Mixture separation in bottoming cycle
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorMalcolm P. MacDonald
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft propulsion system includes a core engine, a propulsive fan, and a bottoming cycle that includes a working fluid mixture within a closed circuit that is heated and expanded through a bottom turbine to generate shaft power. The working fluid mixture includes a proportion of at least two fluids having different properties that is adjustable to change a capability of the working fluid mixture at different bottoming cycle operating points. The bottom cycle includes a reactor assembly configured to generate a reaction with one of the at least two fluids for adjusting the proportion of the at least two fluids of the working fluid mixture.
Claims20
An aircraft propulsion system comprising:
- a core engine comprising a main compressor where an inlet airflow is compressed and communicated to a combustor to generate an exhaust gas flow that is expanded through a main turbine section to generate power used to drive the main compressor and a propulsive fan;
- a bottoming cycle comprising a working fluid mixture within a closed circuit that is heated and expanded through a bottom turbine to generate shaft power, wherein the working fluid mixture comprises a proportion of at least two fluids having different properties that is adjustable to change a capability of the working fluid mixture at different bottoming cycle operating points;
- a first heat exchanger configured to input heat into the working fluid mixture;
- and
- a reactor assembly configured to generate a reaction with a select one of the at least two fluids for adjusting the proportion of the at least two fluids of the working fluid mixture.
A bottoming cycle for an aircraft propulsion system comprising:
- a closed fluid circuit for circulation of a working fluid mixture, the working fluid mixture comprises a proportion of at least two fluids having different properties that is adjustable to change a capability of the working fluid mixture at different bottoming cycle operating points;
- a heat exchanger configured to input heat from a combustor gas flow into the working fluid mixture;
- a bottom turbine configured to generate shaft power from expansion of the working fluid mixture;
- a reactor assembly configured to generate a reaction with a select one of the at least two fluids for adjusting a proportion of the at least two fluids of the working fluid mixture;
- a valve system for controlling a flow of the working fluid mixture to the reactor assembly;
- and
- a controller programmed to operate the reactor assembly and the valve assembly to adjust the proportion of the at least two fluids of the working fluid mixture based on a phase of flight.
A method of operating a bottoming cycle of an aircraft propulsion system comprising:
- heating a working fluid mixture comprised of at least two fluids having different properties and circulating the heated working fluid mixture within a closed circuit;
- expanding the heated working fluid mixture through a bottom turbine to generate shaft power;
- and
- reacting at least one of the at least two fluids in a reactor assembly to adjust a proportion of the at least two fluids of the working fluid mixture to change a capability of the working fluid mixture to extract work at different bottoming cycle operating points.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.