Coleman regenerative engine with exhaust gas water extraction

• US 20020078689A1
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard R. Coleman, Thelma Coleman
• Original Assignee: Richard R. Coleman, Thelma Coleman
• Inventors: Coleman, Richard R., Coleman, Thelma
• Granted Patent: US 6,651,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/728
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/13 having variable working fluid interconnections between turbines or compressors or stages of different rotors controlling flow ratio between different flows of multi-flow jet-propulsion plant, e.g. ducted fan F02K3/075
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/34 with recycling of part of the working fluid, i.e. semi-closed cycles with combustion products in the closed part of the cycle
• 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 7/08 Heating air supply before combustion, e.g. by exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/10 by means of regenerative heat-exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/143 before or between the compressor stages
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/10 Particular cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/232 characterized by the cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/053 Explicitly mentioned power
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/07 to improve fuel economy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An improved turbine engine topology, wherein the improvement comprises a repositioning, with respect to a conventional intercooled regenerative turbine engine topology, of exhaust gas output from a low pressure turbine stage to a regenerator, to an exhaust gas output from a high pressure turbine stage to the regenerator. The engine topology may additionally employ, as an intermediate stage between the high pressure turbine and the low pressure turbine, a feedback control system, whereby the exhaust gas output from the high pressure turbine stage to the regenerator flows through the feedback control. The engine topology may advantageously also employ an additional cooler and an additional exhaust gas output in the feedback control, whereby exhaust gas flows from the feedback control through the additional cooler to a high pressure compressor stage, or the exhaust gas can flow from the feedback control through a bottoming cycle to the high pressure compressor stage. An exhaust gas condenser may advantageously be placed into the bottoming cycle system. The bottoming cycle/condenser improvements may alternatively be effected an other wise conventional intercooled regenerative turbine engine topology.

Claims

1. An improved turbine engine topology, wherein the improvement comprises a repositioning, with respect to a conventional intercooled regenerative turbine engine topology, of exhaust gas output from a low pressure turbine stage to a regenerator, to an exhaust gas output from a high pressure turbine stage to the regenerator.

2. The engine topology of claim 1 further comprising, as an intermediate stage between the high pressure turbine and the low pressure turbine, a feedback control system, whereby the exhaust gas output from the high pressure turbine stage to the regenerator flows through the feedback control.

3. The engine topology of claim 2 further comprising an additional cooler and an additional exhaust gas output in the feedback control, whereby exhaust gas flows from the feedback control through the additional cooler to a high pressure compressor stage.

4. The engine topology of claim 2 further comprising a bottoming cycle system and an additional exhaust gas output in the feedback control, whereby exhaust gas flows from the feedback control through the bottoming cycle to a high pressure compressor stage.

5. The engine topology of claim 4 further comprising, in the bottoming cycle system, an exhaust gas condenser.

6. An improved engine topology comprising, with respect to a conventional intercooled regenerative turbine engine topology, a bottoming cycle system whereby exhaust gas flows from turbine stage through the bottoming cycle to a high pressure compressor stage.

7. The engine topology of claim 6 further comprising, in the bottoming cycle system, an exhaust gas condenser.