The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 20, 2007
Filed:
Apr. 07, 2004
Jeffrey S. Goldmeer, Latham, NY (US);
William H. Girodet, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (US);
Jeffrey S. Goldmeer, Latham, NY (US);
William H. Girodet, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (US);
Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, MD (US);
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.