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US 2026/0192941 A1Published application
Shared cryogenic bottoming cycle
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsBrandon M. Evans, Neil J. Terwilliger, Melissa Coombes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft propulsion system includes at least two gas turbine engines and a bottoming cycle system where a working fluid is circulated within a closed circuit that includes a bottoming compressor section and a bottoming turbine section. Each of the at least two gas turbine engines include a primary heat exchanger for communicating thermal energy into the working fluid of the bottoming cycle.
Claims15
An aircraft propulsion system comprising:
- at least two gas turbine engines that each include a compressor that pressurizes an inlet flow that is mixed with a cryogenic fuel and ignited in a combustor to generate an exhaust gas flow that is expanded through a turbine to generate shaft power and a propulsive fan driven by the turbine;
- a bottoming cycle system where a working fluid is circulated within a common closed circuit in thermal communication with all of the at least two gas turbine engines, wherein the bottoming cycle system comprises a bottoming compressor section and a bottoming turbine section, wherein the working fluid is compressed in the bottoming compressor section and expanded through the bottoming turbine section to generate shaft power, wherein each of the at least two gas turbine engines includes a primary heat exchanger for communicating thermal energy into the working fluid of the bottoming cycle system and the closed circuit communicates the working fluid to accept thermal energy from both of the at least two turbine engines in the common closed circuit;
- and
- a fuel system comprising a cryogenic fuel storage tank and a fuel flow path for routing the cryogenic fuel to each of the at least two gas turbine engines, wherein a fuel/working fluid heat exchanger provides thermal communication between the cryogenic fuel and the working fluid to cool the working fluid flow from the bottoming turbine to the bottoming compressor.
1 more element
An aircraft propulsion system comprising:
- at least two gas turbine engines that each include a compressor that pressurizes an inlet flow that is mixed with a cryogenic fuel and ignited in a combustor to generate an exhaust gas flow that is expanded through a turbine to generate shaft power and a propulsive fan driven by the turbine;
- a bottoming cycle system that includes a working fluid circulated within a closed circuit comprising a bottoming compressor section and a bottoming turbine section, wherein the working fluid is compressed in the bottoming compressor section and expanded through the bottoming turbine section to generate shaft power, wherein each of the at least two gas turbine engines includes a primary heat exchanger for communicating thermal energy to the bottoming cycle system;
- and
- a fuel system comprising a cryogenic fuel storage tank and a fuel flow path for routing the cryogenic fuel to the combustor of each of the at least two gas turbine engines through a fuel/working fluid heat exchanger that provides thermal communication between the cryogenic fuel and the working fluid within the bottoming cycle system.
1 more element
A method of configuring an aircraft propulsion system comprising:
- configuring at least two gas turbine engines to generate an exhaust gas flow;
- configuring a bottoming cycle system including a working fluid circulated within a closed circuit between both of the at least two gas turbine engines, wherein the bottoming cycle system comprises a bottoming compressor section and a bottoming turbine section;
- and
- configuring a cryogenic fuel system comprising a cryogenic fuel storage tank and a fuel flow path for routing the cryogenic fuel to a combustor of each of the at least two gas turbine engines, wherein the bottoming cycle system includes a fuel/working fluid heat exchanger that provides thermal communication between the cryogenic fuel and the working fluid within the bottoming cycle system.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.