US 12,241,424 B2
Hydrogen fuel leak detection system
Arthur W. Sibbach, Boxford, MA (US); Paul Burchell Glaser, Alpharetta, GA (US); and Michael A. Benjamin, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Assigned to GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, Evendale, OH (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Mar. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/209,724.
Prior Publication US 2022/0307428 A1, Sep. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. F02C 9/46 (2006.01); B64D 37/32 (2006.01); F01D 21/00 (2006.01); F01D 21/12 (2006.01); F02C 7/22 (2006.01)
CPC F02C 9/46 (2013.01) [B64D 37/32 (2013.01); F01D 21/003 (2013.01); F01D 21/12 (2013.01); F02C 7/22 (2013.01); F05D 2220/323 (2013.01); F05D 2260/605 (2013.01); F05D 2260/80 (2013.01); F05D 2260/84 (2013.01); F05D 2270/094 (2013.01); F05D 2270/303 (2013.01); F05D 2270/8041 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hydrogen fuel system comprising: a fuel tank for holding a hydrogen fuel;
a power generator configured to generate power;
a fuel delivery assembly extending from the fuel tank to
the power generator, the fuel delivery assembly being configured to provide the hydrogen fuel from the fuel tank to the power generator in at least one of a gaseous phase and a supercritical phase;
a monitored component having an outer surface, the monitored component being a component of one of the fuel tank, the power generator, and the fuel delivery assembly in fluid communication with the hydrogen fuel during non-leaking conditions; and
a fuel leak detection system including:
(a) a plurality of sensors attached to the outer surface of the monitored component in a two-dimensional array to monitor gas surrounding the monitored component, the plurality of sensors of the two-dimensional array being arranged to form a checkerboard pattern with gaps between the sensors of the two-dimensional array, the checkerboard pattern being such that the gaps between the sensors of the two-dimensional array alternate with the sensors in a first direction and in a second direction transverse to the first direction, each sensor of the plurality of sensors being configured
(i) to sense a parameter corresponding to a hydrogen fuel leak of the monitored component, and
(ii) to generate a sensor output; and
(b) a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors, the controller configured
(i) to receive the sensor output of each sensor of the plurality of sensors,
(ii) to determine, based on the sensor output of each sensor the plurality of sensors, if the hydrogen fuel leak has occurred in the monitored component, and
(iii) to generate a controller output indicating a fuel system leak when the controller determines that the hydrogen fuel leak has occurred in the monitored component.