US 12,240,624 B1
Aircraft gas turbine engine with heated fuel to assist combustion
Brandon W. Miller, Middletown, OH (US); Daniel A. Niergarth, Norwood, OH (US); and Arthur W. Sibbach, Boxford, MA (US)
Assigned to GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, Evendale, OH (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Sep. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/461,651.
Int. Cl. F02C 7/224 (2006.01); B64D 37/34 (2006.01); F02C 7/262 (2006.01); F02C 9/28 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 37/34 (2013.01) [F02C 7/224 (2013.01); F02C 7/262 (2013.01); F02C 9/28 (2013.01); F05D 2220/323 (2013.01); F05D 2240/35 (2013.01); F05D 2270/092 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating an aircraft gas turbine engine, the aircraft gas turbine engine including (a) a combustor, (b) a fuel delivery system that provides fuel to the combustor, the fuel delivery system including a first fuel flow path and a second fuel flow path, (c) a fuel heat exchanger arranged in the second fuel flow path, and (d) a heat source in communication with the fuel heat exchanger, the method comprising:
operating the aircraft gas turbine engine in a standard operating mode by providing a compressed airflow and a fuel, via the first fuel flow path, to the combustor, and igniting the compressed air and the fuel in the combustor to generate combustion gases; and
operating the aircraft gas turbine engine in a relight mode by:
diverting at least a portion of the fuel from the first fuel flow path to the second fuel flow path such that the fuel flows through the fuel heat exchanger;
providing heat via the heat source to the fuel heat exchanger;
heating the fuel flowing through the fuel heat exchanger to a temperature above an autoignition temperature of the fuel to generate a heated fuel;
providing the heated fuel to the combustor; and
igniting the heated fuel in the combustor to relight the combustor.