Thermal management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10364750-B2
Application number	US-201715796991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2017
Priority date	Oct 30, 2017
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes an outer nacelle; a fan at least partially surrounded by the outer nacelle; and a turbomachine drivingly coupled to the fan and at least partially surrounded by the outer nacelle. The outer nacelle defines a bypass airflow passage with the turbomachine. The turbomachine includes a compressor section defining in part a core air flowpath. The turbomachine also includes a heat sink heat exchanger; and a thermal management duct assembly defining a thermal management duct flowpath extending between an inlet and an outlet and positioned between the core air flowpath and the bypass airflow passage along the radial direction, the outlet selectively in airflow communication with a core compartment of the turbomachine, and the heat sink heat exchanger positioned in thermal communication with the thermal management duct flowpath for transferring heat to an airflow through the thermal management duct flowpath during operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine defining a radial direction and comprising:
an outer nacelle;
a fan at least partially surrounded by the outer nacelle; and
a turbomachine drivingly coupled to the fan and at least partially surrounded by the outer nacelle, the outer nacelle defining a bypass airflow passage with the turbomachine, the turbomachine comprising
a compressor section defining in part a core air flowpath, the turbomachine further defining a core compartment outward of the core air flowpath along the radial direction;
a heat sink heat exchanger; and
a thermal management duct assembly defining a thermal management duct flowpath extending between an inlet and an outlet and positioned between the core air flowpath and the bypass airflow passage along the radial direction, the outlet selectively in airflow communication with the core compartment, and the heat sink heat exchanger positioned in thermal communication with the thermal management duct flowpath for transferring heat to an airflow through the thermal management duct flowpath during operation.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the compressor section of the turbomachine comprises a compressor, wherein the inlet of the thermal management duct flowpath is in airflow communication with the core air flowpath at a location upstream of the compressor.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein the compressor is a low pressure compressor, wherein the compressor section further comprises a high pressure compressor, and wherein the core compartment surrounds at least a portion of the high pressure compressor.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the compressor section of the turbomachine comprises a compressor having a stage of compressor rotor blades, and wherein the thermal management duct assembly comprises an auxiliary fan driven by the stage of compressor rotor blades of the compressor.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 4 , wherein the auxiliary fan of the thermal management duct assembly is positioned outward of the stage of compressor rotor blades of the compressor along the radial direction.

6. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the thermal management duct assembly further comprises a stage of variable guide vanes positioned within the thermal management duct flowpath.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein the stage of variable guide vanes is movable between an open position and a closed position.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the thermal management duct flowpath is a first outlet, wherein the thermal management duct flowpath further includes a second outlet selectively in airflow communication with the bypass airflow passage.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the thermal management duct assembly further comprises a variable component movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the thermal management duct flowpath is in airflow communication with the core compartment through the first outlet when the variable component is in the first position, and wherein the thermal management duct flowpath is in airflow communication with the bypass airflow passage through the second outlet when the variable component is in the second position.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 9 , wherein the gas turbine engine further defines an axial direction, and wherein the variable component is movable generally along the axial direction between the first position and the second position.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 9 , wherein substantially all of an airflow through the thermal management duct flowpath is configured to exit through the first outlet when the variable component is in the first position, and wherein substantially all of the airflow through the thermal management duct flowpath is configured to exit through the second outlet when the variable component is in the second position.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cooled cooling air system;
an auxiliary system;
an environmental control system; and
a lubrication system, and wherein the heat sink heat exchanger is in thermal communication with at least one of the cooled cooling air system, the auxiliary system, the environmental control system, or the lubrication system through the thermal management system.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the gas turbine engine is a high-bypass turbofan engine defining a bypass ratio greater than about 6:1 and up to about 30:1.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the thermal management duct flowpath is a substantially annular flowpath positioned outward of the core air flowpath along the radial direction.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the turbomachine defines a ratio of airflow through the thermal management duct flowpath to airflow through the core air flowpath between about 0.01:1 and 0.4:1.

16. A method for operating a gas turbine engine having a fan, a turbomachine, and an outer nacelle defining a bypass airflow passage with the turbomachine, the turbomachine defining a core compartment and comprising a heat sink heat exchanger and a thermal management duct assembly, the thermal management duct assembly defining a thermal management duct flowpath, the heat sink heat exchanger in thermal communication with the thermal management duct flowpath, the method comprising:
providing an airflow through the thermal management duct flowpath and over the heat sink heat exchanger;
determining the gas turbine engine is operating in a first operating condition;
moving a variable component of the thermal management duct assembly to direct substantially all of the airflow through thermal management duct flowpath to the core compartment;
determining the gas turbine engine is operating in a second operating condition; and
moving the variable component of the thermal management duct assembly to direct substantially a predetermined amount of the airflow through the thermal management duct flowpath to the bypass airflow passage.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first operating condition is a high power operating condition.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second operating condition is a low power operating condition.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the compressor section of the turbomachine comprises a compressor, wherein the inlet of the thermal management duct flowpath is in airflow communication with the core air flowpath at a location upstream of the compressor.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermal management duct flowpath is a substantially annular flowpath positioned outward of the core air flowpath along the radial direction and inward of the bypass airflow passage along the radial direction.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Rambo Jeffrey Douglas

Classifications

• F02K3/075

  controlling flow ratio between flows · CPC title

• F02C7/18

  the medium being gaseous, e.g. air {(F02C7/125 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F02C7/14

  of fluids in the plant {, e.g. lubricant or fuel (F02C7/185 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F05D2240/12

  Fluid guiding means, e.g. vanes · CPC title

• F02C7/16

  characterised by cooling medium · CPC title