# US 12,006,866 B2 · Hybrid electric hydrogen engine for aircraft > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,006,866 B2 - Document ID: US12006866B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/860,730 - Filed: 2022-07-08 - Published: 2024-01-11 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-07-08 - Assignees: Rtx Corporation - Applicants: RTX Corporation - Inventors: Neil J. Terwilliger; Joseph B. Staubach - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006866B2 ## CPC - F02C 3/22: the fuel or oxidant being gaseous at standard temperature and pressure (F02C3/28 takes precedence) - F02C 6/00: Plural gas-turbine plants; Combinations of gas-turbine plants with other apparatus; Adaptations of gas-turbine plants for special use - B64D 27/10: of gas-turbine type (jet aircraft B64D27/16) - B64D 27/24: using steam or spring force (jet aircraft B64D27/16) - B64D 33/08: of power plant cooling systems - F02C 7/12: Cooling of plants (of component parts, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. F01D; cooling of engines in general F01P) - F02C 9/26: Control of fuel supply (F02C9/48 takes precedence; fuel valves F02C7/232) - F02K 5/00: Plants including an engine, other than a gas turbine, driving a compressor or a ducted fan - H01M 8/04059: {Evaporative processes for the cooling of a fuel cell} - B64D 27/026: {comprising different types of power plants, e.g. combination of a piston engine and a gas-turbine (Hybrid electric aircraft B64D27/33)} - F05D 2220/76: an electrical generator - F05D 2260/20: Heat transfer, e.g. cooling - H01M 2250/20: Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - 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) - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - F02K: JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (features of jet-propulsion plants common to gas-turbine plants, air intakes or fuel supply control of air-breathing jet-propulsion plants F02C7/00, F02C9/00) - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract Turbine engine systems include a core assembly having a compressor section, a burner section, and a turbine section arranged along a shaft, with a core flow path through the turbine engine such that exhaust from the burner section passes through the turbine section and exits through a nozzle. A core condenser is arranged downstream of the turbine section and upstream of the nozzle and configured to condense water from the core flow path. A fuel cell is operably connected to the core assembly. A fuel source is configured to supply a fuel to each of the burner section for combustion and the fuel cell for reaction to generate electricity. At least one electric motor is operably coupled to the core assembly and configured to impart power to a portion of the core assembly and the fuel cell is configured to supply electrical power to the at least one electric motor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A turbine engine system, comprising: a core assembly comprising a compressor section, a burner section, and a turbine section arranged along a shaft, with a core flow path through the core assembly such that exhaust from the burner section passes through the turbine section and exits through a nozzle; a core condenser arranged downstream of the turbine section of the core assembly along the core flow path and upstream of the nozzle, the core condenser configured to condense water from the core flow path; a fuel cell operably connected to the core assembly; a fuel source configured to supply a fuel to each of the burner section for combustion and the fuel cell for reaction to generate electricity; at least one electric motor operably coupled to the core assembly and configured to impart power to a portion of the core assembly, wherein the fuel cell is configured to supply electrical power to the at least one electric motor; and a controller configured to operate the fuel cell when the core assembly is at a low power setting and to disengage the fuel cell when the core assembly is at a high power setting, wherein a portion of the water condensed from the core condenser is directed through a cooling element of the fuel cell to provide cooling thereto based on operation thereof. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The turbine engine system of claim 1, wherein the cooling element is a cold plate thermally coupled to the fuel cell. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The turbine engine system of claim 1, wherein the fuel cell is thermally coupled to the core condenser. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The turbine engine system of claim 3, wherein the thermal coupling of the fuel cell to the core condenser comprises one of: mounting at least a portion of the fuel cell to the core condenser; a closed-loop cooling cycle thermally connecting the fuel cell to the core condenser; or directing the water through the core condenser and into the cooling element of the fuel cell. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The turbine engine system of claim 1, wherein compressed air is directed from the compressor section to the fuel cell to provide at least one of air cooling or reactant air to the fuel cell. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The turbine engine system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electric motor is operably coupled to at least one of the compressor section or the shaft of the core assembly to provide power thereto. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The turbine engine system of claim 1, further comprising a fan section at an inlet of the core assembly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The turbine engine system of claim 7, wherein the at least one electric motor is operably coupled to the fan section to provide power thereto. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The turbine engine system of claim 1, wherein each of the core condenser and the fuel cell are configured to output water to be injected into the core flow path. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The turbine engine system of claim 9, further comprising a water tank configured to receive the output water from the core condenser and the fuel cell. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The turbine engine system of claim 1, further comprising a core flow evaporator arranged downstream from the turbine section and upstream from the core condenser along the core flow path, the core flow evaporator configured to generate steam from water output from at least one of the core condenser and the fuel cell. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The turbine engine system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the fuel cell when the core assembly is in an idle mode of operation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The turbine engine system of claim 1, wherein water output from the core condenser, the fuel cell, and the cooling element are collected in a water tank. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The turbine engine system of claim 13, wherein the portion of water directed through the cooling element is sourced from the water tank. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The turbine engine system of claim 14, wherein the water sourced from the water tank and supplied to the cooling element is passed through the core condenser. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The turbine engine system of claim 13, further comprising a core flow evaporator arranged downstream from the turbine section and upstream from the core condenser along the core flow path, the core flow evaporator configured to generate steam from water sourced from the water tank. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The turbine engine system of claim 13, further comprising a water pump arranged to pump water from the water tank to at least one of the burner section and the cooling element. ### Claim 18 A turbine engine system, comprising: a core assembly comprising a compressor section, a burner section, and a turbine section arranged along a shaft, with a core flow path through the core assembly such that exhaust from the burner section passes through the turbine section and exits through a nozzle; a core condenser arranged downstream of the turbine section of the core assembly along the core flow path and upstream of the nozzle, the core condenser configured to condense water from the core flow path; a fuel cell operably connected to the core assembly; a fuel source configured to supply a fuel through a fuel line to each of the burner section for combustion and the fuel cell for reaction to generate electricity, wherein the fuel line extends through the core condenser at an upstream location relative to the burner section and the fuel cell along the fuel line; and at least one electric motor operably coupled to the core assembly and configured to impart power to a portion of the core assembly, wherein the fuel cell is configured to supply electrical power to the at least one electric motor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The turbine engine system of claim 18, further comprising a fuel pump arranged along the fuel line at a location downstream relative to the fuel cell and upstream relative to the burner section.