GB2627310A - Hydrogen fueled gas turbine power system - Google Patents

Abstract

A system for generating power comprises a hydrogen-fuelled jet coupled to the end of a hollow channel so that the compressed air ejected from the jet is forced through the channel. The channel contains one or more rotating members which are configured to rotate as the compressed air passes over them. These rotating members are then coupled to a generator, either directly or through a secondary rotating member, such that the rotation of the first rotating member actuates the generator to generate power. It is noted that the channel may comprise a plurality of generators each could to respective rotating member such that a single jet can power multiple generators.

Description

Hydrogen fueled gas turbine power system The present invention relates to a hydrogen fueled gas turbine power system and turbine components, also referred to for the environmentally acceptable production of electrical energy. For example, as suitable for National Grid distribution and all land and sea transport

Background:

Around the world, the most commonly used source of power is fossil fuels. Wherein power is produced in power stations which burn the collected fossil fuels within a furnace, using the heat from the furnace to turn water within a closed system into steam. This steam travels through the closed system wherein it impacts and rotates a turbine. This turbine in turn rotates a generator shaft, allowing the generator to produce power.

However, there are problems associated with using these fossil fuel-based power stations, specifically the amount of pollution produced. As the burning of fuels in the furnace produces large amounts of CO2 and other greenhouse gases which are then released into the atmosphere. The fumes from the furnace may also include other pollutants such as sulfur dioxide which when released into the atmosphere produces acid rain. Their furnaces may also produce solid waste in the form of ash and dust which needs to be disposed of. Lastly, the process of gathering the fossil fuels to use in these furnaces can cause further environmental damage. In particular, mining and fracking damage the landscape and can produce more pollutants.

Therefore, there is a need to provide a system that can produce power without damaging the environment.

To this end, several environmentally friendly, or green, power-generating methods have been developed. These alternative methods include solar power, which gathers energy from sunlight to heat water or provide power through the photoelectric effect, wind power, and wave power, which uses the kinetic energy from the wind, from waves, or from tides to rotate a turbine, which powers a generator as described above.

Though these new methods do not produce pollution when in use like the fossil fuel-based systems, these new systems do have their own set of problems. The first problem is that many of these environmentally friendly systems are unreliable, or insufficient as a power source as their ability to provide power is weather dependent. For example, solar panels may not produce sufficient power, if any, on a cloudy day or at night when there is little or no sunlight. Similarly, the wind and/or wave power systems rely on there being sufficient wind to provide kinetic force to the turbine, so on days where there is no wind these systems may not work, further, during storms or days where there are high winds these systems may need to be shut off to avoid the risk of damaging the system's turbines. This means that the output of these systems is inconsistent, meaning that as a power source, these systems are unreliable.

Further, these new systems often require new infrastructure to operate. As the users would need to manufacture the solar panels or turbines used in each of these new systems. Then these new features would need to be installed at a suitable location, which in the case of wind turbines may be very remote, or in the case of wave turbines the location would need to be on the coast where space is limited. Either way, the outputs of these systems would then need to be coupled to a power grid, which may be difficult if the system is in a remote area. And the further the distance between the power generating system and the consumers using the power, the more energy may be lost through the system, thereby reducing the efficiency of these new systems. All of this new infrastructure would require materials to build and the process of gathering and using such materials would produce a large amount of pollution in itself.

Therefore, there is a need for a new power generating system that not only produces less pollution than the fossil fuel power stations, but is also more reliable than the green power systems that are weather dependent, and preferably would be configured to use existing infrastructure or be able to be configured in any desired location.

Summary:

The present invention provides a power generating system comprising: a hydrogen-fueled jet, otherwise termed a gas turbine, wherein the output of the jet is coupled to a hollow channel; one or more first rotating members housed within the hollow channel downstream from the jet; one or more second rotating members coupled to the one or more first rotating members; wherein the second rotating members are configured to be actuated by the rotation of the one or more first rotating members; one or more generators coupled to a respective second rotating member, wherein the rotations of the second rotating member power the generators.

The present invention provides an alternative system for generating power, which may adopt the existing infrastructure from fossil fuel power stations to reduce the materials and costs needed to implement the system and ensure that the system is suitably close to the end consumers.

This new power-generating system replaces the furnace and water system used in a fossil fuel power station, with a jet engine, in particular a hydrogen jet. As the name suggests the jet used in the system would be powered by hydrogen which is abundant in the atmosphere and can be easily extracted, it may also be extracted for example through the electrolysis of water. This means that the fuel required in this system can be gathered with less pollution being produced. Further, when hydrogen is burned as fuel the only product produced is water vapor, meaning the jet would produce far fewer pollutants when compared to the fossil fuel furnace.

When in use the output, or exhaust, of the jet would be coupled to a hollow channel, such that the compressed air ejected from the jet is forced down the channel. This compressed air from the jet replaces the steam used in the fossil fuel system. when using existing infrastructure, the hollow channel would be coupled to the channel of the closed water system so that the compressed air impacts the turbine coupled to the generator, thereby turning the generator to produce power. However, the turbine in this new system does not need to be completely closed, as there is no need to prevent the compressed air from escaping once it has been used. This means there is no closed pressurized system as there would be no steam used as in the fossil fuel system. this is preferable as such pressurized systems may become hazardous if the steam system ruptures, which may cause an explosion of force from the steam system, or if the steam within the system was to leak where it may burn personnel or damage nearby equipment. However, in the claimed system such dangers can be avoided by simply releasing the air back into the atmosphere after it has impacted the turbine.

It is noted that this system is more reliable than the solar, wind, or wave-based power systems as the system is not weather dependent, needing only hydrogen fuel for the jet and air to be channeled through the jet, to operate. This system can also be implemented in any location, unlike the structures needed for wind or wave power, and can even use the existing infrastructure from a fossil fuel power station, thereby reducing the number of materials and labor needed to implement the claimed system compared to these other alternatives, which also reduces the amount of position produced building the claimed system.

It should be noted that, in some cases, the claimed system may be implemented on its own without the need for existing infrastructure from a fossil fuel power station. In such cases, the system would still comprise a hydrogen jet located, such as by being coupled, at the end of a hollow channel, such that the compressed air from the jet is ejected into the channel, and the airflow of the compressed air travels down the channel, downstream from the jet. Wherein the channel would house one or more rotating members, in this case, a rotating member refers to an object or mechanism designed to rotate when actuated, for example, the rotating member may comprise propellors, hollow tubes, or turbine mounted within the hollow channel or within the walls of the channel, downstream from the jet. Wherein the rotating members are configured to rotate as the compressed air from the output of the jet passes over the surface of the rotating member.

These rotating members with the channel would be coupled to one or more secondary rotating members. These secondary rotating members may be coupled directly to the first rotating member or coupled via a suitable object such as a belt, chain gears, or flywheels. Regardless of how the second rotating member is coupled to the first rotating member, the secondary rotating member would be configured to be rotated by the first rotating member as it rotates. This allows the energy from the compressed air to be used outside of the hollow channel, via the secondary rotating members. These secondary rotating members would then be coupled to the generator, so that as the member rotates it actuates the generator so that power is produced.

It is noted that the channel may house multiple rotating members, where each is coupled to one or more secondary rotating members. This means a single jet may power multiple generators at once. And that the number of generators being powered may be increased by arranging the generators in an array pattern around the channel and / or increasing the length of the channel so that it may house more rotating members. However, it should be noted that the further downstream the rotating member is located relative to the jet the less energy would reach the member, meaning the rotating member may not have sufficient energy to power the generator along but in combination allows further efficiency by harvesting residual energy in the jet stream. A similar effect may occur when several secondary rotating members are coupled to a single rotating member, as each additional member increases the amount of friction acting on the rotating member. Therefore, there needs to be a compromise when determining the length of the channel and the number of rotating members/generators being used. This effect may be reduced by having the rotating members in the channel be coupled together allowing energy from the upstream members to be transferred to the downstream members. Or alternatively, by having the rotating members coupled directly to the shaft of the generators without the intermediate secondary rotating member, this may be the case when the rotating member is mounted to the walls of the channel.

It is noted that the first and second rotating members described above can have a plurality of different shapes and designs and that the claimed system may use any suitable combination of these different designs for the member. For example, the first rotating members located in the hollow channel may comprise a hollow tube, a propellor, or a turbine. It is noted that the outer surface of the first rotating member may include teeth, protrusions, or other features which will contact the secondary rotating member in order to rotate the secondary members. The secondary member may comprise the shaft attached to the generator, or a feature such as a gear, flywheel, or turbine attached to the generator shaft. In some cases, these secondary members may be in direct contact with the first rotating member, alternatively, there may be a means attached to both members, such as a belt, chain, gears, or a flywheel, that allows the first rotating member to rotate the secondary members when actuated.

The preferred embodiment for the first rotating member would be in the form of one or more lug units. These units comprise a housing with a channel passing through the center, where the channel of the unit is parallel to the hollow channel of the system. the unit channel would contain a drive lug, with a propellor in the center of the lug wherein the aft end of the propellor blades attached to the inner surface of the lug. The housing would also comprise one or more openings that would expose the outer surface of the lug. Wherein the exposed portion of the lug would comprise features that would contact and rotate the secondary rotating members, such as a gear rack or other protrusions. These features would be positioned so that the rotation of the propellor within the channel would rotate the lug, and the rotation of the lug would cause the surface features to rotate the secondary rotation members. It is noted that these units would allow for easier maintenance, as the unit can simply be replaced with a new unit when necessary. Additionally, these units can be easily scaled to the required size for the power system.

It is noted that in systems wherein multiple rotating members are positioned in the channel, the lugs of each unit may be configured to couple to the lug of adjacent units. This would allow energy to be shared between the lug units allowing a more efficient transfer of energy from the jet to each of the rotating members. in the preferred embodiment, the lug would comprise a first coupling feature on the upstream end of the lug, with the complimentary coupling feature on the downstream edge of the lug. This also ensures that the lug units are installed into the system with the correct orientation relative to the generators and each other, ensuring that in use the lugs rotate in the required direction to produce power from the generators.

In cases where multiple lugs are used, it may be desirable to have an off-set between the different units, more specifically, there would be a need to have an off-set between the propellors attached to each lug so that the blades of one unit align at least partially with the spacing between the blades of the adjacent unit.

To facilitate this, polarised drive lugs may be used. These will transmit the drive and will guide the correct assembly for the 2nd and 3rd (or more) units. This will also ensure correct assembly and will give continuity to the propellers.

For effeciency all these units may be identical items. The rear recess for the drive lug interlock is at 40-degrees increase from the front lug for the propeller continuity. Also, one lug and one corresponding recess are wider than the other two for a polarised correct 10 assembly.

This ensures a second unit is rotated 40-degrees on its assembly. Thus, the lead end of the 3-propellers will align with the rear end of the 3-propellers from the unit in front. Same applies for, subsequent, the third(' unit. This set of 3-identical units, will now comprises the first 360-degree turn of the screw.

A circular gear rack may also added so the generator connecting flywheel will always have a direct connection. This way the airflow within the channel that does not impact the first lug propellor and will impact the propellor of the downstream lug. This allows more energy to be transferred between the jet and the lugs, thereby making the process more efficient, as there is less energy wasted from the jet output. This offset may be produced using the coupling features used to couple the lugs together. For example, the protrusions on one end of the lug would be offset from the recesses on the opposite end of the lug by a fixed angle, meaning that the adjacent lug would need to be offset by the same angle to couple the lugs together. This ensures that the airflow from the jet output is harvested over the entire surface area of the hollow channel.

In other embodiments of the disclosed system, the hollow channel attached to the jet output may be configured to split into several channels. In such a system each of the plurality of channels would comprise at least one rotating member, at least one secondary rotating member, and at least one generator as described above. This may allow the system to power more generators simultaneously when compared to a system with a single channel, though again there would need to be a compromise as each additional channel may reduce the amount of airflow, and therefore the amount of energy available, within the channel. This may be overcome by using a larger Jet engine when an array of channels and generators are connected. This is a matter of balancing of matching the jet output to the channels and generators available in the floor space available.

It is also noted that the system described above is easily scalable. As most of the examples described above use the claimed system within a power station to provide a large amount of energy to a grid. It may also be possible to scale down the power system to a more mobile system, for example, the system may be scaled down to be used as a generator within a device such as an electric car. In such cases, the system would need to comprise a generator housing, wherein the hollow channel extends through the housing, which a miniature hydrogen jet coupled to the housing at the first end of the channel, with the various members and generators suitably scaled down to fit within the housing surrounding the hollow channel. Using this Jet Generator method, the electric car is now producing its own electricity to drive the electric motor to drive the car.

This replaces the electric car battery thus giving its own set of advantages, such as: No mining for Cobalt or Lithium to produce the battery, the 'drive' battery is not required. No long charging times (refueling time will be like petrol stations of today).

No charging points (there is no battery to charge).

No recycling or pollution (from thousands of old car batteries that will occur as they are no longer be able to hold their charge).

No fuel Anxiety (as in planning your journey via charging points).

This Jet Generator can be extended to all transport, for Road, Rail or Sea.by using the systems described above the claimed invention provides an environmentally friendly power generating system that produces less pollution compared to fossil fuel power stations and present-day transport. And may adopt the infrastructure of said fossil fuel stations to reduce the pollution and costs of building and installing the system. Further, the claimed system is also more reliable than other environmentally friendly energy solutions, such as solar and wind power. This is because the claimed system is not weather dependent and therefore requires less downtime. Instead, the claim system's output is only reliant on the amount of hydrogen fuel being supplied to the jet. Further, the claimed system requires less downtime as the units within the system such as the jet and lug units can simply be replaced with a new unit when maintenance checks or repairs are required. Lastly, the claimed system is also scalable allowing the same mechanism to be utilized in a variety of applications beyond only a power station.

Detailed description:

The claimed invention Is illustrated in the following drawings: Figure 1: depicts a coal furnace power station Figure 2: depicts how the system from figure one may be adapted using a hydrogen jet as per the claimed invention.

Figure 3: depicts an example system wherein a hydrogen jet is coupled to several generators.

Figure 4: depicts an improved version of the system in figure 3, wherein a flywheel transfers energy from the jet to the plurality of generators.

Figure 5: depicts a compact generator utilizing a hydrogen jet, as per the claimed invention.

Figure 6: depicts a channel containing an Archimedes screw which may be used as a turbine.

Figure 7: depicts an example unit that utilizes the Archimedes screw from Figure 6 to generate power.

Figure 8: depicts an example of how the units in Figure 7 may be coupled together.

Figure 9: depicts an example of how the units from Figure 8 may be incorporated into the power generator from Figure 4.

Figure 10: depicts an example of how the units from Figure 8 may be incorporated into the compact generator from Figure 5.

Note the propeller central core may be relatively larger in figure-10. This will direct the jet output further to the outside of the units' propellers giving more torque from the unit to drive the generator with a smaller jet engine.

The invention depicted in these figures comprises the following features, it is noted that like features are indicated by like reference numerals: 10 -coal power system 12 -coal furnace 14 -closed water system 20, 20' -power generating turbine 30, 30' -generator -Hydrogen jet 42 -jet output -hollow channel 60 -turning tube 62 -flywheels -compact generator body 72, 72' -generator(72 as specifically indicated by the annotation is part of the generator that is turned by the turbine (or propeller/lug unit No. 110) -propellor 90 -drive lug 92 -lug connecting protrusion 94 -lug connecting recesses 100 -ridged/gear surface 110 -propellor/lug unit The present invention will now be described with reference to the figures: Figure 1 depicts an example of a coal power station 10 currently used to generate power. Such systems rely on burning coal or other fossil fuels to generate heat which will in turn heat water within a closed system. More specifically, the system comprises a fuel furnace 12 that contains part of a closed water system 14, allowing the heat from the furnace 12 to be transferred to water within the closed water system 14. This water turns into steam which can be channeled through the closed system to a turbine 20. Wherein the steam impacts the turbine blades and turns the turbine 20 which would then turn a generator 30 in order to generate power. The problem is that these systems generate a lot of greenhouse gases and other pollutants when the fuel is burned, additionally, the mining and fracking used to gather the fuel can damage the environment and produce more pollution including releasing more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Therefore, there is a need for a more environmentally friendly alternative. In particular, one which can use existing infrastructure, such as the depicted coal-burning system 10, to reduce the amount of labor and materials needed to form the new system.

Figure 2 provides an example of how the existing infrastructure can be adapted to provide a more environmentally friendly system for generating power. In this converted system the above-mentioned fuel furnace 12 and closed water system 14 have been replaced with a hydrogen jet 40. More specifically, the hydrogen jet 40 would be configured so that the jet receives a stream of hydrogen fuel which is then ignited to create a pressurized airflow within the turbine of the jet 40. Then the pressurized airflow would be forced out of the jet and channeled towards the power-generating turbine 20. It is noted that this system would produce fewer greenhouse emissions as the jet 40 burns hydrogen as a fuel, which only produces water vapor when combusted, further the hydrogen used by the jet 40 can be gathered without mining or fracking as required when gathering fossil fuels.

When in use this hydrogen jet 40 can be used to accelerate the surrounding air into a channel 50 through the jets output 42, where the accelerated air is fed into the existing turbine 20, wherein the air turns the turbine 20 which turns a generator 30 in order to produce power. This means that the system no longer requires a closed water system which would store the steam that was previously used to turn the turbine 20. Further, this means that the turbine 20 and generators 30 that already exist within fossil fuel power stations 10 can still be used in these improved systems making the new systems easier to implement and reducing the cost and labor needed to create these new greener power stations. It is also noted that the turbines 20 within this system do not need to be part of a closed system, as there is no longer a need for steam, that needs to be contained within the system, instead, the accelerated air can be released back into the surroundings of the power generator system once it exits the turbine 20. This may make the system safer as there are no sealed pressurized systems which may become a hazard if the closed system leaks or ruptures.

It is also noted that the above-mentioned system is more reliable that other environmentally friendly power systems. In particular, this system is more reliable than those that are dependent on the weather, such as solar and wind power, which do not operate when there is a lack of sunlight or wind respectively. The claimed system is also more reliable than wave power systems, which may need to be shut down if the waves become too large, for example during a storm, as these conditions can damage the system. Instead, the claim system can operate so long as sufficient fuel is provided. This means the claim system can continuously provide power and therefore is more likely to keep up with power demand. Additionally, the jets used to power the system can be easily swapped out from a refurbished generator during maintenance or when a repair is required, allowing the users to minimize the downtime of the system, which again improves the output and efficiency of the claimed system.

Figure 3 depicts a further example of a hydrogen jet-based power system. In this system, the output 42 of the hydrogen jet 40 is fed into two separate turbines 20,20' instead of a single turbine as depicted in figure 2. It is noted that this system may include further turbines, in addition to the two depicted and that each turbine 20,20' is coupled to a respective generator 30,30'. This system improves the overall output of the original design as the plurality of turbines 20,20' can actuate multiple generators 30,30' at once. However, it is noted that the force generated from the output of the jet 40 would be divided between the separate turbines 20,20' this in turn may reduce the output of the system when the number of turbines is increased as the force generated may be insufficient to turn the turbine, or if the turbine does turn it may be at a significantly slower rate, either way, the amount of power produced would be reduced. Therefore, a system that uses two turbines 20,20' is preferable, as this number provides a balance between generating more power due to multiple generators 30,30' and having sufficient force from the hydrogen jet 40 by channeling the output air into fewer turbines.This may provide a more effective solution than by using a larger Jet engine when an array of channels, turbines and generators are connected. This is a simple balance of matching the jet output to the channels, turbines and generators available in the floor space available.

Figure 4 depicts an improved version of the system from Figure 3. In this system, the output 42 of the hydrogen jet 40 is fed into a single channel 50. The inside of this channel may comprise a tube 60 that is coupled to a propellor or similar mechanism so that when the jet is active the output 42 of the jet 40 actuates the mechanism in a manner that turns the tube 60 within the channel 50. This rotating tube 60 is then coupled to one or more exterior or secondary rotating members, such as the depicted flywheels 62, such that the rotation of the tube will rotate these secondary rotating members. The rotating member would then be coupled to a shaft of a generator 30,30, such that the tube 60 turning will rotate the generators 30,30' positioned around the jet 40 in order to generate power.

This system is an improvement over the one in Figure 3, as the system allows for a more efficient transfer of power from the jet 40 to the surrounding generators 30,30'. More specifically, this new system can include additional generators without reducing the overall output of the system, as the transfer of power is between the jet 40 and the rotating tube 60 within the channel 50, therefore if more generators were added the tube 60 would still rotate at the same rate and therefore provide roughly the same amount of energy to the additional flywheels 62, meaning the output of each generator 30,30' should be consistent. It is noted that the maximum number of generators that could be operated in such a system is limited only by the length of the channel 50 attached to the jet 40, as this determines the amount of space available for mounting the surrounding generators 30,30'. The length of the channel 50 also determines the length and mass of the turning tube 60, for increasing the mass of this tube 60 would increase the amount of force required to turn the generator flywheels 62 at a desired speed, additionally, the extra friction from each flywheel would further increase the force needed to get the tube 60 turning at the required speed. However, this effect may be reduced by making the tube 60 out of a lightweight material, or by reducing the radius of the channel 50 thereby reducing the volume and mass of the turning tube 60 to increase the amount of force, and by extension the amount of energy transferred by the jet output 42 to the tube 60 and surrounding generators 30,30'.

Another benefit of the described jet system is that the system is easily scalable. In the example above it was mentioned that the size of the system could be increased to accommodate additional generators 30,30'. But the size of the system may also be decreased, to produce small-scale generators, which can be used in devices, for example in electric cars and can be extended to transport, for Road, Rail or Sea. In this compact design, the system comprises a generator body 70. Wherein the center of the generator body 70 comprises a hollow channel 50 with a small hydrogen jet 40 located, such as by coupling to one end of the channel 50. The channel 50 would then further comprise a mechanism configured to rotate as the air ejected from the jet 40 travels through the channel 50, this mechanism may include a fan or turbine in the channel 50 or a plurality of turbines 72,72' mounted to the walls of the channel 50 like those in the depicted example. Regardless of the mechanism chosen the system would be configured so that the rotation of the mechanism coupled to the channel 50 would rotate the generator 30,30' to generate power, it is noted that this system would work regardless of the size of the body/housing 70, so long as the output of the jet 40 is sufficient to rotate the mechanism.

Figure 6 depicts an example of the mechanism that could be used in the power-generating system described above to rotate the generators 30,30' within the system. More specifically, figure 6 depicts a three-blade propellor 80, similar to those used in boat rudders. This propellor 80 is preferable as the wider curved surface area of the blades can withstand the high impact force of the jet output 42. These wider blades can also catch more of the air flowing through the channel allowing more energy to be collected by the propellor 80.

Figure 7 depicts the preferred embodiment of the propellor 80 that would be used with the claimed system. In this version of the propellor, the blades of the three-blade propellor 80 are coupled together by a surrounding lug 90, wherein the lug 90 will rotate with the blades of the propellor 80 similar to the inner tube 60 described above. Further, the outside surface of the lug 80 would comprise a plurality of gear teeth 100 or similar features such that the rotation of the lug 80 may be used to rotate a generator 30 or a secondary rotating member such as gears or flywheels 62 which would, in turn, rotate the generators 30 surrounding the jet 40 to generate power.

It is noted that the mechanism comprising the propellor 80 and lug 90 may be configured as a lug unit. More specifically, the unit 110 would comprise a housing, which would hold the propellor 80 and lug 90, and would be configured to be mounted into a power system or generator 70 as described above, wherein the housing could be mounted in the path of the jet output 42, so that the compressed air from the jet 40 would rotate the propellor 80 in the unit, which would rotate the lug 90 that in turn rotates the surrounding generators 30,30',72,72'. It is noted that multiple units 110 could be placed connecting to the hollow channel 50 of the power system to allow more generators to be mounted to a single jet 40, as each lug 90 could turn a plurality of generators. Therefore, by using a plurality of units 110 the system can power more generators simultaneously, or reduce the amount of force needed to rotate each lug 90 by having fewer generators coupled to a single lug, by dividing the plurality of generators 30,30' between the plurality of lugs 90. In these systems, the lug 90 of each unit 110 may comprise a plurality of connecting features 92,94, which allows the lug 90 in one unit to be coupled to the lug 90 of the adjacent unit 110. This would allow energy to be transferred between the lugs 90 to ensure that the maximum amount of energy is received by each lug 90 in the system to improve the efficiency of the energy transfer between the jet output 42 and the plurality of lugs 90. This is because, with the plurality of lugs 90, the jet output 42 losses energy as it passes through each of the propellors 80, this means that the amount of energy received by the downstream lug may be insufficient for powering the attached generators. However, by coupling the lugs 90 together the rotation of the upstream lugs can help rotate the downstream lugs, even when the force of the jet output 42 is insufficient to turn the lug in the downstream portion of the channel 50. It is noted that in the preferred embodiment, the lug 90 would comprise a first coupling feature 92 on the upstream end of the lug 90, with the complimentary coupling feature 94 on the downstream edge of the lug 90, in the depicted example the coupling feature 92 on the upstream edge comprises a plurality of protrusions, with the complementary features 94 on the downstream edge comprising a plurality of recesses configured to receive the protrusions. This ensures that the lug units 110 are installed into the system with the correct orientation relative to the generators and each other, ensuring that in use the lugs 90 rotate in the required direction to produce power from the generators 30,30',72,72'.

In cases where multiple lugs 90 are used, it may be desirable to have an off-set between the different units 110, more specifically, there would be a need to have an off-set between the propellors 80 attached to each lug 90 so that the blades of one unit align at least partially with the spacing between the blades of the adjacent unit. This way the airflow within the channel 50 that does not impact the first lug propellor, would impact the propellor of the downstream lug. This allows the transfer of energy between the jet 40 and the lugs 90 to be more efficient as there is less energy wasted from the jet output 42. This offset may be produced using the coupling features 92,94 used to couple the lugs 90 together. For example, the protrusions on one end of the lug would be offset from the recesses on the opposite end of the lug by a fixed angle, meaning that the adjacent lug would need to be offset by the same angle to couple the lugs together. In the depicted example the offset angle between the coupling features 92,94 is 40 degrees. As the propellors 80 in the depicted example have three evenly spaced blades, it is known that the angle between the blades is 120 degrees, and therefore by using an offset angle of 40 degrees, the entire 360 degrees circumference of the hollow channel 50 can be covered by three propellor units as depicted in Figure 8. This ensures that the airflow from the jet output 42 is harvested over the entire cross-section of the hollow channel 50. As noted this ensured the maximum amount of energy is transferred from the jet 40 to the lugs 90 within the channel 50. It is noted that depending on the width of the propellor blades, the number of blades on each propellor and the angle between the blades of each propellor the number of lugs needed to cover the entire surface area within the channel and the required size of the offset between the lugs may be changed. Regardless of these factors, it is preferable to use however many propellors are needed to cover the entire channel cross section to ensure there are no points within the channel 50 where the airflow from the jet 40 can travel the length of the channel 50 without impacting at least one lug unit propellors 80.

Figures 9 and 10 depict examples of how the lug units 110 described above can be implemented in both the power station and compact generator, power generating systems.

In summary, the units 110 can be positioned within the hollow channel 50 that receive the ejected airflow from the hydrogen-fueled jet 40. These lug units 110 would be positioned so that the outside surface of the lug 90 would rotate the surrounding generators 30,30',72,72' or features like a flywheel 62 which would then rotate the generators 30,30' to produce power. As previously noted, the lug's outer surface may comprise features such as gear teeth 100 to allow the rotating lug to rotate the generator shaft or features coupled to a generator shaft. It is noted that each lug unit 110 within the channel 50 may be coupled to a respective generator, or a respective plurality of generators, to increase the output of the power-generating system. It can also be seen from the figures that the lug units 110 described above can be scaled with the size of the power generating system, therefore the size of the system is limited only by the size of the hydrogen jet 40 and the number of propellors 80 the jet output 42 can sufficiently rotate, as the length of the hollow channel 50 can be extended to house additional lug units 110 and more generators.

Therefore, by using the systems described above the claimed invention provides an environmentally friendly power generating system, wherein the system uses the output from the hydrogen-fueled jet 40 to rotate a generator 30. It is noted that the burning of hydrogen within the jet produces fewer pollutants compared to the burning of fossil fuels. Further, this system may adopt existing power station turbines 20 and generators 30 coupled to the jet output 42 to reduce the costs and materials needed to implement these systems. Instead, the user may use the above-mentioned lug unit 110 to transfer power from the jet output 42 to the generators 30,30', as these systems are more easily scalable to allow the user to produce a generator that is best suited for the user's needs.

This new system not only reduces the amount of pollution produced during production, and from the gathering and burning of fuel, but the claimed system is also more reliable than other environmentally friendly energy solutions, such as solar and wind power. This is because the claimed system is not weather dependent and therefore requires less downtime. Instead, the claim system's output is only reliant on the amount of hydrogen fuel being supplied to the jet 40. Further, the claimed system requires less downtime as the units within the system such as the jet 40 and lug units 110 can simply be replaced with a new unit when maintenance checks or repairs are required.

In the present invention the term jet has been used. This may alternatively be described as a gas turbine, hence a jet engine herein is a gas turbine engine.

Claims (15)

1. Claims: 1) A power generating system comprising: a hydrogen-fueled jet (40), wherein the output (42) of the jet (40) is coupled to a hollow channel (50); one or more first rotating members housed within the hollow channel (50) downstream from the jet (40); one or more second rotating members coupled to the one or more first rotating members; wherein the second rotating members are configured to be actuated by the rotation of the one or more first rotating members; one or more generators (30,30') coupled to a respective second rotating member, wherein the rotations of the second rotating member power the generators (30,30').
2. 2) The power generating system of claim 1, wherein the second rotating member comprises a flywheel (62).
3. 3) The power generating system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first rotating member comprises a propellor (80).
4. 4) The power generating system of any of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the first rotating member comprises a hollow tube (60).
5. 5) The power generating system of claim 1, wherein the first rotating member comprises a turbine (20,20') and the second rotating member comprises a generator shaft.
6. 6) The power generating unit of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first rotating member comprises a lug unit (110), wherein the lug unit (110) comprises: a propellor (80) comprising a plurality of blades; and a lug (90); wherein the propellor (80) is coupled to the inner surface of the lug (90), via the aft ends of the blades of the propellor (80), and wherein the outer surface of the lug (90) comprises features configured to rotate the second rotating member.
7. 7) The power generating system of claim 6, wherein the edges at the ends of the lug (90) comprise coupling features (92,94), configured to couple adjacent lugs together.
8. 8) The power generating system of claim 7, wherein the coupling features (92,94) on each end of the lug (90) are offset by a fixed angle.
9. 9) The power generating system of claim 8 wherein the offset angle is 40 degrees.
10. 10) The power generating system of claims 6 to 9 wherein the feature on the outer surface of the lug (90) comprises a gear rack (100).
11. 11) The power generating system of any preceding claim, wherein the hollow channel (50) divides into several channels.
12. 12) The power generating system of claim 11, wherein each of the several channels comprises one or more first rotating members, one or more second rotating members, and one or more generators (30,30').
13. 13) A power station comprising the power generating system of claims 1 to 12.
14. 14) A power generator comprising a housing (70), wherein the housing contains the power generating system of claims 1 to 12.
15. 15) A method of using the power generating systems of claims 1 to 12, the method comprising: supplying hydrogen fuel to the hydrogen jet (40); activating the jet (40) to eject compressed air into the hollow channel (50); rotating the one or more first rotating members within the channel, via the compressed air ejected from the jet (40); rotating the one or more second rotating members using the first rotating members; rotating a generator (30,30'), via the rotation of a respective one of the one or more second rotating members, such that the generator produces power.