INTEGRATED FUEL CELL AND ENGINE COMBUSTOR ASSEMBLY

• Main Authors: Joshi, Narendra D, Hong, Seung-Hyuck, Hart, Richard L, Duggal, Anil R, de Bock, Hendrik Pieter Jacobus
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.11.2022
• Subjects: AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BLASTING; COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION ENGINES; COMBUSTION PROCESSES; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; ELECTRICITY; GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGHVELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; WEAPONS

An engine assembly includes a combustor, a fuel cell stack integrated with the combustor, the fuel cell stack configured (i) to direct fuel and air exhaust from the fuel cell stack into the combustor and (ii) to generate electrical energy, a catalytic partial oxidation convertor that is fluidly connected to the fuel cell stack, the catalytic partial oxidation convertor being configured to optimize a hydrogen content of a fuel stream to be directed into the fuel cell stack, and one or more subsystems electrically connected with the fuel cell stack, the one or more subsystems being configured to receive the electrical energy generated by the fuel cell stack. The combustor is configured to combust the fuel and air exhaust from the fuel cell stack into one or more gaseous combustion products that drive a downstream turbine.