Use of infrared transparent airframe materials for passive cooling of internal components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10894606-B2
Application number	US-201715845959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2017
Priority date	Dec 18, 2017
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

Passive reduction of internal jet engine component temperature in supersonic and hypersonic vehicles results from use of nanocomposite optical ceramic materials between the heat-generating portions of each jet engine and the ambient environment, allowing heat dissipation from the jet engine components directly to the ambient environment. A propulsion-airframe integrated scramjet aircraft includes a jet engine and an airframe supporting the jet engine, with at least a portion of the airframe between a heat-generating portion of the jet engine and an ambient environment comprising a nanocomposite optical ceramic material in the form of a panel or a grid of windows each supported within a frame. The nanocomposite optical ceramic material portion of the airframe disposed between the heat-generating portion of the jet engine and the ambient environment is infrared-transparent, and may transmit at least 75% of heat energy from the heat-generating portion of the jet engine to the ambient environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a heat source; and
an airframe supporting the heat source, at least a portion of the airframe between a heat-generating portion of the heat source and an ambient environment comprising an infrared-transparent material;
wherein the heat source comprises a scramjet engine component; and
wherein the portion of the airframe is configured to transmit a majority of heat from the heat source impinging on the infrared-transparent material.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the portion of the airframe between the heat-generating portion of the heat source and the ambient environment is configured to transmit at least 75% of heat energy from the heat-generating portion of the heat source to the ambient environment.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the portion of the airframe between the heat-generating portion of the heat source and the ambient environment comprises a panel.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heat-generating portion of the heat source is an isolator.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heat-generating portion of the heat source is a combustor.

6. A propulsion-airframe integrated scramjet aircraft comprising the apparatus according to claim 1 , the propulsion-airframe integrated scramjet aircraft further comprising:
a plurality of heat sources including the heat source; and
a vehicle body comprising the airframe.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the airframe forms part of a flight vehicle.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the infrared-transparent material comprises a nanocomposite optical ceramic material.

9. An apparatus, comprising:
a heat source; and
an airframe supporting the heat source, at least a portion of the airframe between a heat-generating portion of the heat source and an ambient environment comprising a nanocomposite optical ceramic material;
wherein the portion of the airframe between the heat-generating portion of the heat source and the ambient environment comprises a window within a grid of nanocomposite optical ceramic material windows each supported within a frame.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the heat source is a scramjet engine component.

11. An apparatus, comprising:
a heat source; and
an airframe supporting the heat source, at least a portion of the airframe between a heat-generating portion of the heat source and an ambient environment comprising one of:
a nanocomposite optical ceramic material; or
an infrared-transmissive material configured to transmit a majority of heat from the heat source impinging on the infrared-transmissive material;

wherein:
the heat source comprises an inlet, an isolator containing an isolator shock train, a combustor, and a nozzle; and
the portion of the airframe between the heat-generating portion of the heat source and the ambient environment is located between the ambient environment and at least one of the isolator and the combustor.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the portion of the airframe between the heat-generating portion of the heat source and the ambient environment is infrared-transparent.

13. A method of dissipating heat in a propulsion-airframe integrated scramjet aircraft, the method comprising:
supporting a scramjet engine with an airframe; and
providing, within at least a portion of the airframe between a heat-generating portion of the scramjet engine and an ambient environment, an infrared-transparent material;
wherein the portion of the airframe is configured to transmit a majority of heat from the scramjet engine impinging on the infrared-transparent material.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the portion of the airframe between the heat-generating portion of the scramjet engine and the ambient environment is configured to transmit at least 75% of heat energy from the heat-generating portion of the scramjet engine to the ambient environment.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the portion of the airframe between the heat-generating portion of the scramjet engine and the ambient environment comprises a panel.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the heat-generating portion of the scramjet engine is an isolator.

17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the heat-generating portion of the scramjet engine is a combustor.

18. A method of dissipating heat in a propulsion-airframe integrated scramjet aircraft, the method comprising:
supporting a scramjet engine with an airframe; and
providing, within at least a portion of the airframe between a heat-generating portion of the scramjet engine and an ambient environment, a nanocomposite optical ceramic material;
wherein the portion of the airframe between the heat-generating portion of the scramjet engine and the ambient environment comprises a window within a grid of nanocomposite optical ceramic material windows each supported within a frame.

19. A method of dissipating heat in a propulsion-airframe integrated scramjet aircraft, the method comprising:
supporting a scramjet engine with an airframe; and
providing, within at least a portion of the airframe between a heat-generating portion of the scramjet engine and an ambient environment, a nanocomposite optical ceramic material;
wherein an enclosure for the scramjet engine comprises a second material supporting the nanocomposite optical ceramic material.

20. A method of dissipating heat in a propulsion-airframe integrated scramjet aircraft, the method comprising:
supporting a scramjet engine with an airframe; and
providing, within at least a portion of the airframe between a heat-generating portion of the scramjet engine and an ambient environment, one of:
a nanocomposite optical ceramic material; or
an infrared-transmissive material configured to transmit a majority of heat from the scramjet engine impinging on the infrared-transmissive material;

wherein:
the scramjet engine comprises an inlet, an isolator containing an isolator shock train, a combustor, and a nozzle; and
the portion of the airframe between the heat-generating portion of the scramjet engine and the ambient environment is located between the ambient environment and at least one of the isolator and the combustor.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the portion of the airframe between the heat-generating portion of the scramjet engine and the ambient environment is infrared-transparent.

22. A method of dissipating heat in a propulsion-airframe integrated scramjet aircraft, the method comprising:
supporting a plurality of scramjet engines of the propulsion-airframe integrated scramjet aircraft with a vehicle body of the propulsion-airframe integrated scramjet aircraft, the vehicle body comprising an airframe; and
providing, within at least a portion of the airframe between a heat-generating portion of at least one of the scramjet engines and an ambient environment, one of:
a nanocomposite optical ceramic material; or
an infrared-transparent material configured to transmit a majority of heat from at least one of the scramjet engines impinging on the infrared-transparent material.

23. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the infrared-transparent material comprises a nanocomposite optical ceramic material.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Wood Adam

Classifications

• F02K1/825

  Infrared radiation suppressors · CPC title

• F02K7/14

  with external combustion, e.g. scram-jet engines · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

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

• B64D33/10

  Radiator arrangement · CPC title

• F05D2220/10

  in ram-jet engines or ram-jet driven vehicles · CPC title