Drive unit, method for providing power, and use of a drive unit

• US 9,541,001 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Steinwandel, Jrgen, Wolff, Christian, Hoffjann, Claus
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivera, Carlos A
• Application Number:
  US14/058,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20140047814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/00 Plural gas-turbine plants; Combinations of gas-turbine plants with other apparatus; Adaptations of gas-turbine plants for special use
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1293 Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/40 Combination of fuel cells with other energy production systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04022 Heating by combustion
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04111 using a compressor turbine assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0631 Reactor construction specially adapted for combination reactor/fuel cell hydrogen C01B3/00; reactors for physicochemical processes B01J19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/243 Grouping of unit cells of tubular or cylindrical configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A drive unit includes a combustion chamber for combusting a fuel/air mixture, and a fuel cell device, wherein the fuel cell device includes at least one fuel cell, which in each case includes an anode that is couplable to a fuel line, a cathode that is couplable to an air source, and a fluid outlet and is arranged upstream of the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber further includes a combustion chamber inlet for supplying the fuel/air mixture, and a combustion chamber outlet for discharging exhaust gas, and the combustion chamber inlet is connected to the fluid outlet of the fuel cell device. In this way a hybrid drive unit can be provided which apart from mechanical power also generates electrical power at high efficiency.

Claims

1. A drive unit, comprising:

a combustion chamber for combusting a fuel/air mixture;

a ring-shaped fuel cell device

comprising at least one fuel cell comprising;

an anode couplable to a fuel line;

a cathode couplable to an air source; and

a fluid outlet, wherein the fuel cell is arranged upstream of the combustion chamber; and

at least one ring-shaped fuel converter arranged between the fuel line and the fuel cell device, the fuel converter adapted to provide a gaseous fuel from a liquid fuel,

wherein the combustion chamber comprises;

a combustion chamber inlet for supplying the fuel/air mixture; and

a combustion chamber outlet for discharging exhaust gas, and the combustion chamber inlet is connected to the fluid outlet of the fuel cell device, and

wherein the ring-shaped fuel cell device and the ring-shaped fuel converter are concentric.

2. The drive unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a compressor unit arranged upstream of the fuel cell device, and

a turbine unit arranged downstream of the combustion chamber,

wherein the compressor unit comprises at least one compressor wheel, and the turbine unit comprises at least one turbine wheel, and the at least one compressor wheel and the at least one turbine wheel are interconnected by way of at least one shaft.

3. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fuel cell of the fuel cell device is configured as a tubular fuel cell that is open on two sides.

4. The drive unit according to claim 3, wherein the at least one tubular fuel cell comprises an anode formed by an inner surface, and a cathode formed by an outer surface.

5. The drive unit according to claim 2, wherein the fuel cell device comprises a plurality of tubular fuel cells concentrically arranged rings and/or on rings arranged one behind the other are distributed relative to the at least one shaft.

6. The drive unit according to claim 2, wherein the fuel cell device comprises a plurality of tubular fuel cells distributed in a ring-shaped manner around the at least one shaft.

7. The drive unit of claim 6, wherein the ring-shaped fuel converter comprises a plurality of through-openings about a circumference of the fuel converter such that each of the plurality of tubular fuel cells communicate with one of the plurality of through-openings for receiving a gaseous fuel therethrough.

8. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the fuel converter comprises a metallic material, and is in surface contact with the cathodes of the fuel cells for establishing an electrical connection.

9. The drive unit according to claim 1, further comprising a motor/generator unit electrically connected to the fuel cell device.

10. The drive unit according to claim 2, further comprising a motor/generator unit electrically connected to the fuel cell device;

and

wherein the motor/generator unit is mechanically connected to at least one shaft to support operation of the compressor unit.

11. A method for operating a drive unit, comprising the steps of:

providing air;

converting a liquid fuel into a gaseous fuel in a ring-shaped fuel converter;

carrying out a fuel cell process with the provided air and the gaseous fuel in a ring-shaped fuel cell device;

feeding exhaust gas from the fuel cell device to a combustion chamber inlet of a combustion chamber; and

combusting the fuel-containing exhaust gas within the combustion chamber, wherein the ring-shaped fuel cell device and the ring-shaped fuel converter are concentric.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising converting fuel from a liquid to a gaseous phase.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the converting is implemented as a catalytic conversion.

14. An aircraft comprising at least one drive unit comprising:

a combustion chamber for combusting a fuel/air mixture;

a fuel cell device

comprising at least one fuel cell comprising an anode couplable to a fuel line, a cathode couplable to an air source, and a fluid outlet, wherein the fuel cell is arranged upstream of the combustion chamber, and

at least one ring-shaped fuel converter arranged between the fuel line and the fuel cell device, which fuel converter is adapted to provide a gaseous fuel from a liquid fuel,

at least one compressor unit arranged upstream of the fuel cell device;

at least one turbine unit arranged downstream of the combustion chamber; and

at least one shaft interconnecting the at least one compressor unit and the at least one compressor unit,

wherein the combustion chamber comprises a combustion chamber inlet for supplying the fuel/air mixture, and a combustion chamber outlet for discharging exhaust gas, and the combustion chamber inlet is connected to the fluid outlet of the fuel cell device, and

wherein the at least one ring-shaped fuel converter is arranged coaxially about the at least one shaft.