All CO2 aircraft

• US 10,584,635 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2016
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Armstrong, Michael J., Vaisman, Igor
• Primary Examiner(s): Sutherland, Steven M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuyhang N
• Application Number:
  US15/289,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20170101931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/10 of gas-turbine type jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/00 Power installations for auxiliary purposes
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 23/10 with exhaust fluid of one cycle heating the fluid in another cycle F01K17/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 25/103 Carbon dioxide F01K25/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/007 combination of cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/10 Closed cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/04 having a turbine driving a compressor power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/18 using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants using waste heat as source of energy for refrigeration plants F25B27/02; using the waste heat of a gasturbine for steam generation or in a steam cycle see F01K23/10
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/185 Cooling means for reducing the temperature of the cooling air or gas
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/06 with front fan
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/077 the plant being of the multiple flow type, i.e. having three or more flows
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/115 by means of indirect heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/213 by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit

Abstract

An aircraft power and propulsion system includes an air compressor, a heat rejection heat exchanger, a combustor positioned to receive compressed air from the air compressor as a core stream and provide thrust to the aircraft, and a closed-loop s-CO₂ system. The closed-loop s-CO₂ system includes carbon dioxide as a working fluid, receives power from the combustor, and rejects heat via the heat rejection heat exchanger to a cooling stream. The closed-loop system s-CO₂ configured to provide power to a fan that provides the cooling stream and thrust, and power to the air compressor and at least one auxiliary load.

Claims

1. An aircraft power and propulsion system, comprising:

an air compressor;

a heat rejection heat exchanger;

a combustor positioned to receive compressed air from the air compressor as a core stream and provide thrust to the aircraft power and propulsion system; and

a closed-loop s-CO₂ system having carbon dioxide as a working fluid, that receives power from the combustor and rejects heat via the heat rejection heat exchanger to a cooling stream, the closed-loop s-CO₂ system is configured to provide power to;

a fan that provides the cooling stream and thrust;

the air compressor; and

at least one auxiliary load;

wherein the closed-loop system further comprises;

a first s-CO₂ turbine coupled to an s-CO₂ compressor via a first shaft;

a second s-CO₂ turbine coupled to the air compressor via a second shaft; and

a third s-CO₂ turbine coupled to the fan via a third shaft; and

wherein the first shaft, the second shaft, and the third shaft are axially offset from each other.

2. The aircraft power and propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the closed-loop s-CO₂ system provides power via the working fluid to the at least one auxiliary load by being configured to provide:

a first grade of energy to provide a first aircraft function; and

a second grade of energy to provide a second aircraft function.

3. The aircraft power and propulsion system of claim 2, wherein the first and second grades of energy are extracted at different entropy levels and at different stages within the closed-loop s-CO₂ system.

4. The aircraft power and propulsion system of claim 3, wherein one of the first and second grades of energy is extracted as one of:

output from the s-CO₂ compressor;

output from the combustor; and

output from the first s-CO₂ turbine and prior to entering the heat rejection heat exchanger.

5. The aircraft power and propulsion system of claim 2, wherein the at least one auxiliary load includes one of a heating function, an actuation function, and a mechanical load.

6. The aircraft power and propulsion system of claim 2, the closed-loop s-CO₂ system further comprising a recuperator positioned to exchange heat from the working fluid that exits the s-CO₂ compressor to the working fluid that exits one of the first, second, and third s-CO₂ turbines.

7. The aircraft power and propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the closed-loop s-CO₂ system is operated as a condenser during cruise of the aircraft, changing from super-critical to a trans-critical operation.

8. A method of providing power via an aircraft power and propulsion system, comprising:

receiving compressed air from an air compressor as a core stream to provide thrust to the aircraft power and propulsion system;

providing power in a closed-loop s-CO₂ system, having carbon dioxide as a working fluid, to;

a fan that provides a cooling stream and thrust to the aircraft;

the air compressor; and

at least one auxiliary load; and

rejecting heat from the closed-loop s-CO₂ system via a heat rejection heat exchanger to the cooling stream;

wherein the closed-loop system further comprises;

a first s-CO₂ turbine coupled to an s-CO₂ compressor via a first shaft;

a second s-CO₂ turbine coupled to the air compressor via a second shaft; and

a third s-CO₂ turbine coupled to the fan via a third shaft; and

wherein the first shaft, the second shaft, and the third shaft are axially offset from each other.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing power via the working fluid of the closed-loop s-CO₂ system to the at least one auxiliary load by:

providing a first grade of energy to provide a first aircraft function; and

providing a second grade of energy to provide a second aircraft function.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising extracting the first and second grades of energy at different entropy levels and at different stages within the closed-loop s-CO₂ system, and further comprising extracting one of the first and second grades as one of:

output from the s-CO₂ compressor;

output from the combustor; and

output from the first s-CO₂ turbine and prior to entering the heat rejection heat exchanger.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one auxiliary load includes one of a heating function, an actuation function, and a mechanical load.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising operating the closed-loop s-CO₂ system as a condenser during cruise of the aircraft, changing from super-critical to a trans-critical operation.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising recuperating heat of the closed-loop s-CO₂ system via a recuperator positioned to exchange heat from the working fluid that exits the s-CO₂ compressor to the working fluid that exits one of the first, second, and third s-CO₂ turbines.

14. A power-producing device for an aircraft, comprising:

an air compressor;

a heat rejection heat exchanger configured to reject heat from a working fluid of a closed-loop s-CO₂ system;

a combustor positioned to receive compressed air from the air compressor as a core stream and provide thrust to the aircraft; and

the closed-loop s-CO₂ system having carbon dioxide as the working fluid, that receives power from the combustor and rejects heat via the heat rejection heat exchanger to a cooling stream, the closed-loop system s-CO₂ configured to provide power to;

a fan that provides the cooling stream and thrust to the aircraft;

the air compressor; and

at least one auxiliary load;

wherein the closed-loop system further comprises;

a first s-CO₂ turbine coupled to an s-CO₂ compressor via a first shaft;

a second s-CO₂ turbine coupled to the air compressor via a second shaft; and

a third s-CO₂ turbine coupled to the fan via a third shaft; and

wherein the first shaft, the second shaft, and the third shaft are axially offset from each other.

15. The power-producing device of claim 14, wherein the closed-loop s-CO₂ system provides power via the working fluid to the at least one auxiliary load by being configured to provide:

a first grade of energy to provide a first aircraft function; and

a second grade of energy to provide a second aircraft function.

16. The power-producing device of claim 15, wherein the first and second grades of energy are extracted at different entropy levels and at different stages within the closed-loop s-CO₂ system.

17. The power-producing device of claim 16, wherein one of the first and second grades of energy is extracted as one of:

output from the s-CO₂ compressor;

output from the combustor; and

output from the first s-CO₂ turbine and prior to entering the heat rejection heat exchanger.

18. The power-producing device of claim 14, further comprising a cooling circuit having an additional compressor operable in a vapor cycle system (VCS).

19. The power-producing device of claim 14, wherein the closed-loop s-CO₂ system is operated as a condenser during cruise of the aircraft, changing from super-critical to a trans-critical operation.