Powerplant and related control system and method

• US 10,138,801 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovionment Incorporated, Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Brooks, Alexander Nelson, Daley, James Gallagher
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Hai
• Application Number:
  US15/663,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20180106186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 485 Days
• Field of Search: 123 1 A, 123 3, 123 27 GE, 123525, 123431, 123198 A, 123672, 123673, 123676, 123698, 1235591, 606051, 60606, 60611, 60617, 60618, 60285, 60286, 60303, 60304
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/435 Supercharger or turbochargers
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/20 specially adapted for catalytic conversion F01N3/22 takes precedence; Methods of operation or control of catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 9/00 Electrical control of exhaust gas treating apparatus monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00; conjoint electrical control of two or more combustion engine functions F02D43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0412 Multiple heat exchangers arranged in parallel or in series
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 33/40 of non-positive-displacement type
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/013 with exhaust-driven pumps arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/12 Control of the pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/18 by bypassing exhaust from the inlet to the outlet of turbine or to the atmosphere
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/20 by increasing exhaust energy, e.g. using combustion chamber by after-burning using an auxiliary combustion chamber supplied by charging air F02B37/166
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 43/10 Engines or plants characterised by use of other specific gases, e.g. acetylene, oxyhydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 73/00 Combinations of two or more engines, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/26 Starting; Ignition
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/024 by controlling fuel injectors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0007 for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines control of the pumps per se F02B37/12
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0025 Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/065 at hot start or restart F02D41/067 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/083 taking into account engine load variation, e.g. air-conditionning
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1446 : the characteristics being exhaust temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0206 : Non-hydrocarbon fuels, e.g. hydrogen, ammonia or carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 : Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 : Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A hydrogen fueled powerplant including an internal combustion engine that drives a motor-generator, and has a two-stage turbocharger, for an aircraft. A control system controls the operation of the motor-generator to maintain the engine at a speed selected based on controlling the engine equivalence ratio. The control system controls an afterburner, an intercooler and an aftercooler to maximize powerplant efficiency. The afterburner also adds power to the turbochargers during high-altitude restarts. The turbochargers also include motor-generators that extract excess power from the exhaust.

Claims

1. A powerplant, comprising:

an engine configured to react a first reactant with a gaseous stream of second reactant to produce energy and an exhaust stream;

a first-stage turbocharger including a first-stage turbine driven by an exhaust stream of the engine and a first-stage compressor configured to compress the second stream of gaseous reactant for the engine;

a second-stage turbocharger including a second-stage turbine driven by the exhaust stream of the engine and a second-stage compressor configured to compress the second stream of gaseous reactant for the engine, wherein the second-stage compressor is intermediate the first-stage compressor and the engine, wherein the second-stage turbine is intermediate the first-stage turbine and the engine;

a first-stage afterburner in the exhaust stream intermediate the first-stage turbine and the second-stage turbine; and

a second-stage afterburner in the exhaust stream intermediate the second-stage turbine and the engine; and

a control system programmed to control the operation of the first-stage and second-stage afterburners.

2. The powerplant of claim 1, and further comprising a second-stage injector intermediate the second-stage afterburner and the engine, the second-stage injector being configured to inject a third reactant in the exhaust stream for reaction by the second-stage afterburner, wherein the control system is programmed to control the amount of additional reactants reacted in the exhaust stream by controlling the quantity of the third reactant injected into the exhaust stream by the second-stage injector.

3. The powerplant of claim 2, wherein:

the first reactant is a first fuel;

the second reactant is a gaseous oxidizer; and

the third reactant is a second fuel.

4. The powerplant of claim 3, wherein the first fuel is hydrogen, wherein the second fuel is hydrogen, and wherein the engine is configured to operate at an equivalence ratio of less than one.

5. The powerplant of claim 2, wherein:

the first reactant is a first fuel;

the second reactant is a gaseous oxidizer; and

the third reactant is a gaseous oxidizer.

6. The powerplant of claim 2, and further comprising a first-stage injector intermediate the first-stage afterburner and the second-stage turbine, the first-stage injector being configured to inject a fourth reactant in the exhaust stream for reaction by the first-stage afterburner, wherein the control system is programmed to control the amount of additional reactants reacted in the exhaust stream by controlling the quantity of the fourth reactant injected into the exhaust stream by the first-stage injector.

7. The powerplant of claim 6, wherein:

the first reactant is a first fuel;

the second reactant is a gaseous oxidizer;

the third reactant is a second fuel; and

the fourth reactant is a third fuel.

8. The powerplant of claim 1, and further comprising a first-stage injector intermediate the first-stage afterburner and the second-stage turbine, the first-stage injector being configured to inject a third reactant in the exhaust stream for reaction by the first-stage afterburner, wherein the control system is programmed to control the amount of additional reactants reacted in the exhaust stream by controlling the quantity of the third reactant injected into the exhaust stream by the first-stage injector.

9. The powerplant of claim 8, wherein:

the first reactant is a first fuel;

the second reactant is a gaseous oxidizer; and

the third reactant is a second fuel.

10. The powerplant of claim 9, wherein the first fuel is hydrogen, wherein the second fuel is hydrogen, and wherein the engine is configured to operate at an equivalence ratio of less than one.

11. The powerplant of claim 8, wherein:

the first reactant is a first fuel;

the second reactant is a gaseous oxidizer; and

the third reactant is an oxidizer.