Gas turbine engine hydrogen fuel system
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsMurthy V V S RAVIKANTI, John E RIMMER, Thomas A CHIN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel system (200) for a hydrogen-fuelled gas turbine engine (201) comprises a main fuel conduit (217) configured to conduct hydrogen fuel from a hydrogen storage unit (204) to a core combustor (206) of the gas turbine engine (201), a pre-heater (218) comprising an auxiliary combustor (222) configured to combust hydrogen fuel diverted from the main fuel conduit (217) to heat hydrogen fuel in the main fuel conduit (217). A first exhaust passage (228) is configured to conduct combustion products from the auxiliary combustor (222) to the core combustor (206) of the gas turbine engine (201).
Claims17
A fuel system for a hydrogen-fuelled gas turbine engine comprising:
- a main fuel conduit configured to conduct hydrogen fuel from a hydrogen storage unit to a core combustor of the gas turbine engine;
- a pre-heater comprising an auxiliary combustor configured to combust hydrogen fuel diverted from the main fuel conduit to heat hydrogen fuel in the main fuel conduit;
- a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between hydrogen fuel in the main conduit and auxiliary combustor exhaust gases;
- and
- a fuel injector comprising a fuel spray nozzle projecting from an injector feed-arm;
- wherein
- the fuel system comprises a second heat exchanger provided within the injector feed-arm and configured to exchange heat between hydrogen fuel and auxiliary combustor exhaust gases.
A method of operating a fuel system of a hydrogen fuelled gas turbine engine comprising:
- operating a core combustor to combust hydrogen fuel in a core compressor air flow;
- diverting a portion of hydrogen fuel flow upstream of the core combustor in hydrogen fuel flow, and combusting the diverted portion in an auxiliary combustor;
- and
- exchanging heat between auxiliary combustor exhaust gases and hydrogen fuel flow in a first heat exchanger;
- and
- exchanging heat between auxiliary combustor exhaust gases and hydrogen fuel flow in a second heat exchanger provided within the injector feed-arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.