For the automotive gas turbine hybrid-electric vehicles a challenge to the virtually zero-emission concepts

Abstract

The paper describes four novels virtually zero-emission three-stage automotive gas turbine propulsion and/or dispulsion powertrains for parallel hybrid-electric vehicles. In these automotive gas turbines with oxy-fuel combustion (i.e., methane in a nearly pure oxygen environment), each including three turbine rotors operating upon independent shafts, one rotor is designed to drive the compressor or pump, one is designed to produce the main part of the power output and the third rotor is adapted to aid the two first mentioned rotors. Full-time and/or part-time exhaust gas recirculation introduces exhaust gas or liquid into the compressor's air intake or the pump's fluid inlet of the compressor or pump replacing some of the air or supercritical fluid, respectively. © 2010 WEVA.