초록 ▼

Water is generated onboard of a craft such as an aircraft or in a self-contained stationary system by partially or completely integrating a water generating unit into a power plant of the craft or system. The water generating unit includes one or more high temperature fuel cells which partially or c

Water is generated onboard of a craft such as an aircraft or in a self-contained stationary system by partially or completely integrating a water generating unit into a power plant of the craft or system. The water generating unit includes one or more high temperature fuel cells which partially or completely replace the combustion chamber or chambers of the power plant. A reformer process is integrated into the high temperature fuel cell which is arranged between, on the one hand, a fan (30) and power plant compressor stages (31, 32) and, on the other hand, power plant turbine stages (33, 34). These power plant stages may be provided in such redundant numbers that safety and redundancy requirements are satisfied.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An aircraft turbofan engine comprising a compressor, a turbine, a thrust-producing bypass fan, at least one coupling shaft that interconnects said compressor, said turbine, and said thrust-producing bypass fan, a fuel oxidizer section that is interposed in a gas flow passage

What is claimed is: 1. An aircraft turbofan engine comprising a compressor, a turbine, a thrust-producing bypass fan, at least one coupling shaft that interconnects said compressor, said turbine, and said thrust-producing bypass fan, a fuel oxidizer section that is interposed in a gas flow passage between said compressor and said turbine, and a condenser arrangement adapted to output water out of said aircraft turbofan engine at a water outlet thereof, wherein: said fuel oxidizer section has an air inlet facing toward said compressor in said gas flow passage and adapted to take in compressed air from said compressor, a fuel inlet adapted to take in a fuel that includes at least one fuel component suitable to be oxidized in at least one oxidation process using the fuel and the compressed air in said fuel oxidizer section, and a hot gas outlet facing toward said turbine in said gas flow passage and adapted to output a hot gas produced with heat from the at least one oxidation process; and said fuel oxidizer section includes at least one high temperature fuel cell incorporated therein, wherein said fuel cell has a fuel side of said fuel cell connected to said fuel inlet, an air side of said fuel cell integrated in said gas flow passage between said air inlet and said hot gas outlet, and a fuel cell exhaust outlet connected to an inlet of said condenser arrangement. 2. An aircraft turbofan engine comprising a compressor, a turbine, a thrust-producing bypass fan, at least one coupling shaft that interconnects said compressor, said turbine, and said thrust-producing bypass fan, a fuel oxidizer section that is interposed in a gas flow passage between said compressor and said turbine, and a condenser arrangement adapted to output water out of said aircraft turbofan engine at a water outlet thereof, wherein: said fuel oxidizer section has an air inlet facing toward said compressor in said gas flow passage and adapted to take in compressed air from said compressor, a fuel inlet adapted to take in a fuel that includes at least one fuel component suitable to be oxidized in at least one oxidation process using the fuel and the compressed air in said fuel oxidizer section, and a hot gas outlet facing toward said turbine in said gas flow passage and adapted to output a hot gas produced with heat from the at least one oxidation process; said fuel oxidizer section includes at least one high temperature fuel cell incorporated therein, wherein said fuel cell has a fuel side of said fuel cell connected to said fuel inlet, an air side of said fuel cell integrated in said gas flow passage between said air inlet and said hot gas outlet, and a fuel cell exhaust outlet connected to an inlet of said condenser arrangement; the at least one oxidation process includes a high temperature fuel cell process to be carried out in said at least one high temperature fuel cell, wherein the fuel is to be oxidized with oxygen extracted from the compressed air, the compressed air is to be heated with heat evolved from the high temperature fuel cell process and is to be output as the hot gas through said hot gas outlet, and a fuel cell exhaust containing oxidized fuel components is to be output through said fuel cell exhaust outlet; and said condenser arrangement is adapted to condense the fuel cell exhaust and produce the water at said water outlet. 3. The aircraft turbofan engine according to claim 2, wherein said fuel oxidizer section further includes at least one combustion chamber, wherein the at least one oxidation process further includes a combustion process to be carried out in said at least one combustion chamber wherein the fuel and the compressed air are combusted together to form hot combustion exhaust gas to be output together with the heated compressed air as the hot gas through said hot gas outlet. 4. The aircraft turbofan engine according to claim 2, not including any combustion chamber. 5. An apparatus for producing water in an aircraft turbofan engine system, comprising a turbine engine, at least one high temperature fuel cell integrated as a water generating unit into said turbine engine, and an exhaust gas condensing system (6, 7) coupled to an exhaust gas discharge (5) of said high temperature fuel cell (1) and adapted to condense the water out of exhaust gas of said high temperature fuel cell (1), wherein said turbine engine comprises a compressor, a turbine, a bypass fan, at least one coupling shaft interconnecting said compressor, said turbine and said bypass fan, and a fuel-oxidizing air-heating section interposed between said compressor and said turbine, wherein said at least one high temperature fuel cell is incorporated in said fuel-oxidizing air-heating section, and wherein said exhaust gas condensing system comprises a heat exchanger (7), and an exhaust gas turbine (6) that has a turbine inlet thereof connected to said exhaust gas discharge (5) of said high temperature fuel cell and that has a turbine outlet thereof connected to said heat exchanger (7). 6. An apparatus for producing water in an aircraft turbofan engine system, comprising a turbine engine, at least one high temperature fuel cell integrated as a water generating unit into said turbine engine, and an exhaust gas condensing system coupled to an exhaust gas discharge (5) of said high temperature fuel cell (1) and adapted to condense the water out of exhaust gas of said high temperature fuel cell (1), and an exhaust gas turbine (6) connected in series between said exhaust gas discharge (5) of said high temperature fuel cell (1) and said exhaust gas condensing system, wherein said turbine engine comprises a compressor, a turbine, a bypass fan, at least one coupling shaft interconnecting said compressor, said turbine and said bypass fan, and a fuel-oxidizing air-heating section interposed between said compressor and said turbine, wherein said at least one high temperature fuel cell is incorporated in said fuel-oxidizing air-heating section, and wherein said exhaust gas turbine (6) forms a stage adapted to condense the water out of the exhaust gas. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a fuel compressor (8) adapted to provide fuel under pressure into said high temperature fuel cell (1), and wherein said exhaust gas turbine (6) is coupled to said fuel compressor (8) so as to drive said fuel compressor (8) by said exhaust gas turbine (6). 8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said exhaust gas condensing system comprises a heat exchanger (7) forming at least a stage of said exhaust gas condensing system. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said heat exchanger (7) is arranged in an airstream (4A) of said turbine engine. 10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said heat exchanger (7) is arranged in an airstream flow along an outer skin (OS) of said turbine engine. 11. An apparatus for producing water in an aircraft turbofan engine system, comprising a turbine engine, at least one high temperature fuel cell integrated as a water generating unit into said turbine engine, an exhaust gas condensing system (6, 7) coupled to an exhaust gas discharge (5) of said high temperature fuel cell (1) and adapted to condense the water out of exhaust gas of said high temperature fuel cell (1), and an exhaust gas evaporator (14A) and a condenser (14B) arranged in series with and downstream of said exhaust gas condensing system (6, 7), wherein said turbine engine comprises a compressor, a turbine, a bypass fan, at least one coupling shaft interconnecting said compressor, said turbine and said bypass fan, and a fuel-oxidizing air-heating section interposed between said compressor and said turbine, and wherein said at least one high temperature fuel cell is incorporated in said fuel-oxidizing air-heating section. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said exhaust gas evaporator (14A) is positioned thermally coupled to said high temperature fuel cell (1) so as to heat said exhaust gas evaporator (14A) with process heat from said high temperature fuel cell (1). 13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said exhaust gas evaporator (14A) has a ring configuration surrounding said high temperature fuel cell (1). 14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said condenser (14B) is arranged in an airstream (4A) of said turbine engine. 15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said condenser (14B) is arranged in an airstream flowing along an outer skin (OS) of said turbine engine. 16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a CO2-extractor (13) coupled to said exhaust gas condensing system. 17. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a CO2-extractor (13) connected to said condenser (14B). 18. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising at least one active charcoal filter (15A, 15B) connected and arranged downstream of said exhaust gas evaporator (14A) and downstream of said condenser (14B). 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said at least one active charcoal filter (15A, 15B) is arranged thermally coupled to said high temperature fuel cell (1) so that process heat of said high temperature fuel cell (1) can regenerate said at least one active charcoal filter. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a water discharge (16) that is connected to said at least one active charcoal filter, and wherein said apparatus is adapted to discharge distilled quality water through said water discharge. 21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a conduit (35) adapted to supply a portion of said distilled quality water into a heated airstream passing through said turbine. 22. An apparatus for producing water in an aircraft turbofan engine system, comprising a turbine engine, at least one high temperature fuel cell integrated as a water generating unit into said turbine engine, and a fuel supply adapted to supply to said high temperature fuel cell, through a fuel inlet (3), a fuel mixture having gray water admixed to a fuel, wherein said turbine engine comprises a compressor, a turbine, a bypass fan, at least one coupling shaft interconnecting said compressor, said turbine and said bypass fan, and a fuel-oxidizing air-heating section interposed between said compressor and said turbine, wherein said at least one high temperature fuel cell is incorporated in said fuel-oxidizing air-heating section, wherein said fuel inlet comprises a fuel evaporator (3A) arranged and adapted to evaporate said fuel mixture, wherein said fuel evaporator (3A) is thermally coupled to said high temperature fuel cell (1) so as to heat said fuel evaporator (3A) by process heat from said high temperature fuel cell (1), and wherein said apparatus further comprises an internal reformer (2) incorporated in said fuel cell (1) positioned downstream of said fuel evaporator (3A). 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said fuel evaporator (3A) has a ring configuration surrounding said high temperature fuel cell (1). 24. An apparatus for producing water in an aircraft turbofan engine system, comprising a turbine engine, at least one high temperature fuel cell integrated as a water generating unit into said turbine engine, and a fuel supply adapted to supply to said high temperature fuel cell, through a fuel inlet (3), a fuel mixture having gray water admixed to a fuel, wherein said turbine engine comprises a compressor, a turbine, a bypass fan, at least one coupling shaft interconnecting said compressor, said turbine and said bypass fan, and a fuel-oxidizing air-heating section interposed between said compressor and said turbine, wherein said at least one high temperature fuel cell is incorporated in said fuel-oxidizing air-heating section, wherein said fuel inlet comprises a fuel evaporator (3A) arranged and adapted to evaporate said fuel mixture, wherein said apparatus further comprises an internal reformer (2) incorporated in said fuel cell (1) positioned downstream of said fuel evaporator, and wherein said apparatus further comprises a fuel compressor (8) arranged downstream and in series with said fuel evaporator (3A). 25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising an exhaust gas turbine (6) connected to an exhaust gas outlet of said fuel cell and mechanically coupled to said fuel compressor so as to drive said fuel compressor (8). 26. An apparatus for producing water in an aircraft turbofan engine system, comprising a turbine engine and at least one high temperature fuel cell integrated as a water generating unit into said turbine engine, wherein said turbine engine comprises a compressor, a turbine, a bypass fan, at least one coupling shaft interconnecting said compressor, said turbine and said bypass fan, and a fuel-oxidizing air-heating section interposed between said compressor and said turbine, wherein said at least one high temperature fuel cell is incorporated in said fuel-oxidizing air-heating section, wherein said compressor comprises a supercharger compressor stage (31) and a compressor main stage (32), wherein said turbine comprises a high pressure turbine stage (33) and a low pressure turbine stage (34), and wherein said compressor main stage (32) and said high pressure turbine stage (33) remain rotatable with a reduced rotational speed so as to supply cooling air to said high temperature fuel cell (1) when said bypass fan (30), said supercharger compressor stage (31) and said low pressure turbine stage (34) are subjected to braking. 27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said fuel-oxidizing air-heating section further includes a combustion chamber. 28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said fuel-oxidizing air-heating section does not include a combustion chamber. 29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said at least one high temperature fuel cell (1) is at least one of a solid oxide fuel cell, a molten carbonate fuel cell, and a fuel cell having a power and temperature level at least as high as those of said solid oxide fuel cell or said molten carbonate fuel cell. 30. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising an exhaust gas condensing system (6, 7) coupled to an exhaust gas discharge (5) of said high temperature fuel cell (1) and adapted to condense the water out of exhaust gas of said high temperature fuel cell (1). 31. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a fuel supply adapted to supply to said high temperature fuel cell, through a fuel inlet (3), a fuel mixture having gray water admixed to a fuel. 32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said fuel inlet comprises a fuel evaporator (3A) arranged and adapted to evaporate said fuel mixture, and said apparatus further comprises an internal reformer (2) incorporated in said fuel cell (1) positioned downstream of said fuel evaporator (3A). 33. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said bypass fan (30) is arranged on a side of said compressor opposite said turbine and is connected by a shaft of said at least one coupling shaft to said turbine such that said turbine can rotationally drive said bypass fan to generate thrust. 34. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said at least one high temperature fuel cell is or are arranged on a circumference around said at least one coupling shaft.