Today’s Patent – Cracking And Separation of Ammonia Fuel

The said invention (US12006865B2) was invented by Peter Cocks, Lance L. Smith, patented by USPTO on 20-11-2020. Currently, it stands assigned to RTX Corp.

A gas turbine engine includes a cracking device that is configured to decompose an ammonia flow into a flow that contains more hydrogen (H2) than ammonia (NH3). A gas turbine engine typically mixes a carbon based fuel with air within a combustor where it is ignited to generate a high-energy exhaust gas flow. The high-energy exhaust gas flow includes carbon that is eventually exhausted into the environment. Alternative engine structures and fuels may aid in the reduction and/or elimination of carbon emissions. One such alternative fuel is ammonia.

In a gas turbine engine there is a first separation device that separates hydrogen downstream of the cracking device, wherein residual ammonia and nitrogen are exhausted as a residual flow. The separated flow contains more hydrogen than ammonia, and nitrogen is exhausted separately as a hydrogen flow. A combustor is configured to receive and combust the hydrogen flow from the separation device to generate a gas flow. A compressor section is configured to supply compressed air to the combustor. A turbine section is in flow communication with the gas flow produced by the combustor and is mechanically coupled to drive the compressor section.