General Electric Company

Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

General Electric Company Polska Sp. Z O.o.

Richard Louis Hart

Honggang Wang

Seung-Hyuck Hong

Michael Anthony Benjamin

Michael Alan Vallance

Anil Raj Duggal

David Charles Bogdan, Jr

Andrew Joseph Wickersham

Narendra Digamber Joshi

Chang Wei

Grigorii Lev Soloveichik

Hendrik Pieter Jacobus De Bock

Andrew Philip Shapiro

Brandon Wayne Miller

Charles Dominic Iacovangelo

Randy M Vondrell

Daniel Jason Erno

John Patrick Lemmon

Richard Scott Bourgeois

Sergei Kniajanski

Brandon Alan Bartling

Patrick Daniel Willson

Jared Micheal Iverson

Ryan St Pierre

Roy Christie Galloway

Jaime Andres Echeverry

Melvin Robert Jackson

Alok Mani Srivastava

Joseph John Shiang

Canan Uslu Hardwicke

Mohamed Rahmane

Wendy Wen-Ling Lin

Robert Joseph Lyons

Xiwang Qi

Michael Francis Xavier Gigliotti, Jr

Dacong Weng

Hai Yang

Shu Ching Quek

Rihua Xiong

Haochuan Jiang

Steven Alfred Tysoe

Badri Narayan Ramamurthi

Chandra Sekher Yerramalli

Malgorzata Iwona Rubinsztajn

Andrey Meshkov

Qunjian Huang

Shih-Yang Hsieh

Jun Jie Cai

Sauri Gudlavalleti

Guillermo Daniel Zappi

Jennifer Kathleen Redline

Shengxian Wang

Jinghua Liu

Jun Cui

Rong Fan

David Gerard Mliner

David Charles Bogdan

A topping cycle fuel cell unit includes a support plate having internal flow passages that extend to combustion outlets, a first electrode layer, an electrolyte layer, and a second electrode layer. The second electrode layer is configured to be coupled to another support plate of another fuel cell unit. The internal flow passages are configured to receive and direct air across the first electrolyte layer or the second electrolyte layer and to receive and direct fuel across another of the first electrolyte layer or the second electrolyte layer such that the first electrode layer, the electrolyte layer, and the second electrode layer create electric current. The internal flow passages are configured to direct at least some of the air and at least some of the fuel to the combustion outlets where the at least some air and the at least some fuel is combusted.

Integrated fuel cell and combustion system

A method for operating a propulsion system for an aircraft, the propulsion system including a gas turbine engine and a fuel cell assembly, the fuel cell assembly including a fuel cell stack having a fuel cell defining an outlet positioned to remove output products from the fuel cell during operation, the method including: executing a startup sequence for the fuel cell assembly, wherein executing the startup sequence for the fuel cell assembly includes initiating the startup sequence for the fuel cell assembly; executing a startup sequence for the gas turbine engine, wherein executing the startup sequence for the gas turbine engine comprises initiating the startup sequence for the gas turbine engine subsequent to initiating the startup sequence for the fuel cell assembly; and operating the fuel cell assembly to provide output products to a combustion section of the gas turbine engine.

Systems and method of operating a fuel cell assembly

A gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine having a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section arranged in serial flow order, the turbomachine further including an outer casing and, during operation of the gas turbine engine, an exhaust gas flow from the turbine section; and a fuel cell assembly positioned within the outer casing of the turbomachine, the fuel cell assembly having a fuel cell defining an inlet positioned to receive a portion of the exhaust gas flow, an outlet positioned to provide output products directly to the exhaust gas flow, or both.

Gas turbine engine and fuel cell assembly

A gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine having a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section arranged in serial flow order, the turbomachine further including an outer casing; a fuel cell assembly positioned within the outer casing of the turbomachine, the fuel cell assembly including a fuel cell and an output products line in fluid communication with an outlet of the fuel cell for receiving output products from the fuel cell; a fuel delivery assembly including a fuel line; and a reformer in communication with the fuel line and the output products from the fuel cell during operation of the gas turbine engine to convert a fuel flow through the fuel line to a hydrogen rich gas.

An integrated fuel cell and combustor assembly includes a combustor that is fluidly coupled with at least one upstream compressor that generates compressed air. A fuel cell stack having a cathode and an anode is fluidly coupled to the combustor. The fuel cell stack is configured to receive intake fuel and a portion of the compressed air as intake air, to generate a fuel cell power output using the intake fuel and the intake air, and to direct a fuel and air exhaust from the fuel cell stack into the combustor. A self-reliant air supply system is fluidly coupled with the at least one upstream compressor and the fuel cell stack, and is configured to supply the intake air to the fuel cell stack. A fault-tolerant controller is configured to detect a transient event within the combustor and to control the self-reliant air supply system during the transient event.

Integrated fuel cell and combustor assembly

A combustion section defines an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction. The combustion section includes a casing that defines a diffusion chamber. A combustion liner is disposed within the diffusion chamber and defines a combustion chamber the combustion liner is spaced apart from the casing such that a passageway is defined between the combustion liner and the casing. A fuel cell assembly is disposed in the passageway. The fuel cell assembly includes a fuel cell stack that has a plurality of fuel cells each extending between an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end receives a flow of air and fuel and the outlet end provides output products to the combustion chamber. The fuel cell assembly further includes an electrical circuit that is electrically coupled to the plurality of fuel cells and that extends through the casing.

Gas turbine combustion section having an integrated fuel cell assembly

A propulsion system including: a fuel cell assembly having a fuel cell defining an outlet positioned to remove output products from the fuel cell and a fuel cell assembly operating condition; a turbomachine comprising a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section arranged in serial flow order, the combustion section configured to receive a flow of aviation fuel from an aircraft fuel supply and further configured to receive the output products from the fuel cell; and a controller comprising memory and one or more processors, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the propulsion system to perform operations including receiving data indicative of a mid-flight flameout within the combustion section; modifying the fuel cell assembly operating condition in response to receiving data indicative of the mid-flight flameout within the combustion section; and initiating a relight of the combustion section.

Relight of a propulsion system with a fuel cell

A gas turbine engine including a catalytic reactor and a combustor. The catalytic reactor is configured (i) to receive hydrogen fuel, (ii) to receive air containing oxygen, (iii) to catalytically react at least a portion of the oxygen in the air with at least a portion of the hydrogen in the hydrogen fuel to produce water, and (iv) to output diluent comprising the catalytically produced water. The combustor includes (a) a combustion chamber and (b) at least one nozzle that is fluidly coupled to the catalytic reactor to receive the diluent output by the catalytic reactor and configured to inject the diluent into the combustion chamber.

System for producing diluent for a gas turbine engine

An engine assembly includes a combustor, a fuel cell stack integrated with the combustor, and a pre-burner system fluidly connected to the fuel cell stack. The fuel cell stack is configured to direct fuel and air exhaust from the fuel cell stack into the combustor. The pre-burner system is configured to control a temperature of an air flow directed into the fuel cell stack. The combustor is configured to combust the fuel and air exhaust from the fuel cell stack into one or more gaseous combustion products that drive a downstream turbine. The engine assembly can further include a catalytic partial oxidation convertor that is fluidly connected to the fuel cell stack. The catalytic partial oxidation convertor is configured to develop a hydrogen rich fuel stream to be directed into the fuel cell stack.

Integrated fuel cell and engine combustor assembly

An engine assembly includes a combustor, a fuel cell stack integrated with the combustor, the fuel cell stack configured (i) to direct fuel and air exhaust from the fuel cell stack into the combustor and (ii) to generate electrical energy, a catalytic partial oxidation convertor that is fluidly connected to the fuel cell stack, the catalytic partial oxidation convertor being configured to optimize a hydrogen content of a fuel stream to be directed into the fuel cell stack, and one or more subsystems electrically connected with the fuel cell stack, the one or more subsystems being configured to receive the electrical energy generated by the fuel cell stack. The combustor is configured to combust the fuel and air exhaust from the fuel cell stack into one or more gaseous combustion products that drive a downstream turbine.

A combustion section defines an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction. The combustion section includes a casing that defines a diffusion chamber. A combustion liner is disposed within the diffusion chamber and defines a combustion chamber. The combustion liner is spaced apart from the casing such that a passageway is defined between the combustion liner and the casing. A fuel cell assembly is disposed in the passageway. The fuel cell assembly includes a fuel cell that extends between an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end receives a flow of air and fuel and the outlet end provides output products to the combustion chamber. The fuel cell extends at an angle between the inlet end and the outlet end relative to a radial projection line.

A propulsion system for an aircraft, the aircraft including an aircraft fuel supply, the propulsion system including: a turbomachine including a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section arranged in serial flow order, the combustion section configured to receive a flow of aviation fuel from the aircraft fuel supply; and a fuel cell assembly including a fuel cell stack having a solid oxide fuel cell, the solid oxide fuel cell defining an outlet positioned to remove output products from the solid oxide fuel cell and provide the output products to the combustion section, the solid oxide fuel cell including a cathode; an electrolyte layer; and an anode positioned opposite the electrolyte layer from the cathode, the anode including a cermet, the cermet including less than 25% by volume nickel.

Solid oxide fuel cell assembly

A method for operating a propulsion system for an aircraft, the propulsion system including a gas turbine engine and a fuel cell assembly, the fuel cell assembly comprising a fuel cell stack having a fuel cell defining an outlet positioned to remove output products from the fuel cell during operation, the method including: executing a startup sequence for the gas turbine engine, wherein executing the startup sequence comprises initiating the startup sequence for the gas turbine engine; executing a startup sequence for the fuel cell assembly concurrently with, or subsequent to, initiating the startup sequence for the gas turbine engine; and operating the fuel cell assembly to provide output products to a combustion section of the gas turbine engine.

A combustion section defines an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction. The combustion section includes a casing that defines a diffusion chamber. A combustion liner is disposed within the diffusion chamber and defines a combustion chamber. The combustion liner is spaced apart from the casing such that a passageway is defined between the combustion liner and the casing. A fuel cell assembly is disposed in the passageway. The fuel cell assembly includes a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cells each extending between an inlet end and an outlet end. Each fuel cell of the plurality of fuel cells includes an air channel and a fuel channel each fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber.

A fuel cell unit that includes a support structure having a plurality of flow channels and an active layer membrane coupled with the support structure, the active layer membrane comprising at least one electrode layer. Each flow channel of the plurality of flow channels is configured to direct one of air and fuel across at least one electrode layer of an active layer membrane to create electric current. Each flow channel of the plurality of flow channels includes at least one enhancement feature that is configured to disrupt a formation of a boundary layer near a surface of the active layer membrane where reactions occur. The plurality of flow channels can be positioned in a zig-zag configuration to allow for an increase in power density of the fuel cell unit.

High performance fuel cells

Growing community of inventors

Broadalbin, NY, United States of America

Richard Louis Hart