AIRCRAFT HAVING A HEAT ENGINE AND DEVICE FOR USING THE EXHAUST GASES FROM THE HEAT ENGINE

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aircraft having at least one wing, on which at least one propulsion unit is arranged, comprising at least one heat engine, especially a gas turbine, as well as an exhaust gas passage for conducting exhaust gas of the heat engine into and inside the wing.

Claims

1. An aircraft having at least one wing, on which at least one propulsion unit is arranged, comprising at least one heat engine configured as a gas turbine, as well as an exhaust gas passage for conducting exhaust gas of the heat engine into and inside the wing.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust gas passage is arranged at least partially in a pylon, which connects the propulsion unit to the wing, and/or a torsion box and/or a leading edge region of the wing, and/or, in front of a torsion box and leading edge of the wing and/or at the side next to a cargo compartment, in a fuselage of the aircraft.

3. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein there is arranged in the exhaust gas passage, downstream from the heat engine: at least one heat exchanger configured as an evaporator, at least one condenser, at least one water separator, and/or at least one turbine.

4. The aircraft according to claim 3, wherein there is arranged in a fluid passage, downstream from the condenser and/or water separator: at least one water pump, at least one water treatment device, at least one water accumulator, at least one heat exchanger, and/or at least one steam turbine, and/or at least one outlet of the fluid passage is arranged at the heat engine a combustion chamber and/or a turbine stage of the gas turbine.

5. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one heat exchanger configured as an evaporator, at least one condenser, at least one water separator, and/or at least one turbine, and/or further arranged in the exhaust gas passage downstream from the heat engine: at least one water pump, at least one water treatment device, at least one water accumulator, at least one heat exchanger, and/or at least one steam turbine, and/or further arranged in the fluid passage downstream from the condenser: at least one delivery device for cooling a condenser, at least partially in the propulsion unit, at least partially in the pylon, at least partially in the torsion box of the wing, at least partially in a fuselage of the aircraft or at least partially outside the housing situated at the side on the fuselage and/or above the wing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0103] Further advantageous modifications of the present invention will emerge from the dependent claims and the following description of preferred embodiments. For this purpose, the following are shown, partially schematized:

[0104] FIG. 1—a flow diagram of a propulsion system of an aircraft according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0105] FIG. 2—a flow diagram of a propulsion system of an aircraft according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

[0106] FIG. 3—a flow diagram of a propulsion system of an aircraft according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

[0107] FIG. 4—a flow diagram of a propulsion system of an aircraft according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

[0108] FIG. 5—the aircraft of FIG. 1 in a side view;

[0109] FIG. 6—the aircraft of FIG. 1 in a front view;

[0110] FIG. 7—the aircraft of FIG. 1 in a side view; and

[0111] FIG. 8—the aircraft of FIG. 1 in a view from above.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0112] FIG. 1 shows in the form of a flow diagram the layout of a propulsion system of an aircraft in the form of an airplane 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0113] The propulsion system comprises a turbofan propulsion unit having a heat engine 1 in the form of a gas turbine 10 as well as a water recovery system 2.

[0114] The gas turbine 10 comprises a combustion chamber 15 and multiple turbine stages 16.

[0115] Its exhaust gas is taken entirely or partially through an evaporator 12, in which the hot exhaust gas surrenders its heat, which is used to evaporate the water.

[0116] The resulting steam is taken through working gas outlets 41 to the gas turbine 10 in the area of its combustion chamber 15 and/or to one or more turbine stages 16.

[0117] Optionally, a steam turbine 14 may be arranged between the gas turbine 10 and the evaporator 12. The useful power of this steam turbine 14 can be supplied directly in particular to a shaft of the gas turbine 10 or be used to drive auxiliary units of the aircraft.

[0118] Through a connection 21, the moist working gas is taken from the heat engine 1 or gas turbine 10 to the wing 32 or the water recovery system 2.

[0119] Here, it goes at first through a heat exchanger 22, where it is cooled down enough so that its temperature drops during the following expansion in an A/C turbine 24 below the dew point temperature. Thus, the heat exchanger 22 and/or A/C turbine 24 constitute a condenser.

[0120] The water present in the working gas is then at least partially in droplet form and it is separated from the gaseous components of the working gas in a water separator (channel) 25, then pumped by a condensate pump 26 through a fluid passage 40 to a water treatment device 27 and then to a water accumulator 28.

[0121] From the water accumulator 28, a feed pump 13 pumps water through the fluid passage 40 to the evaporator 12.

[0122] In the heat exchanger 22, heat is transferred from the working gas to the surrounding air.

[0123] This is taken away by an A/C blower 23 and vented downstream from the heat exchanger 22 to the surroundings in a cooling air nozzle 29. The A/C blower 23 is driven by the A/C turbine 24.

[0124] FIG. 2 shows in the form of a flow diagram the layout of a propulsion system of an aircraft according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Features corresponding to each other are identified by the same reference numbers, so that reference is made to the previous description and only the differences will be discussed below.

[0125] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, there is no A/C turbine 24, so that the heat exchanger 22 constitutes the condenser. The A/C blower 23 is driven by the steam turbine 14.

[0126] FIGS. 5-8 respectively show in a front view (FIG. 6), side views (FIGS. 5, 7) and top view (FIG. 8) the aircraft with the propulsion system that has been explained above in reference to FIG. 1.

[0127] Unlike what occurs in a conventional engine, the moist exhaust gas in this case after the turbine stages 16 of the gas turbine 10 is not expanded directly in a core engine nozzle, but rather it is taken at first through the steam generator 12 (see FIGS. 5, 6) and then via the connection 21 to the heat exchanger 22 (see FIGS. 6-8), as was explained above with reference to FIGS. 1, 2.

[0128] For this, it is taken by multiple channels through a pylon 36 (see FIGS. 5, 6, 8), by which the propulsion unit is fastened on the wing, into a wing 32 of the aircraft. In the wing 32, it is taken through a torsion box 33 (see FIGS. 5, 8) into a leading edge region 39 of the wing. Here, it moves in the direction of the fuselage. After this flow process, it arrives at the A/C turbine 24 (see FIGS. 6-8).

[0129] In this process, its temperature is lowered so much that it drops below the dew point and therefore water present in the exhaust gas is at least partially in droplet form. Downstream from the A/C turbine 24 there is arranged the water separator (channel) 25. Here, devices are provided for separating the liquid and the gaseous components.

[0130] In particular, one may notice in FIGS. 6, 8 that the space at the side, next to a forward cargo or cargo compartment 34, having a cargo compartment door 35 in front of the wing torsion box 33, can be utilized to accommodate parts of the components of the water recovery system 2. In the exemplary embodiment, the heat exchanger 22 is advantageously accommodated here. The A/C blower 23 and the A/C turbine 24 as well as the water separator (channel) 25 are in this way arranged in a housing 38 at the side next to the fuselage 31.

[0131] Thanks to this arrangement, the displacement cross section of the airplane 3 is only slightly increased, since the heat exchanger 22 lies in the projection of the wing 32 and the front surface of the A/C blower 23 does not act as a displacement cross section, since it has a flow moving through it. The other components, such as the A/C turbine 24 and the separating channel 25, are arranged in streamlined manner behind the A/C blower 23. The components are partly integrated in streamlined manner in a landing gear cladding 37.

[0132] In the area of the exhaust gas passage through the wing torsion box 33 there is provided the water storage tank 28 (see FIGS. 5, 6, 8).

[0133] Instead of the propulsion system explained above with reference to FIG. 1, there may also be provided on or in the airplane 3 in analogous manner the propulsion system explained above with reference to FIG. 2.

[0134] Here, as explained above with reference to FIG. 2, there is no A/C turbine 24, the A/C blower 23 is driven by the steam turbine 14, and the exhaust gas flows directly from the heat exchanger 22 to the separation channel 25.

[0135] FIG. 3 shows in the form of a flow diagram the layout of a propulsion system of an aircraft according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Features corresponding to each other are identified by the same reference numbers, so that reference is made to the previous description and only the differences will be discussed below.

[0136] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the (heat exchanger of the) condenser(s) 22 receives an oncoming flow, especially a moving-through flow of air, which is delivered by a fan 11 of the gas turbine 10, and for this purpose it is arranged in the outer channel or bypass flow of the turbofan propulsion unit. Hence, in particular, there is no blower 23 or cooling air nozzle 29 of the embodiment in FIG. 1 and possibly no optional feeding of cooling air to the water separator 25.

[0137] FIG. 4 shows in the form of a flow diagram the layout of a propulsion system of an aircraft according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Features corresponding to each other are identified by the same reference numbers, so that reference is made to the previous description and only the differences will be discussed below.

[0138] In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the (heat exchanger of the) condenser(s) 22 likewise receives an oncoming flow, especially a moving-through flow of air, which is delivered by a fan 11 of the gas turbine 10, and for this purpose it is arranged in the outer channel or bypass flow of the turbofan propulsion unit. Hence, in particular, there is no blower 23 or cooling air nozzle 29 of the embodiment in FIG. 1 and possibly no optional feeding of cooling air to the water separator 25.

[0139] The propulsion systems explained above with reference to FIGS. 2-4 may be used in the aircraft which has been explained in reference to FIGS. 5-8, instead of the propulsion system explained with reference to FIG. 1.

[0140] Although the preceding description has explained exemplary embodiments, it should be noted that many modifications are possible. Furthermore, it should be noted that the exemplary embodiments are merely examples and do not in any way limit the scope of protection, the applications, or the layout. Instead, the preceding description will provide the person skilled in the art with guidance for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, while various changes can be made, especially in regard to the function and arrangement of the described components, without leaving the scope of protection given by the claims and their equivalent combinations of features.