Fuel-cooled engine component(s)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024093643-A1
Application number	US-202318519583-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 27, 2023
Priority date	Mar 9, 2021
Publication date	Mar 21, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An assembly is provided for a turbine engine with a flowpath. This assembly includes a fuel source and an engine component. The engine component forms a peripheral boundary of the flowpath. The engine component includes a component internal passage. The engine component is configured to receive fuel from the fuel source. The engine component is configured to crack at least some of the fuel within the component internal passage thereby cooling the engine component and providing at least partially cracked fuel. The assembly is configured to direct the at least partially cracked fuel into the flowpath for combustion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An assembly for a turbine engine with a flowpath, comprising:
a fuel source; and a blade outer air seal forming a peripheral boundary of the flowpath, the blade outer air seal comprising a seal internal passage, the blade outer air seal configured to receive fuel from the fuel source, and the blade outer air seal configured to crack at least some of the fuel within the seal internal passage thereby cooling the blade outer air seal and providing at least partially cracked fuel; wherein the assembly is configured to direct the at least partially cracked fuel into the flowpath for combustion.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least partially cracked fuel comprises hydrogen (H 2 ) gas.

3 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the fuel comprises ammonia; and the at least partially cracked fuel comprises hydrogen gas and nitrogen gas.

4 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the blade outer air seal comprises a catalytic material at least partially lining the seal internal passage, and the catalytic material is selected to facilitate the cracking of the at least some of the fuel within the seal internal passage.

5 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the blade outer air seal comprises material that at least partially forms the seal internal passage, and the material comprises nickel (Ni).

6 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the blade outer air seal comprises material that at least partially forms the seal internal passage, and the material comprises iron (Fe).

7 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the blade outer air seal comprises material that at least partially forms the seal internal passage, and the material comprises ruthenium (Ru).

8 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the blade outer air seal comprises material that at least partially forms the seal internal passage, and the material comprises platinum (Pt).

9 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the fuel directed into the seal internal passage comprises liquid fuel; the blade outer air seal is configured to vaporize the liquid fuel to provide vaporized fuel; and the blade outer air seal is further configured to crack at least some of the vaporized fuel to provide the at least partially cracked fuel.

10 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the fuel directed into the seal internal passage comprises vaporized fuel; and the blade outer air seal is configured to crack at least some of the vaporized fuel to provide the at least partially cracked fuel.

11 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a combustor comprising a combustion chamber, wherein the combustion chamber forms part of the flowpath; the assembly configured to direct the at least partially cracked fuel into the combustion chamber for combustion.

12 . The assembly of claim 11 , wherein
the combustor comprises a fuel injector; and the fuel injector is configured to direct the at least partially cracked fuel into the combustion chamber for combustion.

13 . The assembly of claim 11 , further comprising:
a turbine vane adjacent the combustor; the turbine vane comprising a vane internal passage that is fluidly coupled to the fuel source through the seal internal passage.

14 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an airframe component comprising an airframe internal passage that is fluidly coupled with the fuel source and the seal internal passage.

15 . An assembly for a turbine engine with a flowpath, comprising:
a fuel source; and a shroud forming a peripheral boundary of the flowpath, the shroud comprising a shroud internal passage, the shroud configured to receive fuel from the fuel source, and the shroud configured to crack at least some of the fuel within the seal internal passage thereby cooling the shroud and providing at least partially cracked fuel; the assembly configured to direct the at least partially cracked fuel into the flowpath for combustion.

Assignees

• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Davis Dustin W
• Smith Lance L
• Kim Won-Wook

Classifications

• F02C7/18 Primary

  the medium being gaseous, e.g. air {(F02C7/125 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F02C7/22

  Fuel supply systems · CPC title

• F23R3/40

  characterised by the use of catalytic means · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

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

• F05D2240/12

  Fluid guiding means, e.g. vanes · CPC title