Air cycle machine with cooling air flow path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10160546-B2
Application number	US-201514663639-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

An air cycle machine comprises rotating components that include a fan, a compressor, and a first turbine. The air cycle machine also includes a cooling airflow path that receives cooling air from a cooling air source, directs the cooling air to an air-cooled bearing for at least one of the rotating components, and discharges the cooling air. The airflow path is isolated from an inlet of the compressor by a seal member, and the airflow path is configured to maintain pressure at the seal member above a pressure at the compressor inlet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air cycle machine, comprising:
rotating components including a fan, a compressor, and a first turbine; and
an airflow path that receives cooling air from a cooling air source, directs the cooling air to an air-cooled bearing for at least one of said rotating components, and discharges the cooling air;
wherein the airflow path is isolated from an inlet of the compressor by a seal member, and further wherein the airflow path terminates in a chamber that includes an outlet through an orifice that is configured to maintain pressure at the seal member above a pressure at the compressor inlet.

2. The air cycle machine of claim 1 , wherein the pressure at the compressor inlet is from 0 psig to 8.5 psig (0 kPa to 58.6 kPa).

3. The air cycle machine of claim 1 , wherein the pressure on the airflow path at the seal member is greater than the pressure at the at the compressor inlet by from 0 psi to 5 psi (0 kPa to 34.5 kPa).

4. The air cycle machine of claim 1 , wherein the outlet is in fluid communication with a ram airflow circuit.

5. The air cycle machine of claim 1 , wherein the airflow path is in fluid communication with a bearing on each of said fan, compressor, and turbine.

6. The air cycle machine of claim 1 , further comprising a second turbine having a bearing on the airflow path.

7. The air cycle machine of claim 1 wherein the seal is a labyrinth seal.

8. The air cycle machine of supply controller of claim 1 , wherein the airflow path is in fluid communication with a cooling air source selected from the turbine or the compressor.

9. The air cycle machine of claim 8 , wherein the cooling air source is the turbine when the aircraft is on the ground and is the compressor when the aircraft is at high altitude.

10. A method of cooling bearings on rotating components of an air cycle machine including a fan, a compressor, and a first turbine, comprising
introducing air from a cooling air source to a cooling airflow path;
flowing the cooling air along the airflow path to the bearings on at least one of the rotating components;
flowing the cooling air along the airflow path past a seal member that isolates the airflow path from an inlet of the compressor at a pressure above a pressure at the inlet of the compressor; and
discharging the cooling air from the airflow path through an orifice in a chamber, said orifice configured to maintain the pressure at the seal member above a pressure at the compressor inlet.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pressure at the compressor inlet is from 0 psig to 8.5 psig (0 kPa to 58.6 kPa).

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pressure on the airflow path at the seal member is greater than the pressure at the at the compressor inlet by from 0 psi to 5 psi (0 kPa to 34.5 kPa).

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Beers Craig M
• Mcauliffe Christopher

Classifications

• F01D25/22

  using working-fluid or other gaseous fluid as lubricant · CPC title

• F02C6/08

  the gas being bled from the gas-turbine compressor · CPC title

• F01D25/186

  for sliding contact bearing · CPC title

• F04D29/057

  hydrostatic; hydrodynamic · CPC title

• F01D25/125

  of bearings · CPC title