Gas turbine engine

Abstract

A gas turbine engine comprises an engine core having first and second engine core exhaust paths arranged to pass first and second portions respectively of the mass flow of the engine’s core exhaust mass. A heat-exchange system comprises a recuperator system disposed within the first engine core exhaust path and arranged to transfer heat from said first portion to a buffer fluid, and a heat exchanger arranged to transfer heat from the buffer fluid to fuel within a fuel path arranged to convey fuel to the engine’s combustor. The engine provides for heat to be recovered from the engine’s core exhaust flow to the engine’s fuel supply, thus improving thermal efficiency, but without significantly impeding the engine core exhaust flow or presenting the significant fire or explosion risk associated with a recuperator arranged to heat fuel directly.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.