Engine heat exchanger and method of forming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10253785-B2
Application number	US-201615252748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2016
Priority date	Aug 31, 2016
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

A heat exchanger for a turbine engine having a body including a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and at least one fluid passage configured to carry a flow of heated fluid proximal to the second surface and where the body is arranged to transfer heat from the heated fluid to a cooling fluid passing by the second surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger comprising:
a heat exchanger body including a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and at least one conduit configured to carry a flow of heated fluid proximal to the second surface and where the body is arranged to transfer heat from the heated fluid to a cooling fluid passing by the second surface;
a set of fins extending from the second surface; and
a set of heat transfer augmentation structures disposed on the second surface to augment the heat transfer from the cooling fluid and upstream from the set of fins with respect to a flow of the cooling fluid;
wherein the set of heat transfer augmentation structures is configured to increased heat transfer by manipulating an approach of the flow of cooling fluid.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein the set of heat transfer augmentation structures are arranged in multiple rows extending along at least a portion of a length of the heat exchanger body, with each row having at least one heat transfer augmentation structure.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 2 wherein each row comprises multiple heat transfer augmentation structures.

4. The heat exchanger of claim 3 wherein at least one of the plurality of heat transfer augmentation structures is one of a dimple or a groove in the second surface.

5. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein the set of fins are at least one of segmented fins, petal fins, continuous fins or discrete fins.

6. The heat exchanger of claim 5 wherein the set of heat transfer augmentation structures are intermittently disposed between sets of segmented fins.

7. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein at least one heat transfer augmentation structure of the set of heat transfer augmentation structures are located between two adjacent fins.

8. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein a heat transfer augmentation structure of the set of heat transfer augmentation structures is located in-line with a fin of the set of fins.

9. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein the cooling fluid is cooling air passing through a bypass duct of a turbine engine.

10. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein at least one of the set of heat transfer augmentation structures is moveable and defines a moveable vortex generator.

11. A heat exchanger comprising:
a heat exchanger body including a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and at least one conduit configured to carry a flow of heated fluid proximal to the second surface and where the body is arranged to transfer heat from the heated fluid to a cooling fluid passing by the second surface;
a set of fins extending from the second surface; and
a set of heat transfer augmentation structures disposed on the second surface, at least one of the set of heat transfer augmentation structures is moveable and defines a moveable vortex generator comprising at least one thermally sensitive portion configured to passively position the moveable vortex generator to augment the heat transfer from the cooling fluid;
wherein the set of heat transfer augmentation structures is configured to increased heat transfer by manipulating an approach of the flow of cooling fluid.

12. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein at least one of the heat transfer augmentation structures of the set of heat transfer augmentation structures is on a leading edge of the heat exchanger body.

13. The heat exchanger of claim 12 wherein the set of heat transfer augmentation structures are spaced along a length of the heat exchanger body.

14. A method of retrofitting a heat exchanger having a metal body, with the metal body having an upper surface having a set of fins extending from the upper surface and at least one fluid passage in the metal body, the method comprising:
forming a set of heat transfer augmentation structures on the upper surface and along at least a portion of a length of the metal body of the heat exchanger at its leading edge and lined up with the set of fins.

15. A method of retrofitting a heat exchanger having a metal body, with the metal body having an upper surface having a set of fins and at least one fluid passage in the metal body, the method comprising:
forming a set of heat transfer augmentation structures along at least a portion of a length of the metal body of the heat exchanger at its leading edge, with at least one of the set of heat transfer augmentation structures configured to passively change shape in response to a change in an environmental thermal condition.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein forming the set of heat transfer augmentation structures comprises forming the set of heat transfer augmentation structures utilizing an additive manufacturing technique.

Assignees

• Unison Ind Llc

Inventors

• Kenworthy Michael Thomas
• Gerstler William Dwight
• Diaz Carlos Enrique

Classifications

• B23P15/26

  heat exchangers {or the like (making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02)} · CPC title

• F28D2021/0026

  for combustion engines, e.g. for gas turbines or for Stirling engines · CPC title

• F28F2215/04

  Assemblies of fins having different features, e.g. with different fin densities · CPC title

• F28D2001/0273

  having special shape, e.g. curved, annular · CPC title

• F28F3/04

  the means being integral with the element · CPC title