Tennessee Technological University

Rory Roberts

A propulsion system for an aircraft as disclosed herein may include a nacelle, a shaft positioned centrally within a cylindrical passageway of the nacelle, a fan coupled to one end of the shaft, a turbine coupled to an opposite end of the shaft, an electric motor coupled to the shaft, a compressor positioned within the cylindrical passageway, and a solid oxide fuel cell positioned with a hollow ring-shaped interior of the nacelle. The hollow ring-shaped interior may surround and be isolated from the cylindrical passageway. The turbine may be configured to provide primary torque to the shaft while the electric motor may be configured to provide additional torque to the shaft. The electric motor may be powered an electric output of the solid oxide fuel cell while the turbine may be powered at least in part by output gases from the solid oxide fuel cell.

Fuel cell turboelectric fan for an aircraft

The solid oxide fuel cell with combustor (SOFC-C) addresses the problems of fast start-up, high gravimetric power density and emission control facing SOFC in aerospace and other mobile vehicle applications by providing a highly efficient clean power generation for full or partial hybrid propulsion systems. The SOFC-C may include one or more SOFC tubes and a combustion chamber integrated within a housing. Fuel may be provided through an anode portion of the one or more SOFC tubes or stacks and be combusted upon exiting the one or more SOFC tubes or stacks. The combustion products may then be provided through a cathode portion of the one or more SOFC tubes or stacks, whereby pollutants may be reduced or removed from the combustion products by the cathode portion prior exiting the housing as exhaust. A cathode inlet temperature may be controlled by controlling the fuel flow.

Growing community of inventors

Cookeville, TN, United States of America

Rory Roberts