Heat dissipation system for electric aircraft engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10443620-B2
Application number	US-201815860000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2018
Priority date	Jan 2, 2018
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

The example embodiments are directed to a heat dissipation system for an electric aircraft engine. In an example, the aircraft engine includes an electric system configured to power an engine fan to provide thrust to an aircraft, the electric system including cooling channels to receive a coolant to cool one or more components of the electric system, a power source to power the electric system, and one or more guide vanes connected to the cooling channels of the electric system and configured to receive the coolant heated by and output from the cooling channels, wherein the one or more guide vanes are further to cool the heated coolant and transfer the cooled coolant back to the cooling channels of the electric system. By dissipating heat from electric system via the guide vanes, the cooling system can provide sufficient cooling without adding additional drag to the aircraft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric aircraft engine comprising:
an electric system configured to power an engine propulsion system to provide thrust to an aircraft, the electric system comprising cooling channels configured to receive a coolant to absorb heat from one or more components of the electric system;
a power source configured to power the electric system; and
one or more guide vanes connected to the cooling channels of the electric system and configured to receive the coolant heated by and output from the cooling channels, wherein the one or more guide vanes dissipate heat from the heated coolant and each guide vane comprises a cavity which receives the coolant, routes the coolant internally within the guide vane, and returns the coolant to the cooling channels via an output, while continuously keeping the coolant inside the guide vane between the input and the output of the cavity.

2. The electric aircraft engine of claim 1 , wherein the electric system comprises one or more of an electric motor, a generator, a battery, and cables, and the propulsion system comprises an engine fan, and
wherein an aircraft on which the electric aircraft engine is installed further comprises at least one gas turbine engine.

3. The electric aircraft engine of claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more guide vanes comprise a plurality of guide vanes positioned in a cylindrical array and which are configured to control airflow with respect to the engine propulsion system.

4. The electric aircraft engine of claim 1 , wherein the electric system and the one or more guide vanes are included within a ducted fan assembly.

5. The electric aircraft engine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more guide vanes comprise a plurality of outlet guide vanes which are positioned within an airstream of the electric aircraft engine behind an engine fan.

6. The electric aircraft engine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more guide vanes comprise a plurality of inlet guide vanes which are positioned within an airstream of the electric aircraft engine in front of an engine fan.

7. The electric aircraft engine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more guide vanes each comprise channels for receiving the coolant from the cooling channels of the electric system.

8. The electric aircraft engine of claim 1 , wherein the coolant comprises one or more of a liquid coolant, a gaseous coolant, and a multi-phase coolant.

9. The electric aircraft engine of claim 1 further comprising at least one controller for controlling at least one operation of the electric aircraft engine, wherein the power source comprises a battery, and a gas, configured to generate power.

10. The electric aircraft engine of claim 1 , further comprising a pump configured to pump the coolant through the cooling channels of the electric motor into the one or more guide vanes, and through the one or more guide vanes back into the cooling channels.

11. An electric engine comprising:
an electric system configured to power an engine fan of the electric engine and comprising cooling channels configured to receive a coolant;
a pump configured to pump the coolant through the cooling channels to absorb heat from one or more components of the electric system; and
one or more guide vanes connected to the cooling channels of the electric system and configured to receive the coolant heated by and output from the cooling channels, wherein the one or more guide vanes are further configured to absorb heat from the heated coolant and each guide vane comprises a cavity which receives the coolant, routes the coolant internally within the guide vane, and returns the coolant to the cooling channels via an output, while continuously keeping the coolant inside the guide vane between the input and the output of the cavity.

12. The electric engine of claim 11 , wherein the electric system comprises one or more of an electric motor and cables which are configured to power a fan within the electric engine.

13. The electric engine of claim 11 , wherein the one or more guide vanes comprise a plurality of guide vanes positioned in a cylindrical array and which are configured to control airflow with respect to the engine fan of the electric engine.

14. The electric engine of claim 11 , wherein the electric system and the one or more guide vanes are included within an unducted fan assembly.

15. The electric engine of claim 11 , wherein the one or more guide vanes comprise a plurality of outlet guide vanes which are positioned within an airstream of the electric engine behind the engine fan of the electric engine.

16. The electric engine of claim 15 , wherein the one or more guide vanes comprise a plurality of inlet guide vanes which are positioned within an airstream of the electric engine in front of the engine fan of the electric engine.

17. The electric engine of claim 16 , wherein the one or more guide vanes each comprise channels for receiving the coolant from the cooling channels of the electric system.

18. The electric engine of claim 11 , further comprising
at least one compressor; and
a power source configured to generate and supply power to the electric system and the pump.

19. A method for dissipating heat from an electric aircraft engine via one or more guide vanes, the method comprising:
powering, via an electric system, an engine fan to provide thrust to an aircraft;
pumping coolant through cooling channels of the electric system to absorb heat from one or more components of the electric system heated by the powering;
pumping the coolant heated by and output from the cooling channels of the electric system into the one or more guide vanes which are connected to the cooling channels of the electric system and which dissipate heat from the heated coolant, where each guide vane comprises a cavity which receives the coolant, routes the coolant internally within the guide vane, and returns the coolant to the cooling channels via an output, while continuously keeping the coolant inside the guide vane between the input and the output of the cavity; and
pumping the cooled coolant from the one or more guide vanes back into the cooling channels of the electric system wherein the coolant comprises at least one dielectric liquid.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the one or more guide vanes comprise a plurality of guide vanes positioned in a cylindrical array which are configured to control airflow with respect to the engine fan.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Hoefler Florian
• Ripplinger Thomas
• Benignos Jorge

Classifications

• H02K9/19

  for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil · CPC title

• F04D19/002

  Axial flow fans · CPC title

• F02C7/141

  of working fluid · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

  for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines · CPC title

• F05D2240/12

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