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US 12,710,011 B2Granted
Compressed air system for aircraft
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorsEric S. Durocher, Scott Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system is provided for an aircraft. This aircraft system includes an engine, a fuel system and an air system. The fuel system includes a fuel circuit, a fuel source, a heat exchanger and a turboexpander. The fuel circuit is configured to direct fuel from the fuel source, through the heat exchanger and the turboexpander, to the engine for combustion. The heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat energy from combustion products generated by the combustion of the fuel in the engine into the fuel in the fuel circuit. The air system is discrete from the engine. The air system includes an air compressor and the turboexpander. The air system is configured to expand the fuel directed across the turboexpander by the fuel circuit to power operation of the air compressor.
Claims16
A system for an aircraft, comprising:
- an engine;
- a nacelle housing the engine;
- a fuel system including a fuel circuit, a fuel source, a heat exchanger and a turboexpander, the fuel circuit configured to direct fuel in a liquid phase from the fuel source, through the heat exchanger and the turboexpander, to the engine for combustion, the fuel being in a gaseous phase when the fuel exits the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger configured to transfer heat energy from combustion products generated by the combustion of the fuel in the engine into the fuel in the fuel circuit;
- an air system discrete from the engine, the air system including an air compressor and the turboexpander, and the air system configured to expand the fuel directed across the turboexpander by the fuel circuit to power operation of the air compressor;
- an engine inlet fluidly coupling the engine to an environment external to the aircraft;
- and
- an air circuit inlet fluidly coupling the air compressor to the environment external to the aircraft;
- wherein the engine inlet and the air circuit inlet are each independently fluidly coupled to the environment external to the aircraft;
- and
- wherein the air compressor is located within an interior of a wing.
7 more elements
A system for an aircraft, comprising:
- an engine;
- an engine inlet fluidly coupling the engine to an environment external to the aircraft;
- a pneumatic system;
- an air system including an air compressor and a turboexpander, the air system configured to expand fuel directed across the turboexpander to power operation of the air compressor, and the air compressor configured to provide compressed air for delivery to the pneumatic system;
- an air system inlet fluidly coupling the air compressor to the environment external to the aircraft, the air system inlet fluidly coupling the air compressor to the environment external to the aircraft independently from the engine inlet fluidly coupling the engine to the environment external to the aircraft;
- and
- a fuel system including a fuel circuit, a heat exchanger and the turboexpander, the fuel circuit configured to direct the fuel through the heat exchanger to the turboexpander and to the engine for combustion, and the heat exchanger configured to increase a temperature and a pressure of the fuel;
- wherein the pressure of the fuel entering the turboexpander is a first pressure and the pressure of the fuel exiting the turboexpander is a second pressure less than the first pressure;
- and
- wherein the fuel circuit is further configured to deliver the fuel from the turboexpander to the engine for combustion at the second pressure;
- wherein the aircraft comprises a first aircraft structure and a second aircraft structure, the first aircraft structure comprises the engine, and the second aircraft structure comprises at least one of a fuselage or a wing;
- and
- wherein the air compressor and the turboexpander are arranged within the second aircraft structure.
10 more elements
A system for an aircraft, comprising:
- a fuselage;
- a gas turbine engine including a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section and a flowpath extending through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section from an engine inlet into the flowpath to an exhaust from the flowpath, the engine inlet fluidly coupling the gas turbine engine to an environment external to the aircraft;
- a fuel system configured to deliver fuel to the combustor section, the fuel system including a fuel circuit, a fuel source, a heat exchanger and a turboexpander, the fuel circuit fluidly coupling the fuel source to the combustor section, and the fuel circuit extending sequentially through the heat exchanger, the turboexpander between the fuel source and the combustor section, and to the combustor section;
- and
- an air system including an air compressor and the turboexpander, the air compressor fluidly independent of the flowpath, and a turboexpander rotor in the turboexpander coupled to and configured to drive rotation of an air compressor rotor in the air compressor, the air compressor comprising an air compressor inlet fluidly coupling the air compressor to the environment external to the aircraft;
- wherein the fuel system is configured such that the heat exchanger provides the fuel to the turboexpander as warm and high pressure gaseous fuel, and the turboexpander expands the warm and high pressure gaseous fuel to provide low pressure gaseous fuel;
- wherein the fuel system is further configured to deliver the low pressure gaseous fuel to one or more fuel injectors in the combustor section;
- wherein the engine inlet and the air compressor inlet are each separately fluidly coupled to the environment external to the aircraft;
- and
- wherein the air system is located within an interior portion of the fuselage.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.