Gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025145304-A1
Application number	US-202418917042-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 16, 2024
Priority date	Nov 3, 2023
Publication date	May 8, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel system for a hydrogen fueled aircraft propulsion system comprises a tank configured to store hydrogen, a first inductor provided within the tank and configured to heat hydrogen fuel within the tank, and a second inductor provided externally to the tank, and configured to induce a current in the first inductor.

First claim

1 . A fuel system for a hydrogen fueled aircraft propulsion system comprising:
a tank configured to store hydrogen; a first inductor provided within the tank and configured to heat hydrogen fuel within the tank; and a second inductor provided externally to the tank, and configured to induce a current in the first inductor.

2 . The fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first inductor and the second inductor comprises a superconducting material.

3 . The fuel system according to claim 2 , wherein the superconducting material comprises a type 2 superconductor such as cuprate, iron based, magnesium diboride, carbon-based or nickelate superconductor.

4 . The fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel system comprises a controller configured to control heating of fuel in the tank.

5 . The fuel system according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to provide one of AC and variable DC current to the second inductor.

6 . The fuel system according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first inductor and the second inductor comprises a superconducting material and wherein the controller is configured to operate the first inductor and second inductor in a charging mode and a heating mode.

7 . The fuel system according to claim 6 , wherein, in the charging mode, the controller is configured to input current into the second inductor to energize the first inductor to a current density below its critical current density J C .

8 . The fuel system according to claim 6 , wherein, In the heating mode, the controller is configured to input current into the second inductor to energize the first inductor to a current density above its critical current density J C .

9 . The fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel system comprises a plurality of first and second inductors.

10 . The fuel system according to claim 9 , wherein the fuel system comprises a controller configured to control heating of fuel in the tank and wherein the controller is configured to control a subset of the first and second inductors individually.

11 . The fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen tank is configured to store liquid hydrogen, and wherein the hydrogen tank may configured to store liquid hydrogen at a pressure of between 1 and 4 Bar, and may be configured to store liquid hydrogen at a temperature below 35 K.

12 . The fuel system according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen tank is configured to store compressed or supercritical hydrogen, and wherein the hydrogen tank may be configured to store hydrogen at a temperature below 100 K, and at a pressure up to 350 Bar.

13 . An aircraft propulsion system comprising a fuel system in accordance with claim 1 , and a propulsor.

14 . The aircraft propulsion system according to claim 13 , wherein the propulsion system comprises one or more of a fuel cell configured to provide electrical power the propulsor, and a gas turbine engine configured to drive the propulsor.

15 . A method of operating a fuel system of an aircraft propulsion system comprising:
operating a second inductor located externally to a hydrogen tank to energize a first inductor provided within the tank to thereby heat hydrogen within the tank.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the method comprises, in a charging mode, inputting current into the first inductor comprising a superconducting material to energize the second coil to a current density below its critical current density J C .

17 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the method comprises, in a heating mode, inputting current into the second inductor to energize the first inductor comprising a superconducting material to a current density above its critical current density J C to quench the first inductor; and, in a heating mode, inputting current into the second inductor to energize the first inductor to a current density above its critical current density J C to quench the first inductor.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Palmer Chloe J

Classifications

• F05D2300/50

  Intrinsic material properties or characteristics · CPC title

• F02C9/40

  specially adapted to the use of a special fuel or a plurality of fuels · CPC title

• B64D37/30

  Fuel systems for specific fuels · CPC title

• Y02T90/40

  Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells · CPC title

• B64D37/10

  to facilitate fuel pressurisation · CPC title