US 12,338,768 B2
Hybrid electric hydrogen engine for aircraft
Neil J. Terwilliger, Cheshire, CT (US); and Joseph B. Staubach, Colchester, CT (US)
Assigned to RTX CORPORATION, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed by RTX Corporation, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed on May 6, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/655,808.
Application 18/655,808 is a division of application No. 17/860,730, filed on Jul. 8, 2022, granted, now 12,006,866.
Prior Publication US 2024/0287931 A1, Aug. 29, 2024
Int. Cl. F02C 6/00 (2006.01); B64D 27/10 (2006.01); B64D 27/24 (2006.01); B64D 33/08 (2006.01); F02C 7/12 (2006.01); F02C 9/26 (2006.01); H01M 8/04007 (2016.01); B64D 27/02 (2006.01)
CPC F02C 6/00 (2013.01) [B64D 27/10 (2013.01); B64D 27/24 (2013.01); B64D 33/08 (2013.01); F02C 7/12 (2013.01); F02C 9/26 (2013.01); H01M 8/04059 (2013.01); B64D 27/026 (2024.01); H01M 2250/20 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a turbine engine system, the turbine engine system comprising a core assembly and a fuel cell, the method comprising:
supplying a fuel from a fuel source to a burner of the core assembly and to the fuel cell;
extracting water from a core flow of the core assembly using a core condenser arranged downstream from the burner in a direction of the core flow;
collecting water from at least one of the core condenser or the fuel cell;
injecting at least a portion of the collected water into the core flow at at least one of a compressor section, the burner, or a turbine section of the core assembly; and
thermally coupling the fuel cell to the core condenser to provide cooling to the fuel cell; and at least one of:
(i) generating 50% or greater of the collected water from the core flow passing through the core condenser during a high power operation of the core assembly, wherein the high power operation is defined as an operational mode where the core assembly is operated at 50% of maximum corrected thrust or greater, and generating 50% or greater of the collected water from the fuel cell during a low power operation of the core assembly, wherein the low power operation is defined as an operational mode where the core assembly is operated at less than 50% of maximum corrected thrust, and
(ii) generating 50% or greater of the collected water from the core flow passing through the core condenser in response to a high throttle lever angle, wherein the high throttle lever angle is defined as a position of a throttle of an aircraft being positioned at 50% or greater of a full span of throttle movement, and generating 50% or greater of the collected water from the fuel cell response to a low throttle lever angle, wherein the low throttle lever angle is defined as a position of the throttle of the aircraft being positioned at below 50% of the full span of throttle movement.