Powerplant and related control system and method

• US 9,719,411 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Daley, James Gallagher, Brooks, Alexander Nelson
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, HAI H
• Application Number:
  US15/009,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20160153349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 123 1 A, 123 3, 123525, 123 27 GE, 123431, 123198 A, 1235591, 123672, 123673, 123676, 123698, 123DIG 12, 606051, 60303
• 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, wherein the gaseous stream of second reactant is provided to the engine at a flow rate;

a compressor configured to pressurize the gaseous stream of second reactant supplied to the engine;

a turbine, wherein the compressor is driven in rotation by a driving force from the turbine, and wherein the turbine is propelled by the exhaust stream; and

an electrical generator configured to be driven by energy extracted from the exhaust stream.

2. The powerplant of claim 1, and further comprising:

an afterburner in the exhaust stream upstream of the turbine, and upstream of where energy is extracted from the exhaust stream for the generator, the afterburner being configured to react additional reactants in the exhaust stream; and

a control system configured to control the amount of additional reactants reacted in the exhaust such that adequate energy is present in the exhaust stream to drive both the generator and the compressor at optimized levels.

3. The powerplant of claim 1, wherein the turbine is further configured to drive the generator using energy extracted from the exhaust stream.

4. The powerplant of claim 3, and further comprising a control system, wherein the generator is configured to apply variable levels of motive force on the turbine, and wherein the control system configured to control the variable motive force applied to the turbine by the generator.

5. The powerplant of claim 4, wherein the control system is configured to control the variable motive force applied to the turbine by the generator to control the flow rate of the gaseous stream of second reactant based on an operating condition of the engine such that an exhaust stream temperature is maintained below a temperature limit.

6. The powerplant of claim 4, wherein the generator is configured to operate as an electric motor, and wherein the control system is configured to restart the engine in at least some ambient conditions by controlling the variable motive force applied to the turbine by the generator such that the compressor is driven at a speed that provides for the gaseous stream of second reactant to be provided to the engine at a flow rate at or above a threshold level.

7. The powerplant of claim 6, wherein the control system is configured to control the variable motive force applied to the turbine by the generator to control the flow rate of the gaseous stream of second reactant based on an operating condition of the engine such that an exhaust stream temperature is maintained below a temperature limit.

8. A powerplant, comprising:

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

a compressor configured to pressurize the gaseous stream of second reactant supplied to the power generation system;

a turbine, wherein the compressor is driven in rotation by a driving force from the turbine, and wherein the turbine is propelled by the exhaust stream;

a catalytic afterburner in the exhaust stream intermediate the power generation system and the turbine, the afterburner being configured to react reactants in the exhaust stream; and

a control system configured to control the operation of the afterburner to power the turbine at a rate such that the compressor is driven at a speed that provides for the gaseous stream of second reactant to be provided to the power generation system at a flow rate appropriate to a rate at which the second reactant is being provided to the power generation system.

9. 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 compressor configured to pressurize the gaseous stream of second reactant supplied to the power generation system;

a turbine, wherein the compressor is driven in rotation by a driving force from the turbine, and wherein the turbine is propelled by the exhaust stream;

an afterburner in the exhaust stream intermediate the power generation system and the turbine, the afterburner being configured to react reactants in the exhaust stream; and

a control system configured to control the operation of the afterburner to power the turbine during a system cold start based on the temperature of the turbine.