Auxiliary boiler system for steam injection cycle engine
A steam injected turbine engine includes a core engine section that generates a first gas flow, a burner where an inlet flow is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate thermal energy, and an evaporator where thermal energy from at least the first gas flow is used to transform water into a first steam flow. The first steam flow is injected into a core flow through the core engine.
1 . A steam injected turbine engine comprising:
a core engine section including a combustor section generating a first gas flow from a mixture of air and fuel, and a turbine section through which the first gas flow expands;
a burner where air is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate additional thermal energy in response to a determination of a predefined operating condition that utilizes additional thermal energy, wherein the burner is configured to receive the first gas flow and is selectively operable to add the additional thermal energy to the first gas flow;
an evaporator where thermal energy from at least the first gas flow is used to transform water extracted in a condenser into a first steam flow, wherein the first steam flow is injected into a core flow through the core engine, wherein the burner is disposed downstream of the turbine section and upstream of the evaporator; and
a condenser configured to extract water from the first gas flow and communicate the extracted water to the evaporator.
2 . The steam injected turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the air to the burner comprises a portion of air that inlet air that bypasses the core engine.
3 . The steam injected turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the core engine includes a compressor section where air is compressed and communicated to the combustor where the compressed air is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate the first gas flow.
4 . The steam injected turbine engine as recited in claim 3 , wherein the first steam flow is injected into the core flow at the combustor.
5 . A steam injected turbine engine comprising:
a core engine section including a combustor section generating a first gas flow from a mixture of an inlet airflow and fuel;
a burner where a portion of the inlet flow that bypasses the core engine is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate additional thermal energy in response to a determination of a predefined operating condition that utilizes additional thermal energy, wherein the burner is disposed outside of a core flow path of the core engine;
an evaporator where the thermal energy from at least the first gas flow is used to transform water extracted in a condenser into a first steam flow, wherein the first steam flow is injected into a core flow through the core engine; and
a second evaporator is disposed outside of the core flow path and is in communication with the thermal energy generated by the burner for generating a second steam flow, wherein the second steam flow is combined with a first steam flow prior to injection into the core flow in the core engine.
6 . A steam injected turbine engine comprising:
a propulsor section;
a core engine including a compressor section where inlet air is compressed and communicated to a combustor where the compressed air is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a first gas flow;
a burner where an inlet flow is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate additional thermal energy, wherein the burner is disposed outside of the core engine flow and the inlet flow into the burner bypasses the core engine, wherein the burner is selectively activated to add the additional thermal energy under conditions where thermal energy from the first gas flow alone is not sufficient to generate a desired characteristic of the first steam flow;
a first evaporator where thermal energy from at least the first gas flow is used to transform water into a first steam flow, wherein the first steam flow is injected into a core flow through the core engine; and
a second evaporator generates a second steam flow with thermal energy provided by the burner, wherein the second steam flow is combined with the first steam flow prior to injection into the core flow.
7 . The steam injected engine as recited in claim 6 , wherein the burner and the second evaporator are selectively activated to generate the second steam flow to supplement the first steam flow.
8 . A steam injected turbine engine comprising:
a propulsor section;
a core engine including a compressor section where inlet air is compressed and communicated to a combustor where the compressed air is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a first gas flow;
a burner where an inlet flow is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate additional thermal energy, wherein the burner is disposed outside of the core engine flow and the inlet flow into the burner bypasses the core engine;
a first evaporator where thermal energy from at least the first gas flow is used to transform water into a first steam flow, wherein the first steam flow is injected into a core flow through the core engine;
a second evaporator generates a second steam flow with thermal energy provided by the burner; and
a condenser where water is recaptured from at least the first gas flow and communicated to at least the first evaporator.