Thermal management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10823066-B2
Application number	US-201514963419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2015
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

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 one or more heat source exchangers and a deicing module. The one or more heat source exchangers and the deicing module are each in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus. The one or more heat source exchangers are configured to transfer heat from one or more accessory systems to the heat exchange fluid, and the deicing module is located downstream of the one or more heat source exchangers for transferring heat from the thermal transfer fluid to a surface of one or more components of the gas turbine engine and/or the aircraft.

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;
a surface heat exchange 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 for transferring heat from the heat exchange fluid to a surface of one or more components of the gas turbine engine or the aircraft; and
a plurality of heat sink exchangers in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus for removing heat from the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus, each heat sink exchanger of the plurality of heat sink exchangers selectively in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus;
wherein the thermal transport bus is configured as a closed loop system, and wherein the surface heat exchange module is a closed loop module fluidly separate from the thermal transport bus.

2. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the surface heat exchange module includes one or more heat exchangers for integration into the surface of the one or more components of the gas turbine engine or the aircraft.

3. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components of the gas turbine engine or the aircraft include at least one of an inlet guide vane of the gas turbine engine, a nose cowl of the gas turbine engine, or a fan cowl of the gas turbine engine.

4. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components of the gas turbine engine or the aircraft include at least one of a wing of the aircraft or a fuselage of the aircraft.

5. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heat source exchangers are arranged in series along the thermal transport bus.

6. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heat source exchangers includes at least one 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 , wherein the plurality of heat source exchangers are configured to transfer heat from an accessory system of the gas turbine engine to the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus.

10. 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.

11. The thermal management system of claim 10 , wherein the fuel chiller is selectively in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus.

12. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the surface heat exchange module is configured as a de-icing module.

13. 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.

14. 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 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 source exchangers including a main lubrication heat exchanger in thermal communication with the main lubrication system;
a surface heat exchange 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 for transferring heat from the heat exchange fluid to a surface of one or more components of the gas turbine engine; and
a plurality of heat sink exchangers in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus for removing heat from the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus, each heat sink exchanger of the plurality of heat sink exchangers selectively in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus;
wherein the thermal transport bus is configured as a closed loop system, and wherein the surface heat exchange module is a closed loop module fluidly separate from the thermal transport bus.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 14 , wherein the surface heat exchange module includes one or more heat exchangers for integration into the surface of the one or more components of the gas turbine engine or the aircraft.

16. The gas turbine engine of claim 14 , wherein the one or more components of the gas turbine engine or the aircraft include at least one of an inlet guide vane of the gas turbine engine, a nose cowl of the gas turbine engine, or a fan cowl of the gas turbine engine.

17. The gas turbine engine of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of heat source exchangers are arranged in series along the thermal transport bus.

18. The gas turbine engine of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of heat source exchangers additionally includes at least one of 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.

19. A thermal management system for incorporation at least partially into at least one of an aircraft or a propulsion engine of the 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;
a surface heat exchange 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 for transferring heat from the heat exchange fluid to a surface of one or more components of the propulsion engine or the aircraft; and
a plurality of heat sink exchangers in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus for removing heat from the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus, each heat sink exchanger of the plurality of heat sink exchangers selectively in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

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

Classifications

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• F02C7/06

  Arrangements of bearings (bearings F16C); Lubricating ({of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or} engines in general F01M) · CPC title

• F05D2260/213

  by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit · CPC title

• F01D11/24

  by selectively cooling-heating stator or rotor components · CPC title

• F01D25/02 Primary

  De-icing means for engines having icing phenomena · CPC title