Aftercooler exhaust duct protection
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorJon Erik Sobanski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A turbine engine assembly includes a condenser that is at least partially disposed within the core flow path where water is extracted from the exhaust gas flow, an evaporator system that is at least partially disposed within the core flow path that is upstream of the condenser where thermal energy from the exhaust gas flow is utilized to generate a steam flow. An aftercooler provides a cooling flow that is selectively injected into the core flow path upstream of at least the condenser for cooling the exhaust gas flow in response to a parameter that is indicative of an engine operating parameter that exceeds a predefined condition.
Claims20
A turbine engine assembly comprising:
- a compressor section where an inlet airflow is compressed;
- a combustor section where the compressed inlet airflow is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate an exhaust gas flow that is communicated through a core flow path;
- a turbine section through which the exhaust gas flow expands to generate a mechanical power output;
- a condenser at least partially disposed within the core flow path where water is extracted from the exhaust gas flow;
- an evaporator system at least partially disposed within the core flow path upstream of the condenser where thermal energy from the exhaust gas flow is utilized to generate a steam flow from at least a portion of water extracted by the condenser for injection into a core flow path;
- and
- an aftercooler where a cooling flow is selectively injected into the core flow path downstream of the turbine section and upstream of at least the condenser for cooling the exhaust gas flow in response to a parameter indicative of an engine operating parameter exceeding a predefined condition.
An aircraft propulsion system comprising:
- a compressor section where an inlet airflow is compressed;
- a combustor section where the compressed inlet airflow is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate an exhaust gas flow that is communicated through a core flow path;
- a turbine section through which the exhaust gas flow expands to generate a mechanical power output;
- an exhaust duct defining the core flow path for the exhaust gas flow exiting the turbine section;
- a condenser at least partially disposed within the exhaust duct, the condenser configured for extracting water from the exhaust gas flow;
- an evaporator system at least partially disposed within the exhaust duct upstream of the condenser, the evaporator system being configured to use thermal energy from the exhaust gas flow to vaporize water into a steam flow from at least a portion of water extracted by the condenser for injection into a core flow path;
- an aftercooler configured to selectively inject a cooling water flow into the core flow path downstream of the turbine section for cooling the exhaust gas flow;
- and
- a controller configured to actuate the aftercooler in response to an indication that a temperature associated with the condenser or the evaporator system has exceeded a predefined threshold.
A method of operating a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
- generating an exhaust gas flow that is communicated through a core flow path;
- expanding the gas flow through a turbine section to generate a mechanical power output;
- routing the exhaust gas flow through an exhaust duct defining the core flow path for the exhaust gas flow exiting the turbine section;
- extracting water from the gas flow in a condenser that is at least partially disposed within the exhaust duct;
- generating a steam flow by heating water extracted by the condenser with an evaporator at least partially disposed within the exhaust duct;
- monitoring a temperature within the exhaust duct at a location downstream of the turbine section;
- and
- injecting a cooling water flow into the exhaust duct in response to a measured temperature within the exhaust duct exceeding a predefined threshold temperature to reduce a temperature of the exhaust gas flow to a temperature compatible with operation of the condenser or the evaporator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.