Fan casing assembly with cooler and method of moving

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11008943-B2
Application number	US-201715405937-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2017
Priority date	Aug 31, 2016
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus and method for cooling a fluid within a turbine engine. A fan casing assembly for the turbine engine can include an annular fan casing with a peripheral wall having a flow path defined through the casing. A fan casing cooler includes a body to confront the peripheral wall with at least one conduit configured to carry a flow of heated fluid to convectively cool the heated fluid with a flow of air through the flow path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fan casing cooler for a fan casing having a peripheral wall, the fan casing cooler, comprising:
a body having at least one conduit therein, an exterior of the body defining a first surface confronting the peripheral wall, a second surface that is opposite the first surface, and at least one thermally sensitive portion at least partially defining the first surface; and
at least one hinge provided in the body wherein the at least one hinge comprises a channel recessed into the second surface of the body;
wherein the at least one conduit is configured to carry a flow of fluid proximal to the second surface and arranged to transfer heat from the fluid to air flowing through the fan casing and the at least one thermally sensitive portion is arranged such that in use and in response to a change in a thermal condition at least a portion of the fan casing cooler is passively positioned away from the peripheral wall of the fan casing and into the air flowing through the fan casing.

2. The fan casing cooler of claim 1 wherein the body comprises a set of metal layers as the at least one thermally sensitive portion responsive to the change in the thermal condition.

3. The fan casing cooler of claim 2 wherein the set of metal layers further comprises a layer of aluminum alloy and a layer of aluminum silicon carbide.

4. The fan casing cooler of claim 1 wherein the body further comprises one of segmented continuous fins or discrete fins on a portion of the body opposite the first surface.

5. The fan casing cooler of claim 4 wherein the body is configured to increase an attack angle orientation of the segmented continuous fins or discrete fins in response to the change in the thermal condition.

6. The fan casing cooler of claim 1 wherein a forward section or an aft section of the body is operably coupled to the peripheral wall of the fan casing.

7. The fan casing cooler of claim 6 wherein the forward section of the body is disposed at an offset angle from the aft section of the body.

8. The fan casing cooler of claim 6 further comprising a mechanical actuator coupled to the forward section and operable by an instruction to the mechanical actuator to actively position the at least a portion of the fan casing cooler into the air flowing through the fan casing, and wherein the at least one thermally sensitive portion is operably coupled to the aft section to passively position the at least a portion of the fan casing cooler into the air flowing through the fan casing.

9. The fan casing cooler of claim 1 wherein a center section of the fan casing cooler is operably coupled to the peripheral wall of the fan casing and a forward portion of the fan casing cooler curves concavely and an aft portion of the fan casing cooler curves convexly in response to the change in the thermal condition.

10. A heat exchanger body, comprising:
at least one conduit;
a first surface defining a first exterior surface;
a second surface defining a second exterior surface, the second surface opposite the first surface;
at least one hinge in the body wherein the at least one hinge comprises a channel recessed into the second surface of the body;
at least one thermally sensitive portion at least partially forming the heat exchanger body and defining at least a portion of the first surface, the thermally sensitive portion configured to change shape in response to a change in a thermal condition;
wherein the at least one conduit is configured to carry a flow of fluid proximal to the second surface to transfer heat from the fluid to an airflow passing along the second surface and the thermally sensitive portion is configured to passively position at least a portion of the heat exchanger body into the airflow.

11. The heat exchanger body of claim 10 wherein the at least one thermally sensitive portion of the heat exchanger body is proximal to the first surface and includes a set of metal layers responsive to a change in a thermal condition.

12. The heat exchanger body of claim 11 wherein the set of metal layers includes a layer of aluminum alloy and a layer of aluminum silicon carbide.

13. A cooler assembly for an engine casing having a peripheral surface and a gap in the peripheral surface, the cooler assembly, comprising:
a body defining a periphery including a first surface and a second surface that is opposite the first surface;
at least one hinge in the body wherein the at least one hinge comprises a channel recessed into the second surface of the body;
at least one conduit located within the body, the at least one conduit configured to carry a flow of fluid proximal to the second surface; and
at least one thermally sensitive portion included within the body and configured to, in response to a change in a thermal condition as an increase in temperature or a decrease in temperature, passively position at least a portion of the body into an airflow flowing along the second surface or passively position the at least a portion of the body into the gap in the peripheral surface of the engine casing, depending on whether the change in the thermal condition is the increase in temperature or the decrease in temperature.

14. The cooler assembly of claim 13 wherein the at least one thermally sensitive portion forms a portion of the body proximal to the first surface.

15. The cooler assembly of claim 14 wherein the portion of the body proximal to the first surface includes a set of metal layers responsive to the change in the thermal condition.

16. A heat exchanger body, comprising:
a first surface a second surface opposite the first surface;
discrete fins on a portion of the heat exchanger body opposite the first surface;
at least one hinge provided between at least some of the discrete fins wherein the at least one hinge comprises a channel recessed into the second surface; and
at least one thermally sensitive portion at least partially forming the heat exchanger body and defining at least a portion of the first surface, the thermally sensitive portion configured to change shape in response to a change in a thermal condition;
wherein at least one conduit is configured to carry a flow of fluid proximal to the second surface to transfer heat from the fluid to an airflow passing along the second surface and the thermally sensitive portion is configured to passively position at least a portion of the heat exchanger body into the airflow.

Assignees

• Unison Ind Llc

Inventors

• Tajiri Gordon
• Kenworthy Michael Thomas
• Mcqueen Dennis Alan
• Jonnalagadda Dattu G V

Classifications

• F02K3/04

  the plant including ducted fans, i.e. fans with high volume, low pressure outputs, for augmenting the jet thrust, e.g. of double-flow type · CPC title

• F28F2280/105

  with hinged connections · CPC title

• F02K3/105

  Heating the by-pass flow · CPC title

• F28D1/06

  with the heat-exchange conduits forming part of, or being attached to, the tank containing the body of fluid · CPC title

• F28F5/00

  Elements specially adapted for movement · CPC title