in at least partially vaporized fuel coming out of the superconducting motor or cryocooler. The cooling system also a cryocooler and a two-phase ejector that mixes the fuel from the tank and the at least partially vaporized fuel to produce a mixed fuel. The combustor receives the mixed fuel and generates electric power due its combustion. The power can be provided to the superconducting motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for cooling a superconducting motor, the system comprising:
a fuel tank that contains a fuel and includes a fuel output;
a combustor that receives the fuel from the fuel tank and generates electric power due to combustion of the fuel and provides the electric power to the superconducting motor; and
a cooling system that provides the fuel to the superconducting motor to cool the superconducting motor, the cooling system comprising:
a two-phase ejector that includes a liquid fuel input fluidly coupled to the fuel tank, a vaporized fuel input fluidly coupled to the superconducting motor and an output fluidly coupled to the combustor;
a main path that transports fuel from the fuel tank, through the two-phase ejector and to the combustor, wherein the liquid fuel input receives the liquid fuel from the fuel tank via the main path;
a cooling path that that transports fuel from the fuel tank, through the superconducting motor and to the vaporized fuel input of the two-phase ejector, wherein the cooling path branches from the main fuel path;
wherein the two-phase ejector mixes the fuel and the vaporized fuel together to form a fuel stream at the output that is provided to the combustor;
wherein the liquid fuel is provided from the tank to the main and cooling paths in parallel;
wherein the main path passes through other aircraft loads before the main path provides the liquid fuel to the liquid fuel input of the two-phase ejector.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel is LH 2 .

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the main path includes a first path that transports the liquid fuel from the tank to the liquid fuel input;
the cooling path includes second path that carries liquid fuel from the tank to the superconducting motor;
the cooling path includes a third path that that transports at least partially vaporized fuel away from the superconducting motor to the partially or totally vaporized fuel input; and the main path includes a fourth path that carriers mixed fuel from the output of the two-phase ejector to the combustor.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a first pump arranged along the first path that increases the pressure of the fuel before it is provided to the two-phase ejector.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the second path contains a second pump, that increases the pressure of the fuel before it is provided to the superconducting motor.

6. A method for cooling a superconducting motor, the system comprising:
passing fuel from a fuel tank to a combustor to generates electric power due to combustion of the fuel;
providing the electric power to the superconducting motor;
wherein passing fuel includes:
providing liquid fuel to a fuel a two-phase ejector that includes a liquid fuel input, a partially or totally vaporized fuel input and an output, wherein the liquid fuel is provided to the liquid fuel input via a main path;
providing liquid fuel to a cooling path that that transports fuel from the fuel tank, through the superconducting motor and to the partially or totally vaporized fuel input of the two-phase ejector, wherein the fuel is partially or totally vaporized by the superconducting motor, wherein the cooling path branches from the main fuel path; and
passing the liquid fuel from the main path to other aircraft loads before providing the liquid fuel to the liquid fuel input of the two-phase ejector;
wherein the two-phase ejector mixes the fuel and the at least partially vaporized fuel together to form a fuel stream at the output; wherein the fuel is provided to the liquid fuel input and the cooling path in parallel.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fuel is LH 2 .

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the main path includes a first path that transports the liquid fuel from the tank to liquid fuel input;
the cooling path includes second path that carrier liquid fuel from the tank to the superconducting motor;
the cooling path includes a third path that that transports at least partially vaporized fuel away from the superconducting motor to the partially or totally vaporized fuel input; and
the main path includes a fourth path that carriers mixed fuel from the output of the two-phase ejector to the combustor.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fuel is Bio-LNG.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the main path includes a first path that transports the liquid fuel from the tank to liquid fuel input;
the cooling path includes second path that carries liquid fuel from the tank to the cryocooler;
the cooling path includes a third path that that transports at least partially vaporized fuel away from the cryocooler to the partially or totally vaporized fuel input; and
the main path includes a fourth path that carriers mixed fuel from the output of the two-phase ejector to the combustor.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Alahyari Abbas A

Classifications

• F02C3/32

  Inducing air flow by fluid jet, e.g. ejector action · CPC title

• H02K55/00 Primary

  Dynamo-electric machines having windings operating at cryogenic temperatures · CPC title

• B64D41/00

  Power installations for auxiliary purposes · CPC title

• B64D27/24

  using steam or spring force (jet aircraft B64D27/16) · CPC title

• B64D37/005

  Accessories not provided for in the groups B64D37/02 - B64D37/28 · CPC title