Rankine cycle powered by bleed heat
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsAlan Retersdorf, Brian St. Rock, Thomas P. Filburn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method of using the system includes an open-loop path and a closed-loop path. The open-loop path is configured to extract bleed air from a compressor section of a gas turbine engine through a bleed air port and discharge bleed air to an ambient environment. The closed-loop path is configured to circulate a working fluid through a heat exchanger, a turbine, and a condenser with a pump. The heat exchanger is fluidly coupled to the bleed air port and configured to extract heat from the bleed air to boil the working fluid for driving the turbine and a component rotationally coupled to the turbine.
Claims19
A system comprising:
- an open-loop path configured to extract bleed air from a compressor section of a gas turbine engine through a bleed air port and discharge bleed air to an ambient environment;
- a closed-loop path configured to circulate a working fluid, wherein the closed-loop path comprises, in sequential series along a direction of flow of the working fluid:
- a first heat exchanger fluidly coupled to the bleed air port and configured to extract heat from the bleed air to convert the working fluid from a liquid phase at an inlet of the first heat exchanger to a gaseous phase at an outlet of the first heat exchanger;
- a first turbine fluidly coupled to the outlet of the first heat exchanger that is rotationally driven by expanding the working fluid across the first turbine from a first turbine inlet to a first turbine outlet;
- a first condenser fluidly coupled to the first turbine outlet that is configured to convert the working fluid from the gaseous phase to the liquid phase;
- and
- a pump configured to impart work to the working fluid and to deliver the working fluid to the inlet of the first heat exchanger;
- a system heat exchanger positioned along the open-loop path to receive bleed air from the first heat exchanger and to discharge bleed air to the first condenser, wherein the system heat exchanger places the bleed air in a heat exchange relationship with a medium within an auxiliary system;
- and
- a component rotationally coupled to and driven by the first turbine.
A method comprising:
- directing bleed air through an open-loop path comprising:
- extracting bleed air from a compressor section of a gas turbine engine through a bleed air port;
- directing the bleed air through a system heat exchanger that places the bleed air in a heat exchange relationship with a medium within an auxiliary system;
- and
- discharging bleed air to an ambient environment through a discharge port;
- circulating a working fluid within a closed-loop path comprising:
- circulating fluid within the closed-loop path using a pump;
- directing the working fluid through a first heat exchanger that places the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the bleed air such that the working fluid is converted from a liquid phase at an inlet of the first heat exchanger to a gaseous phase at an outlet of the first heat exchanger;
- expanding the working fluid in the gaseous phase across a first turbine fluidly coupled to the outlet of the first heat exchanger;
- and
- converting the working fluid from the gaseous phase to the liquid phase using a first condenser fluidly coupled to an outlet of the first turbine;
- and
- driving a component rotationally using the first turbine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.