US 12,240,613 B2
Gas turbine combustion section having an integrated fuel cell assembly
Seung-Hyuck Hong, Clifton Park, NY (US); Richard L. Hart, Broadalbin, NY (US); Honggang Wang, Clifton Park, NY (US); Anil Raj Duggal, Niskayuna, NY (US); and Michael Anthony Benjamin, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Evendale, OH (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Nov. 10, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/984,699.
Prior Publication US 2024/0162459 A1, May 16, 2024
Int. Cl. B64D 27/02 (2006.01); B64D 27/355 (2024.01); H01M 8/04111 (2016.01); B64D 41/00 (2006.01); F23R 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 27/026 (2024.01) [B64D 27/355 (2024.01); H01M 8/04111 (2013.01); B64D 2041/005 (2013.01); F23R 3/002 (2013.01); H01M 2250/20 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A combustion section defining an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, the combustion section comprising:
a casing defining a diffusion chamber;
a combustion liner disposed within the diffusion chamber and defining a combustion chamber, the combustion liner spaced apart from the casing such that a passageway is defined between the combustion liner and the casing; and
a fuel cell assembly disposed in the passageway, the fuel cell assembly comprising a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cells each extending between an inlet end and an outlet end, wherein the inlet end receives a flow of air and fuel and the outlet end provides output products to the combustion chamber, the fuel cell assembly further comprising an electrical circuit electrically coupled to the plurality of fuel cells and extending through the casing, wherein the electrical circuit includes an electrically conducting member disposed at one of a forward end or an aft end of the fuel cell stack, and wherein the electrically conducting member is a first electrically conducting member disposed at one of the forward end or the aft end of the fuel cell stack, and wherein the fuel cell assembly further comprises a second electrically conducting member at the other of the forward end or the aft end of the fuel cell stack.