Apparatus and systems for a surface cooler having pliant fins

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10655540-B2
Application number	US-201615282348-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A surface cooler includes a conduit, a body having an external surface, and a plurality of fin members arranged in an array of fin members. The conduit defines an inlet, an outlet, and an internal flow path extending between the inlet and the outlet. The conduit is configured to channel a flow of fluid to be cooled from the inlet to said outlet. The conduit extends through the body. Each fin member of the array of fin members extends from the external surface of the body. Each fin member is fabricated from a thermally conductive, resilient, and pliable material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surface cooler comprising:
a conduit defining an inlet, an outlet, and an internal flow path extending therebetween, said conduit configured to channel a flow of fluid to be cooled from said inlet to said outlet;
a body comprising an external surface, said conduit extending through said body; and
a plurality of fin members coupled to said external surface and configured in an array of fin members, each fin member of said plurality of fin members extending away from said external surface, said each fin member of said plurality of fin members fabricated from a thermally conductive, resilient, and pliable material, wherein said thermally conductive, resilient, and pliable material has a Young's modulus less than approximately 1×10 9 Pascal (Pa),
wherein each fin member of said plurality of fin members includes a coupling portion configured to couple to an L-shaped locating aperture of the body.

2. The surface cooler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said array of tin members comprises a pin-fin array.

3. The surface cooler in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said each fin member of said plurality of fin members comprises a substantially triangular cross-section.

4. The surface cooler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said thermally conductive, resilient, and pliable material has a Young's modulus less than approximately 1×10 8 Pa.

5. The surface cooler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said thermally conductive, resilient, and pliable material has a thermal conductivity greater than approximately 1 watt per meter kelvin (W/m-K).

6. The surface cooler in accordance with claim 5 , wherein said thermally conductive, resilient, and pliable material has a thermal conductivity greater than approximately 10 W/m-K.

7. The surface cooler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said array of fin members comprises a linear fin arrangement comprising two or more fin members of said plurality of fin members, said two or more fin members arranged in an alternating pattern with respect to each other.

8. The surface cooler in accordance with claim 7 , wherein said two or more fin members comprises a first fin member and a second fin member, said first and second fin members comprising a triangular-shaped cross-section, where said first tin member is rotated approximately 180° about a longitudinal axis of said first fin member with respect to said second fin member.

9. The surface cooler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said array of fin members are configured to receive a flow of a coolant in heat transfer communication with said array of fin members.

10. The surface cooler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said each fin member of said plurality of fin members is bendable between a first position, in which said fin member is oriented generally transversely to said external surface, and a second position, in which said fin member is oriented generally obliquely to said external surface.

11. The surface cooler in accordance with claim 10 , wherein at least one fin member of said plurality of fin members is oriented relative to said external surface at an angle less than 70 degrees in the second position.

12. A turbine engine comprising:
a fan assembly comprising a bypass airflow passage; and
a core engine comprising a surface cooler comprising:
a conduit defining an inlet, an outlet, and an internal flow path extending therebetween, said conduit configured to channel a flow of fluid to be cooled from said inlet to said outlet;
a body comprising an external surface, said conduit extending through said body; and
a plurality of fin members coupled to said external surface and configured in an array of fin members, each fin member of said plurality of fin members extending away from said external surface, each fin member of said plurality of fin members being fabricated from a thermally conductive, resilient, and pliable material, wherein said array of fin members extends into said bypass airflow passage, wherein said thermally conductive, resilient, and pliable material has a Young's modulus less than approximately 1×10 9 Pascal (Pa),
wherein each fin member of said plurality of fin members includes a coupling portion configured to couple to an L-shaped locating aperture of the body.

13. The turbine engine in accordance with claim 11 , wherein said array of fin members comprises a pin-fin array.

14. The turbine engine in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said each fin member of said plurality of fin members is substantially cylindrical, thereby having a substantially circular cross-section.

15. The turbine engine in accordance with claim 12 , wherein said thermally conductive, resilient, and pliable material has a Young's modulus less than approximately 1×10 8 Pa.

16. The turbine engine in accordance with claim 12 , wherein said thermally conductive, resilient, and pliable material has a thermal conductivity greater than approximately 1 watt per meter kelvin (W/m-K).

17. The turbine engine in accordance with claim 16 , wherein said thermally conductive, resilient, and pliable material has a thermal conductivity greater than approximately 10 W/m-K.

18. The turbine engine in accordance with claim 12 , wherein said thermally conductive, resilient, and pliable material comprises at least one of a polymer seeded with thermally conductive particles and a metal.

19. The turbine engine in accordance with claim 12 , wherein said array of fin members comprises a linear fin arrangement comprising a first fin member and a second fin member, said first and second fin members comprising a triangular-shaped cross-section, where said first fin member is rotated approximately 180° about a longitudinal axis of said first fin member with respect to said second fin member.

20. The turbine engine in accordance with claim 12 , wherein said fan assembly is configured to supply a flow of a coolant to said bypass airflow passage, said array of fin members configured to receive the flow of a coolant in heat transfer communication with said array of fin members.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Carretero Benignos Jorge Alejandro
• Antel Jr William Joseph
• Gerstler William Dwight

Classifications

• F02C7/18

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

• F28F3/022

  the means being wires or pins · CPC title

• F28D1/0471

  the conduits having a non-circular cross-section (F28D1/0473, F28D1/0476, F28D1/0478 take precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2260/22141

  using fins or ribs · CPC title

• F28D7/005

  the conduits for only one medium being tubes having bent portions or being assembled from bent tubes or being tubes having a toroidal configuration (F28D7/0008, F28D7/02, F28D7/04, F28D7/06, F28D7/14 take precedence) · CPC title