Zero-emission jet engine employing a dual-fuel mix of ammonia and hydrogen using a wave
AssigneeNew Wave Hydrogen, Inc.
InventorsPejman Akbari, Stefan Tuchler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved power generation system for aircraft and methods of its operation are provided, wherein the system combines a wave reformer providing a contiguous fuel supply to a jet engine, and use of ammonia as the fuel source from which hydrogen and/or a duel supply of ammonia and hydrogen will be supplied to aircraft jet engines leading to a higher thermal efficiency than existing engines with low to no direct emission footprint.
Claims14
An aircraft fuel generation system supplying a continuous source of fuel for aircraft engines comprising:
- a combustor having a first inlet to receive a high-pressure fluid, a second inlet receiving a high-pressure fuel product, and an output port continuously discharging a flow of a high-pressure burned gas, wherein the high-pressure fuel product is combusted;
- a wave reformer having a first port receiving a flow of pressurized ammonia, a second port continuously discharging the high-pressure fuel product to the second inlet of the combustor, a third port receiving at least a first portion of the flow of the high-pressure burned gas being discharged from the combustor, and a fourth port exhausting a lower pressure burned gas, said wave reformer being configured to cause thermal decomposition of the pressurized ammonia;
- and
- a power generating turbine including a compressor having a first inlet receiving incoming atmospheric air, a second inlet receiving at least another portion of the flow of the high pressure burned gas discharged from the combustor, and an exhaust outlet producing thrust gas.
A power generation system for operating an aircraft engine comprising:
- a compressor, wherein air is pressurized;
- a source of pressurized and preheated ammonia;
- a combustor having a first inlet to receive a high-pressure air operably connected to said compressor, a second input to receive a high-pressure dual fuel of said pressurized and preheated ammonia and hydrogen, and an outlet for discharging high-pressure burned gas, wherein the dual fuel is combusted;
- a wave reformer having a first port receiving the preheated pressurized ammonia, a second port releasing the high-pressure dual fuel of said pressurized and preheated ammonia and said hydrogen to the second input of the combustor, a third port receiving at least a first portion of the high-pressure burned gas discharged from the combustor, and a fourth port exhausting lower pressure burned gas;
- and
- a thrust generating turbine device for providing an exhaust thrust for powering an aircraft operatively connected to the outlet of the combustor and receiving at least a second portion of the high-pressure burned gas discharged from the combustor.
A method of continuously generating power for aircraft jet engine comprising:
- continuously supplying high-pressure air to a combustor;
- continuously supplying pressurized preheated ammonia to a wave reformer through a first inlet port thereof to allow thermal decomposition of the pressurized preheated ammonia into a high-pressure dual fuel product including said pressurized preheated ammonia and hydrogen;
- continuously injecting the high-pressure dual fuel product including said pressurized preheated ammonia and said hydrogen discharged from the wave reformer to the combustor to allow combustion thereof to occur therein;
- and
- continuously discharging a high pressure burned gas from the combustor and directing at least a first portion of the high-pressure burned gas to a second port of the wave reformer, and a at least a second portion of the high-pressure burned gas to a turbine to generate operating power for the aircraft jet engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.