Turbofan engine assembly with intercooler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10634049-B2
Application number	US-201715406980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2017
Priority date	Jan 16, 2017
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A turbofan engine assembly including a compressor, an intermittent internal combustion engine having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the compressor through at least one first passage of an intercooler, a turbine having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the intermittent internal combustion engine, the turbine compounded with the intermittent internal combustion engine, a bypass duct surrounding the intermittent internal combustion engine, compressor and turbine, and a fan configured to propel air through the bypass duct and through an inlet of the compressor, wherein the intercooler is located in the bypass duct, the intercooler having at least one second passage in heat exchange relationship with the at least one first passage, the at least one second passage in fluid communication with the bypass duct.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A turbofan engine assembly comprising:
a compressor;
an intermittent internal combustion engine having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the compressor through at least one first passage of an intercooler;
a turbine having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the intermittent internal combustion engine, the turbine compounded with the internal combustion engine;
a bypass duct surrounding the intermittent internal combustion engine, compressor and turbine; and
a fan configured to propel air through the bypass duct and through an inlet of the compressor, wherein the fan is drivingly engaged to a shaft of the intermittent internal combustion engine via a first gearbox, and the rotor of the turbine is drivingly engaged to the shaft of the intermittent internal combustion engine via a second gearbox;
wherein the intercooler is located in the bypass duct, the intercooler having at least one second passage in heat exchange relationship with the at least one first passage, the at least one second passage in fluid communication with the bypass duct.

2. The assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the fan and rotors of the compressor and of the turbine are drivingly engaged to a shaft of the intermittent internal combustion engine.

3. The assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second gearbox is an accessory gearbox, the assembly further comprising at least one accessory drivingly engaged to the accessory gearbox.

4. The assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the compressor is located between the intermittent internal combustion engine and the fan, the inlet of the compressor being located immediately downstream of the fan.

5. The assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the compressor is located between the intermittent internal combustion engine and the turbine, the compressor is a centrifugal compressor, and the compressor inlet is defined by a duct extending radially inwardly from the bypass duct.

6. The assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the intermittent internal combustion engine is a Wankel rotary engine including an engine rotor having three apex portions mounted for eccentric revolutions within an internal cavity defined in a housing, the internal cavity having an epitrochoid shape with two lobes.

7. The assembly as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger located in the bypass duct, the heat exchanger in fluid communication with a coolant system of the intermittent internal combustion engine.

8. The assembly as defined in claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional intermittent internal combustion engine having an inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the compressor through the at least one first passage of the intercooler and having an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet of the turbine.

9. The assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the turbine is a first turbine, the assembly further comprising a second turbine having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the first turbine.

10. A turbofan engine assembly comprising:
a compressor;
a plurality of rotary internal combustion engines each including an engine rotor having three apex portions mounted for eccentric revolutions within an internal cavity defined in a housing, the internal cavity having an epitrochoid shape with two lobes, the rotary internal combustion engines having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the compressor through at least one first passage of an intercooler;
a turbine having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the rotary internal combustion engines, the turbine compounded with the rotary internal combustion engines;
a bypass duct surrounding the rotary internal combustion engines, compressor and turbine; and
a fan configured to propel air through the bypass duct and through an inlet of the compressor;
wherein the intercooler is located in the bypass duct, the intercooler having at least one second passage in heat exchange relationship with the at least one first passage, the at least one second passage in fluid communication with the bypass duct, wherein the compressor is located between the rotary internal combustion engines and the turbine, the compressor is a centrifugal compressor, and the compressor inlet is defined by a duct extending radially inwardly from the bypass duct.

11. The assembly as defined in claim 10 , wherein the fan and rotors of the compressor and of the turbine are drivingly engaged to a shaft of the rotary internal combustion engines.

12. The assembly as defined in claim 10 , wherein the fan is drivingly engaged to a shaft of the rotary internal combustion engines via a first gearbox, and the rotor of the turbine is drivingly engaged to the shaft of the rotary internal combustion engines via a second gearbox.

13. The assembly as defined in claim 12 , wherein the second gearbox is an accessory gearbox, the assembly further comprising at least one accessory drivingly engaged to the accessory gearbox.

14. The assembly as defined in claim 10 , wherein the compressor is located between the rotary internal combustion engines and the fan, the inlet of the compressor being located immediately downstream of the fan.

15. The assembly as defined in claim 10 , further comprising a heat exchanger located in the bypass duct, the heat exchanger in fluid communication with a coolant system of the rotary internal combustion engines.

16. The assembly as defined in claim 10 , wherein the turbine is a first turbine, the assembly further comprising a second turbine having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the first turbine.

17. A method of feeding compressed air to an intermittent internal combustion engine of a turbofan engine assembly having a turbine, the method comprising:
driving air through a bypass duct of the turbofan engine assembly with a fan, including using the intermittent internal combustion engine to drive the fan via a first gearbox, the intermittent internal combustion engine compounded with the turbine via a second gearbox, wherein the bypass duct surrounds the intermittent internal combustion engine, a compressor, and the turbine;
compressing part of the air driven by the fan using the compressor;
circulating the compressed air through an intercooler located in the bypass duct;
cooling the compressed air in the intercooler with the air driven by the fan through the bypass duct; and
circulating the compressed air from the intercooler to the intermittent internal combustion engine.

18. The method as defined in claim 17 , wherein the intermittent internal combustion engine is a Wankel rotary engine including a rotor having three apex portions mounted for eccentric revolutions within an internal cavity defined in a housing, the internal cavity having an epitrochoid shape with two lobes.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Julien Andre
• Thomassin Jean
• Dussault Serge

Classifications

• F02K3/06 Primary

  with front fan · CPC title

• F05D2260/211

  by intercooling, e.g. during a compression cycle · CPC title

• F02C7/143

  before or between the compressor stages · CPC title

• F02K5/00 Primary

  Plants including an engine, other than a gas turbine, driving a compressor or a ducted fan · CPC title

• F02C5/00

  Gas-turbine plants characterised by the working fluid being generated by intermittent combustion · CPC title