Gas turbine engines having cryogenic fuel systems

Abstract

Turbine engine systems are described. The turbine engine systems include a combustor arranged along a core flow path of the turbine engine, a cryogenic fuel tank configured to supply a fuel to the combustor, a fuel supply line having a first flow supply line and a second flow supply line, the first flow supply line fluidly connecting the cryogenic fuel tank to the combustor through a first core flow path heat exchanger, and the second flow supply line fluidly connecting the cryogenic fuel tank to the combustor through a second core flow path heat exchanger, and a flow controller arranged along the fuel supply line and configured to respectively control a flow of fuel into the first flow supply line and the second flow supply line.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A turbine engine system, comprising:
 a combustor arranged along a core flow path of the turbine engine;   a cryogenic fuel tank configured to supply a fuel to the combustor;   a fuel supply line having a first flow supply line and a second flow supply line, the first flow supply line fluidly connecting the cryogenic fuel tank to the combustor through a first core flow path heat exchanger, and the second flow supply line fluidly connecting the cryogenic fuel tank to the combustor through a second core flow path heat exchanger; and   a flow controller arranged along the fuel supply line and configured to respectively control a flow of fuel into the first flow supply line and the second flow supply line.   
     
     
         2 . The turbine engine system of  claim 1 , wherein the first core flow path heat exchanger include a waste heat recovery heat exchanger arranged proximate a core nozzle of the core flow path. 
     
     
         3 . The turbine engine system of  claim 1 , wherein the second core flow path heat exchanger include an intercooler heat exchanger arranged between a low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor of the core flow path. 
     
     
         4 . The turbine engine system of  claim 1 , wherein the second core flow path heat exchanger include a pre-cooler heat exchanger arranged upstream of a low pressure compressor of the core flow path. 
     
     
         5 . The turbine engine system of  claim 1 , further comprising a power electronics cooling heat exchanger arranged along the fuel supply line and configured to cool a working fluid associated with power electronics. 
     
     
         6 . The turbine engine system of  claim 5 , wherein the power electronics cooling heat exchanger is arranged between the cryogenic fuel tank and the flow controller. 
     
     
         7 . The turbine engine system of  claim 1 , further comprising a supplemental cooling heat exchanger arranged along the fuel supply line and configured to cool at least one of engine oil, environmental control system fluids, and cooled cooling air fluids. 
     
     
         8 . The turbine engine system of  claim 7 , wherein the supplemental cooling heat exchanger is arranged between the cryogenic fuel tank and the flow controller. 
     
     
         9 . The turbine engine system of  claim 1 , further comprising an expansion turbine configured to receive fuel from at least one of the first flow supply line and the second flow supply line downstream of the respective first core flow path heat exchanger and second core flow path heat exchanger and upstream of the combustor. 
     
     
         10 . The turbine engine system of  claim 9 , wherein the expansion turbine is configured to generate work. 
     
     
         11 . The turbine engine system of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one additional heat exchanger arranged between the expansion turbine and the combustor. 
     
     
         12 . The turbine engine system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one additional heat exchanger includes a supplemental cooling heat exchanger arranged along the fuel supply line and configured to cool at least one of engine oil, environmental control system fluids, and cooled cooling air fluids. 
     
     
         13 . The turbine engine system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one additional heat exchanger includes a power electronics heat cooling heat exchanger. 
     
     
         14 . The turbine engine system of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel includes liquid, compressed, or supercritical hydrogen or methane. 
     
     
         15 . The turbine engine system of  claim 1 , wherein the core flow path includes:
 a fan;   a low pressure compressor;   a high pressure compressor;   a high pressure turbine; and   a low pressure turbine,   wherein the fan, low pressure compressor, and high pressure compressor are arranged upstream of the combustor along the core flow path and the high pressure turbine and the low pressure turbine are arranged downstream of the combustor along the core flow path.   
     
     
         16 . A propulsion system, comprising:
 an auxiliary power unit; and   the turbine engine system of  claim 1 ,   wherein the fuel supply line includes a third flow supply line fluidly connecting the cryogenic fuel tank to the auxiliary power unit to supply fuel to the auxiliary power unit.   
     
     
         17 . The propulsion system of  claim 16 , wherein the auxiliary power unit includes a combustor configured to receive the fuel. 
     
     
         18 . The propulsion system of  claim 16 , wherein the auxiliary power unit includes a fuel cell configured to receive the fuel. 
     
     
         19 . The propulsion system of  claim 18 , further comprising a water tank configured to receive water from the fuel cell. 
     
     
         20 . The propulsion system of  claim 16 , further comprising a secondary flow controller configured to divert a portion of fuel that flows along at least one of the first or second flow supply lines to the auxiliary power unit.