Auxiliary power system for an airplane and an airplane with such an auxiliary power system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016181641-A1
Application number	US-201514975347-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An auxiliary power system for an airplane includes at least one fuel cell unit each with at least one fuel cell, a voltage output, a fuel intake and an outlet for reaction products, a fuel tank that is couplable with the fuel intake of the fuel cell unit, at least one compressor unit with an air intake and air outlet and an electric motor, which is couplable with a voltage output of the at least one fuel cell unit and, by way of a shaft, with the at least one compressor unit. At least the at least one fuel cell unit, the compressor unit and the electric motor are interconnected to yield a coherent unit, which continuously provides electrical power and pressurized air.

First claim

1 . An auxiliary power system for an airplane, comprising
at least one fuel cell unit each with at least one fuel cell, a voltage output, a fuel intake and an outlet for reaction products, a fuel tank couplable with the fuel intake of the at least one fuel cell unit, at least one compressor unit with an air intake and air outlet; and an electric motor couplable with a voltage output of the at least one fuel cell unit and, by way of a shaft, with the at least one compressor unit, wherein at least the at least one fuel cell unit, the compressor unit and the electric motor are interconnected to yield a coherent unit, which continuously provides electrical power and pressurized air.

2 . The auxiliary power system of claim 1 , wherein the compressor unit is set up to provide the pressurized air with a volume flow and pressure that makes the pressurized air sufficient for operating an air conditioning system on the airplane that comprises at least one air circulation-based air conditioning aggregate, at least while on the ground and during airplane startup.

3 . The auxiliary power system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fuel cell of the at least one fuel cell unit is cooled by air.

4 . The auxiliary power system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fuel cell comprises an open cathode and is set up to be operated with air as the oxidant.

5 . The auxiliary power system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fuel cell is a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell.

6 . The auxiliary power system of claim 1 , comprising at least two fuel cell units each with several fuel cells, which are each combined into one fuel cell stack with a circular segmented cross section and arranged side by side to envelop the shaft or electric motor.

7 . The auxiliary power system of claim 1 , wherein the air intake of the compressor unit is situated downstream, after the at least one fuel cell unit.

8 . The auxiliary power system of claim 4 , wherein the air intake of the compressor unit is situated downstream, after the at least one fuel cell unit, and
wherein the air intake of the compressor unit is fluidically connected with air ducts of the at least one fuel cell unit in such a way that air aspirated into the air inlet flows through the air ducts.

9 . The auxiliary power system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one power electronics unit connected with the electric motor and voltage output of the at least one fuel cell unit.

10 . The auxiliary power system of claim 1 , further comprising a generator connected with the shaft, the generator configured to provide an a.c. voltage.

11 . The auxiliary power system of claim 1 ,
wherein the fuel tank comprises an insulation, and is set up to store liquid hydrogen and prepare the at least one fuel cell unit, and wherein the insulation is dimensioned in such a way that the evaporation rate of the liquid hydrogen stored in the fuel tank is equivalent to a mass flow of fuel required by the at least one fuel cell unit.

12 . An airplane comprising at least one auxiliary power system comprising:
at least one fuel cell unit each with at least one fuel cell, a voltage output, a fuel intake and an outlet for reaction products,
a fuel tank couplable with the fuel intake of the at least one fuel cell unit,
at least one compressor unit with an air intake and air outlet; and
an electric motor couplable with a voltage output of the at least one fuel cell unit and, by way of a shaft, with the at least one compressor unit,
wherein at least the at least one fuel cell unit, the compressor unit and the electric motor are interconnected to yield a coherent unit, which continuously provides electrical power and pressurized air.

13 . The airplane of claim 12 , further comprising an air conditioning system with at least one air circulation-based air conditioning aggregate couplable with the air outlet of the auxiliary power system to drive the at least one air conditioning aggregate.

14 . The airplane of claim 13 , wherein the auxiliary power system drives the at least one air conditioning aggregate completely at least while on the ground and during airplane startup, without requiring any further supply of air.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Hoffjann Claus
• Engel Wolfgang

Classifications

• B64D41/00 Primary

  Power installations for auxiliary purposes · CPC title

• B64D13/06 Primary

  the air being conditioned (pressurising B64D13/02) · CPC title

• B64D2013/0611

  combined with auxiliary power units (APU's) · CPC title

• B64D2013/0644

  including electric motors or generators · CPC title

• B64D2041/005

  Fuel cells · CPC title