Cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10260419-B2
Application number	US-201514814546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2015
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

A thermal management system for a gas turbine engine and/or an aircraft is provided including a thermal transport bus having a heat exchange fluid flowing therethrough. The thermal management system also includes a plurality of heat source exchangers and at least one heat sink exchanger. The plurality of heat source exchangers and the at least one heat sink exchanger are in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus. The plurality of heat source exchangers are arranged along the thermal transport bus and configured to transfer heat from one or more accessory systems to the heat exchange fluid, and the at least one heat sink exchanger is located downstream of the plurality of heat source exchangers and configured to remove heat from the heat exchange fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal management system for incorporation at least partially into at least one of a gas turbine engine or an aircraft, the thermal management system comprising:
a thermal transport bus having a heat exchange fluid flowing therethrough;
a pump for generating a flow of the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus;
a plurality of heat source exchangers in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus, the plurality of heat source exchangers arranged along the thermal transport bus;
at least one heat sink exchanger permanently or selectively in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus at a location downstream of the plurality of heat source exchangers; and
a compressor in fluid communication with the heat exchange fluid at a location upstream of the at least one heat sink exchanger for compressing the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus.

2. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heat source exchangers is configured to transfer heat from an accessory system of the gas turbine engine to the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus, and wherein the at least one heat sink exchanger is configured to remove heat from the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus.

3. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat sink exchanger includes a plurality of individual heat sink exchangers.

4. The thermal management system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of heat sink exchangers is selectively in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus, and wherein the thermal transport bus includes a plurality of bypass lines for selectively bypassing each heat sink exchanger in the plurality of heat sink exchangers.

5. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat sink exchanger includes at least one air to heat exchange fluid heat exchanger or fuel to heat exchange fluid heat exchanger.

6. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heat source exchangers includes at least two of an environmental control system precooler, a main lubrication system heat exchanger, a generator lubrication system heat exchanger, an electronics cooling system heat exchanger, a compressor cooling air system heat exchanger, or an active clearance control system heat exchanger.

7. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heat source exchangers includes at least one air to heat exchange fluid heat exchanger and at least one liquid to heat exchange fluid heat exchanger.

8. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange fluid is an incompressible fluid.

9. The thermal management system of claim 1 , further comprising
a de-icing module in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus at a location downstream of the plurality of heat source exchangers.

10. The thermal management system of claim 9 , wherein the de-icing module utilizes heat from the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus to warm components of an aircraft susceptible to icing.

11. The thermal management system of claim 1 , further comprising
an expansion device in fluid communication with the heat exchange fluid at a location downstream of the at least one heat sink exchanger for expanding the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus.

12. The thermal management system of claim 1 , further comprising
a fuel chiller in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus at a location upstream of the plurality of heat source exchangers.

13. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a compressor section coupled to a turbine section by one or more shafts;
a main lubrication system for providing lubrication to one or more components located in at least one of the compressor section or the turbine section; and
a thermal management system including
a thermal transport bus having a heat exchange fluid flowing therethrough;
a plurality of heat source exchangers in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus, the plurality of heat source exchangers arranged along the thermal transport bus and including a heat exchanger for transferring heat from the main lubrication system to the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus;
at least one heat sink exchanger permanently or selectively in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus at a location downstream of the plurality of heat source exchangers; and
a compressor in fluid communication with the heat exchange fluid at a location upstream of the at least one heat sink exchanger for compressing the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the at least one heat sink exchanger includes a plurality of individual heat sink exchangers.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of heat sink exchangers is selectively in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus, and wherein the thermal transport bus includes a plurality of bypass lines for selectively bypassing each heat sink exchanger in the plurality of heat sink exchangers.

16. The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the at least one heat sink exchanger includes at least one of a RAM heat exchanger, a fuel heat exchanger, a fan stream heat exchanger, or a bleed air heat exchanger.

17. The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of heat source exchangers additionally includes an environmental control system precooler, a generator lubrication system heat exchanger, an electronics cooling system heat exchanger, a compressor cooling air system heat exchanger, or an active clearance control system heat exchanger.

18. The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of heat source exchangers includes at least one air to heat exchange fluid heat exchanger and at least one liquid to heat exchange fluid heat exchanger.

19. The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , further comprising
a de-icing module in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus at a location downstream of the plurality of heat source exchangers.

20. The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , further comprising
an evaporator in fluid communication with the heat exchange fluid at a location downstream of the at least one heat sink exchanger for expanding the heat exchange fluid any thermal transport bus.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Cerny Matthew Robert
• Kroger Christopher James
• Miller Brandon Wayne

Classifications

• F28D15/00

  Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls {; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies (F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F02C7/16

  characterised by cooling medium · CPC title

• F25B41/062

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F28F27/02

  for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels ({static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026}; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12) · CPC title

• F02C7/224

  Heating fuel before feeding to the burner · CPC title