Gas turbine engine fuel system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024229717-A9
Application number	US-202318379717-A
Country	US
Kind code	A9
Filing date	Oct 13, 2023
Priority date	Oct 24, 2022
Publication date	Jul 11, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gas turbine engine fuel system includes a fuel offtake configured to divert a portion of hydrogen fuel from a main fuel conduit, a burner configured to burn the portion of hydrogen fuel diverted from the main fuel conduit, a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from exhaust gasses produced by the burner to hydrogen fuel in the main fuel conduit and a power recovery device configured to extract power from exhaust gasses of the burner downstream of the heat-exchanger.

First claim

1 . A gas turbine engine fuel system comprising:
a fuel offtake configured to divert a portion of hydrogen fuel from a main fuel conduit; a burner configured to burn the portion of hydrogen fuel diverted from the main fuel conduit; a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from exhaust gasses produced by the burner to hydrogen fuel in the main fuel conduit; a power recovery device configured to extract power from exhaust gasses of the burner downstream of the heat-exchanger.

2 . A gas turbine engine fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein the power recovery device comprises a nozzle arranged to expand exhaust gasses to produce thrust.

3 . A gas turbine engine fuel system according to claim 2 , wherein the nozzle is provided separately to a gas turbine engine core nozzle.

4 . A gas turbine engine fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein the power recovery device is a burner exhaust turbine.

5 . A gas turbine engine fuel system according to claim 4 , wherein the burner exhaust turbine is mechanically coupled to a load.

6 . A gas turbine engine fuel system according to claim 5 , wherein the gas turbine engine fuel system comprises a fuel pump configured to pump the hydrogen fuel, and the burner exhaust turbine is configured to drive the engine fuel pump.

7 . A gas turbine engine fuel system according to claim 6 , wherein the burner exhaust turbine is directly coupled to the engine fuel pump to directly drive the engine fuel pump.

8 . A gas turbine engine fuel system according to claim 6 , wherein the burner exhaust turbine is coupled to an electrical generator, the engine fuel pump is coupled to an electric motor, and the burner exhaust turbine is configured to drive the engine fuel pump electrically via the generator and motor.

9 . A gas turbine engine fuel system according to claim 4 , wherein the burner exhaust turbine is configured to drive an auxiliary air compressor.

10 . A gas turbine engine fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein the burner is arranged to be supplied with air for combustion from a core compressor bleed of a gas turbine engine.

11 . A gas turbine engine fuel system according to claim 9 , wherein the auxiliary air compressor is configured to further compress core compressor bleed air prior to delivery to the burner.

12 . A gas turbine engine according to claim 9 , wherein the auxiliary air compressor is configured to provide air to a hydrogen fuel cell.

13 . A hydrogen-fueled gas turbine engine comprising a fuel system in accordance with claim 1 .

14 . A method of delivering cryogenically-stored hydrogen fuel to a gas turbine engine, comprising:
pumping the hydrogen fuel from a cryogenic storage system through a main fuel conduit; diverting a portion of hydrogen fuel from the main fuel conduit; burning the portion of hydrogen fuel diverted from the main fuel conduit in a burner; heating the hydrogen fuel in the main fuel conduit by exchanging heat produced by the burner thereto in a heat exchanger; and exhausting gasses of the burner through a power recovery device configured to extract power from the exhaust gasses of the burner, the power recovery device being provided downstream of the heat-exchanger.

15 . A gas turbine engine fuel system according to claim 10 , wherein the auxiliary air compressor is configured to further compress core compressor bleed air prior to delivery to the burner.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Palmer Chloe J
• Tacconi Jacopo
• Grech Nicholas

Classifications

• F02C7/14

  of fluids in the plant {, e.g. lubricant or fuel (F02C7/185 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F02C3/22 Primary

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

• F05D2260/213

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

• F02C7/224 Primary

  Heating fuel before feeding to the burner · CPC title