Closed-loop cooling system for a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor

• US 7,178,339 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Goldmeer, Jeffrey S., Girodet, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; William H.
• Application Number:
  US10/819,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20050223711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 607/75, 60/391.81, 60/393, 60/395.3, 60/395.11
• US Class Current: 60/775
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/001 Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/10 using steam plant
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/04 the vehicles being waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/22 the fuel or oxidant being gaseous at standard temperature and pressure F02C3/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/305 Increasing the power, speed, torque or efficiency of a gas turbine or the thrust of a turbojet engine by injecting or adding water, steam or other fluids F01K21/04 takes precedence
• 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: F42B 19/22 by internal-combustion engines

Abstract

A closed-loop cooling system is provided for a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor. A combustion reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in the combustor produces steam. The steam is used to generate work from a turbine shaft, which is used to drive a propulsion system for the underwater vessel. After the steam passes through the turbine, the steam is cooled back to liquid water by a condenser that uses a seawater cooling loop to cool the steam into cold water. The cold water is then injected into the combustor, and pumped into passages along the walls of the combustor, thus absorbing the heat. The cold water absorbs this heat until it becomes hot water or steam, which is then injected into the combustor with the hydrogen and oxygen to act as a diluent, thus reducing the reaction temperature of the hydrogen/oxygen combustion reaction. The reaction produces more steam, and the cycle repeats.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel, said apparatus comprising:

a constant volume combustor system having a combustion chamber in which a combustion reaction of hydrogen and oxygen produces steam;

a condenser for condensing the steam from the combustion chamber to water; and

means for injecting the water from the condenser into the combustor to absorb heat from the combustion chamber.

2. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 1, wherein said combustor comprises a constant pressure system.

3. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 1, wherein said constant volume system comprises a Pulse Detonation Engine.

4. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 3, wherein the Pulse Detonation Engine uses a Deflagration to Detonation transition based system.

5. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 1, further comprising means for ducting said steam from said combustor to a turbine to rotate a shaft of said turbine.

6. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 5, further comprising a generator that uses said rotating turbine shaft to generate electricity to drive a propulsion system for said underwater vessel.

7. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 5, further comprising a gear and clutch system that uses said rotating turbine shaft to turn gear sets of said gear and clutch system to drive a propulsion system for said underwater vessel.

8. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 1, further comprising a means for cooling said steam in said condenser into water.

9. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 8, wherein said means for cooling comprises a seawater cooling loop that runs seawater through said condenser.

10. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 9, wherein water from said condenser is stored in a water supply.

11. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 10, further comprising an electrolyzer for breaking down water in the water supply into hydrogen and oxygen.

12. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 11, wherein said hydrogen is stored in a hydrogen supply and said oxygen is stored in an oxygen supply.

13. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 12, wherein said combustor uses said hydrogen and oxygen in said hydrogen supply and oxygen supply, respectively, to initiate said combustion reaction, and wherein said hydrogen supply and oxygen supply are both in fluid communication with said combustor.

14. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 1, further comprising a computer that controls an amount and flow rate of hydrogen and oxygen into said combustor, controls an amount and flow rate of steam into the condenser, and controls an amount and flow rate of water injected into the combustor.

15. An apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel, said apparatus comprising:

a combustor having a combustion chamber in which a combustion reaction of hydrogen and oxygen produces steam;

a condenser for condensing the steam from the combustion chamber to water;

means for injecting the water from the condenser into the combustor to absorb heat from the combustion chamber; and

means for injecting hot water or steam into the combustion chamber, said hot water or steam being formed by the absorption of heat by the water.

16. The apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 15, wherein said absorption of heat by the water occurs by cooling the combustor.

17. A closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel, the method comprising:

initiating a constant volume combustion reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in a combustion chamber in said combustor to form steam;

condensing the steam from the combustion chamber into water; and

injecting the water into the combustor to absorb heat from the combustion chamber.

18. The closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 17, wherein said combustor comprises a constant pressure system.

19. The closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 17, wherein said constant volume system comprises a Pulse Detonation Engine.

20. The closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 19, wherein the Pulse Detonation Engine uses a Deflagration to Detonation transition based system.

21. The closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 17, further comprising ducting said steam from said combustor to a turbine to rotate a shaft of said turbine.

22. The closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 21, further comprising using said rotating turbine shaft to generate electricity to drive a propulsion system for said underwater vessel.

23. The closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 21, further comprising using said rotating turbine shaft to turn gear sets to drive a propulsion system for said underwater vessel.

24. The closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 17, wherein said condensing step comprises utilizing seawater to cool said steam.

25. The closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 17, wherein after said condensing step said water is stored in a water supply.

26. The closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 25, further comprising breaking down water in the water supply into hydrogen and oxygen.

27. The closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 26, further comprising storing said hydrogen in a hydrogen supply and storing said oxygen in an oxygen supply.

28. The closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 27, further comprising the combustor using said hydrogen and oxygen in said hydrogen supply and oxygen supply, respectively, to initiate said combustion reaction, and wherein said hydrogen supply and oxygen supply are both in fluid communication with said combustor.

29. The closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 17, further comprising controlling an amount and flow rate of hydrogen and oxygen in said combustor for the combustion reaction, controlling an amount and flow rate of steam condensed into water, and controlling an amount and flow rate of water injected into the combustor.

30. A closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel, the method comprising:

initiating a constant volume combustion reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in a combustion chamber in said combustor to form steam;

condensing the steam from the combustion chamber into water;

injecting the water into the combustor to absorb heat from the combustion chamber; and

injecting hot water or steam into the combustion chamber, said hot water or steam being formed by the absorption of heat by the water.

31. The closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel of claim 30, further comprising inducing the absorption of heat by the water by cooling the combustion chamber.

32. An apparatus for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel, said apparatus comprising:

a combustor having a combustion chamber in which a combustion reaction of hydrogen and oxygen produces steam;

a condenser for condensing the steam from the combustion chamber to water;

means for injecting the water from the condenser into the combustor to absorb heat from the combustion chamber;

means for ducting said steam from said combustor to a turbine to rotate a shaft of said turbine; and

a gear and clutch system that uses said rotating turbine shaft to turn gear sets of said gear and clutch system to drive a propulsion system for said underwater vessel.

33. A closed-loop cooling method for cooling a hydrogen/oxygen based combustor for an underwater vessel, the method comprising:

initiating a constant volume combustion reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in a combustion chamber in said combustor to form steam;

condensing the steam from the combustion chamber into water;

injecting the water into the combustor to absorb heat from the combustion chamber;

ducting said steam from said combustor to a turbine to rotate a shaft of said turbine; and

using said rotating turbine shaft to turn gear sets to drive a propulsion system for said underwater vessel.