# US 11,898,491 B1 · Water pressure and quantity monitoring for hydrogen steam injected and inter-cooled turbine engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,898,491 B1 - Document ID: US11898491B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/870,123 - Filed: 2022-07-21 - Published: 2024-01-25 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-07-21 - Assignees: Rtx Corporation - Applicants: Raytheon Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Edward Thomas Rocco; Danbing Seto; Coy Bruce Wood; Liang Tang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11898491B1 ## CPC - F02C 3/30: Adding water, steam or other fluids {for influencing combustion, e.g. to obtain cleaner exhaust gases (F02C7/141, F02C7/30, F01D21/00, F01K21/04, F23D11/10 take precedence)} - F02C 3/22: the fuel or oxidant being gaseous at standard temperature and pressure (F02C3/28 takes precedence) - F02C 7/185: {Cooling means for reducing the temperature of the cooling air or gas} - F05D 2220/323: for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines - F05D 2260/211: by intercooling, e.g. during a compression cycle - F05D 2260/213: by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit - F05D 2260/2322: steam - F05D 2260/607: Preventing clogging or obstruction of flow paths by dirt, dust, or foreign particles - F05D 2260/80: Diagnostics - F05D 2270/3015: differential pressure - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A propulsion system for an aircraft includes a hydrogen fuel system, a water recovery system and a water pressure and quantity monitoring system. The water recovery system uses a condenser to extract water from an exhaust gas flow. The water pressure and quantity monitoring system measures water pressures and quantities at various locations in the water recovery system to assess the health and efficiency of the water recovery/supply system and the propulsion system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A propulsion system for an aircraft comprising: a core engine including a core flow path where air is compressed in a compressor section, communicated to a combustor section, mixed with a hydrogen-based fuel and ignited to generate a high energy gas flow that is expanded through a turbine section; a hydrogen fuel system configured to supply hydrogen fuel to the combustor through a fuel flow path; a water recovery system including a condenser arranged along the core flow path that is configured to extract water from the high energy gas flow; a water pressure monitoring system measuring a water pressure at various locations in the water recovery system; a water level sensing system disposed in the water storage tank for water quantity monitoring; a controller programed to control the water recovery system based on information communicated from the water pressure monitoring system, and to monitor the water pressure and quantity to assess the health of the water recovery/supply system; and an evaporator in thermal communication with a core engine heat source and configured to generate a steam flow from a portion of water extracted by the condenser, wherein the steam flow is injected into the core flow path upstream of the turbine section. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The propulsion system as recited in claim 1, including a water storage tank receiving water extracted by the condenser and a water level sensor disposed in the water storage tank, the water level sensor communicating information indicative of a quantity of water in the storage tank to the controller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The propulsion system as recited in claim 2, wherein the controller is programmed to determine the water quantity circulated in the water recovery/supply system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The propulsion system as recited in claim 2, wherein the controller is programmed to track the water quantity and alert for low water quantity. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The propulsion system as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to identify abnormal water consumption for alert of possible water leakage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The propulsion system as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to determine whether a relationship between the monitored water pressure and a monitored steam pressure is within at least one of an expected range and an expected pattern among all sensors and generate an alert if a detected relationship between the monitored water pressure and the monitored steam pressure is outside of the expected range. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The propulsion system as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to fuse information regarding water pressures detected by discrete sensors and water quantity to determine a condition of the water recovery system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The propulsion system as recited in claim 7, wherein the controller is programmed to fuse information regarding the water pressures, steam pressure and the water quantity with information gathered regarding a core air flow, high energy gas flow and exhaust gas flow through the core engine to ascertain an operating condition of the propulsion system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The propulsion system as recited in claim 1, including a water pressure sensor configured to measure water pressure between the condenser and the water storage tank. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The propulsion system as recited in claim 1, including a water pressure sensor configured to measure water pressure between the water storage tank and a low-pressure water pump. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The propulsion system as recited in claim 1, including a first water pressure sensor configured to measure water pressure between a high-pressure water pump and the evaporator and a second water pressure sensor configured to measure steam pressure downstream of the evaporator. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The propulsion system as recited in claim 1, including a water pressure sensor configured to measure water pressure downstream of a boost pump, wherein the boost pump provides a water flow for cooling a cooling air flow directed to the turbine section.