Fuel cell/combustor systems and methods for aircraft and other applications
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorDavid L. Daggett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Fuel cell/combustor systems and methods for aircraft and other applications are disclosed. A system in accordance with one embodiment includes a fuel cell having an outlet positioned to remove output products from the fuel cell. The system can further include a fuel supply carrying a fuel having a different composition than the output products (e.g., aviation fuel), and a combustion chamber. The combustion chamber can in turn include a first inlet coupled to the outlet of the fuel cell to receive output products from the fuel cell, and a second inlet coupled to the fuel supply to receive the fuel. At least one combustion zone can be positioned in fluid communication with the first and second inlets to burn both the output products and the fuel.
Claims24
An aircraft power generation system, comprising:
- a reformer coupled to an aircraft fuel supply to receive aviation fuel;
- a fuel cell coupled to the reformer to receive reformed fuel, the fuel cell having an outlet positioned to remove output products from the fuel cell;
- and
- a combustion chamber that includes:
- a first inlet coupled to the outlet of the fuel cell to receive the output products from the fuel cell;
- a second inlet coupled to the aircraft fuel supply to receive aviation fuel;
- at least one combustion zone coupled to the first and second inlets, the at least one combustion zone being positioned to burn the output products and the aviation fuel;
- wherein the combustion chamber is part of an airbreathing, turbofan engine configured to provide primary propulsive power to an aircraft;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the reformer, the fuel cell, and the combustion chamber, the controller having a computer readable medium containing instructions for performing a method comprising controlling an amount of fuel received by the reformer from the aircraft fuel supply such that the output products from the fuel cell includes a desired amount of unspent reformed fuel.
A power generation system, comprising:
- a fuel cell having an outlet positioned to remove output products from the fuel cell;
- a fuel supply carrying a fuel having a different composition than the output products, the fuel supply being configured to provide a portion of the fuel to the fuel cell;
- and
- a combustion chamber that includes:
- a first inlet coupled to the outlet of the fuel cell to receive output products from the fuel cell;
- a second inlet coupled to the fuel supply to receive the fuel;
- and
- at least one combustion zone in fluid communication with the first and second inlets, the at least one combustion zone being positioned to burn the output products and the fuel;
- wherein the combustion chamber is part of an airbreathing, turbofan engine configured to provide primary propulsive power to an aircraft;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the fuel cell, fuel supply, and the combustion chamber, the controller having a computer readable medium containing instructions for performing a method comprising controlling the portion of the fuel provided to the fuel cell by the fuel supply such that the output products from the fuel cell includes a desired amount of unspent reformed fuel.
A method for generating power aboard an aircraft, comprising:
- providing an aviation fuel comprising a first portion and a second portion;
- reforming the first portion of aviation fuel onboard the aircraft to form a reformed fuel;
- generating electrical power for the aircraft by passing the reformed fuel through a fuel cell;
- removing unspent reformed fuel from the fuel cell;
- and
- generating propulsive power for the aircraft by combusting the unspent reformed fuel and the unreformed second portion of the aviation fuel in a combustion chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.