Vehicle with energy conversion system
A method for energy conversion for a vehicle is provided. The method including extracting a flow of compressed fluid from a compressor section of a propulsion system; flowing the flow of compressed fluid to a turbine operably coupled to a driveshaft, in which the driveshaft is operably coupled to a load device; expanding the flow of compressed fluid through the turbine to generate an output torque at the driveshaft to operate the load device; and flowing the expanded flow of compressed fluid from the turbine to thermal communication with a thermal load.
1 . A vehicle comprising:
a propulsion system comprising a fan section, a compressor section, a heat addition system, and an expansion section in serial flow arrangement, wherein a core flowpath is formed through the compressor section, the heat addition system, and the expansion section, and wherein a fan bypass stream is configured to bypass the core flowpath, and wherein a core bypass stream is configured to bypass the heat addition system;
an energy conversion system comprising a fluid circuit forming serial fluid communication of a flow of oxidizer from the compressor section to a turbine, and wherein the fluid circuit provides serial fluid communication from the turbine to a thermal load at which the flow of oxidizer is in thermal communication with a flow of fluid at the thermal load; and
a load device operably coupled to the turbine by a driveshaft, wherein the turbine and driveshaft are configured to generate an output torque at the load device via expansion of the flow of oxidizer at the turbine; and
a computing system, the computing system comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
extract a flow of compressed fluid from the compressor section of the propulsion system, wherein the core bypass stream is defined radially outward from the core flowpath, and the fan bypass stream is defined radially outward from the core bypass stream;
pass the flow of compressed fluid from the compressor section of the propulsion system through the fan bypass stream and into a flow control device;
route, via the flow control device, a first portion of the flow of compressed fluid from the compressor section to the turbine;
route, via the flow control device, a second portion of the flow of compressed fluid from the compressor section to a flow device;
expand the first portion of the flow of compressed fluid through the turbine to generate an output torque at the driveshaft to operate the load device;
flow the expanded flow of compressed fluid from the turbine to provide heating or cooling to the thermal load;
mix the second portion of the flow of compressed fluid from the compressor section with the expanded flow of compressed fluid from the thermal load via the flow device to provide a mixed flow of compressed fluid; and
route the mixed flow of compressed fluid from the flow device to an air-fluid heat exchanger, and wherein the mixed flow of compressed fluid is in thermal communication with a flow of fuel.
2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first heat exchanger positioned in thermal communication with the core bypass stream, wherein the first heat exchanger is positioned in thermal communication with the fluid circuit in serial flow arrangement between the compressor section and the turbine.
3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fuel system configured to provide the flow of fuel.
4 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the fuel system comprises:
a fuel-fluid heat exchanger configured to receive the flow of fuel downstream of the air-fluid heat exchanger, wherein the flow of fuel is flowed into thermal communication with a flow of one or more of a lubricant, a gear assembly cooling fluid, a propeller control mechanism cooling fluid, or an electric machine cooling fluid.
5 . The vehicle of claim 4 , further comprising:
a waste heat recovery system configured in thermal communication with the flow of fuel.
6 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the waste heat recovery system comprises a waste heat recovery heat exchanger positioned in parallel to the fuel-fluid heat exchanger.
7 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the fuel system further comprises a fuel distribution device.
8 . The vehicle of claim 4 , further comprising a deoxygenator downstream of the fuel-fluid heat exchanger.
9 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the flow control device is a diverter valve.
10 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the thermal load comprises a lubricant system and a lubricant heat exchanger.
11 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the thermal load further comprises a load heat exchanger.
12 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the flow control device is a first flow control device, the vehicle further comprises a second flow control device.
13 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a fuel flow device upstream of the air-fluid heat exchanger.
14 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a fuel-fluid heat exchanger.
15 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the fluid circuit extends from the thermal load to the core bypass stream such that the flow of oxidizer exits the thermal load and enters the core bypass stream.