Additively manufactured heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11236674-B2
Application number	US-201815976206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2018
Priority date	Jun 6, 2017
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A heat exchanger for cooling a component is coupled with a cowl at least partially surrounding the component. The cowl defines a cowl plenum and a peripheral gap for receiving the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a housing defining a heat exchange plenum for receiving a cool fluid stream and a plurality of heat exchange tubes passing through the heat exchange plenum for receiving a hot fluid stream. A discharge manifold defines a discharge plenum that provides fluid communication between the heat exchange plenum and the cowl plenum through a fluid outlet. In addition, an impingement baffle at least partially defines the discharge manifold and defines a plurality of cooling holes for impinging cooling air on the component proximate the heat exchanger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising a heat exchanger, a component, and a cowl at least partially surrounding the component, the cowl defining at least one peripheral gap and at least one cowl plenum, the heat exchanger comprising:
a housing defining a heat exchange plenum for receiving a first heat exchange fluid;
a plurality of heat exchange tubes passing through the heat exchange plenum, the plurality of heat exchange tubes being fluidly isolated from the heat exchange plenum for receiving a second heat exchange fluid;
an inlet manifold defining an inlet plenum in fluid communication with the heat exchange plenum for receiving the first heat exchange fluid;
a discharge manifold defining a discharge plenum in fluid communication with the heat exchange plenum, the discharge manifold being positioned within and bridging the at least one peripheral gap of the cowl;
a fluid outlet defined by the discharge manifold, the fluid outlet providing fluid communication between the discharge plenum and the at least one cowl plenum; and
an impingement baffle at least partially defining the discharge manifold and defining an impingement gap between the impingement baffle and the component, the impingement baffle defining a plurality of cooling holes through which the first heat exchange fluid is impinged onto the component.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the discharge manifold defines an exhaust port providing fluid communication between the impingement gap and an ambient environment.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inlet plenum, the heat exchange plenum, and the discharge plenum extend substantially along a first direction, and wherein the plurality of heat exchange tubes pass through heat exchange plenum substantially along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the heat exchange tubes pass through heat exchange plenum in a serpentine pattern between a first side of the housing proximate the discharge manifold and a second side of the housing proximate the inlet manifold.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a plurality of walls, at least one of the plurality of walls being contoured to maintain a substantially constant gap between the wall and the heat exchange tubes within the heat exchange plenum.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein one or more support struts extend between and connect adjacent tubes of the plurality of heat exchange tubes.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
one or more flow splitters positioned within the inlet plenum and extending between a cooling air inlet and the plurality of heat exchange tubes.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the component is annular and the cowl is semi-annular and is joined with the heat exchanger to surround the component.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is a first heat exchanger, the heat exchanger further comprising a second heat exchanger, and wherein the cowl comprises a first half and a second half, the first half and the second half being joined by the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is an air-air heat exchanger configured for receiving a cool air stream within the heat exchanger plenum and a hot air stream within the plurality of heat exchange tubes.

11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cowl defines a plurality of cowl cooling holes providing fluid communication between the at least one cowl plenum and a cowl impingement gap defined between the component and the cowl.

12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the component is a power turbine of a gas turbine engine and the cowl is a power turbine cowl, and wherein the inlet plenum is in fluid communication with an ejector assembly of the gas turbine engine that provides a mixture of bleed air from a compressor section and ambient air, and wherein the heat exchange tubes are in fluid communication with a B-sump heat exchanger of the gas turbine engine.

13. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of layers formed by:
depositing a layer of additive material on a bed of an additive manufacturing machine; and
selectively directing energy from an energy source onto the layer of additive material to fuse a portion of the additive material.

14. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing, the heat exchange tubes, the inlet manifold, the discharge manifold, and the impingement baffle are integrally formed as a single monolithic component.

15. A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
depositing a layer of additive material on a bed of an additive manufacturing machine; and
selectively directing energy from an energy source onto the layer of additive material to fuse a portion of the additive material and form the heat exchanger for cooling a component, and a cowl at least partially surrounding the component, the cowl defining at least one peripheral gap and at least one cowl plenum, the heat exchanger comprising:
a housing defining a heat exchange plenum;
a plurality of heat exchange tubes passing through the heat exchange plenum; and
a discharge manifold defining a discharge plenum in fluid communication with the heat exchange plenum, the discharge manifold being positioned within and bridging the at least one peripheral gap of the cowl;
an inlet manifold defining an inlet plenum in fluid communication with the heat exchange plenum;
a fluid outlet defined by the discharge manifold, the fluid outlet providing fluid communication between the discharge plenum and the at least one cowl plenum; and
an impingement baffle at least partially defining the discharge manifold and defining an impingement gap between the impingement baffle and the component, the impingement baffle defining a plurality of cooling holes.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the discharge manifold defines an exhaust port providing fluid communication between the impingement gap and an ambient environment.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the inlet plenum, the heat exchange plenum, and the discharge plenum extend substantially along a first direction, and wherein the plurality of heat exchange tubes pass through heat exchange plenum substantially along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the heat exchange tubes pass through heat exchange plenum in a serpentine pattern between a first side of the housing proximate the discharge manifold and a second side of the housing proximate the inlet manifold.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
forming one or more flow splitters, the one or more flow splitters being positioned within the inlet plenum and extending between a cooling air inlet and the plurality of heat exchange tubes.

19. An assembly comprising:
an annular casing;
a cowl assembly spaced apart from the annular casing to define an impingement gap, the cowl assembly defining a cowl plenum, a plurality of cowl cooling holes providing fluid communication between the cowl plenum and the impingement gap, and a peripheral gap;
a heat exchanger positioned within the peripheral gap of the cowl assembly, the heat exchanger comprising:
a housing defining a heat exchange plenum;
a plurality of heat exchange tubes passing through the heat exchange plenum;
an inlet manifold defining an inlet plenum in fluid communication with the heat exchange plenum;
a discharge manifold defining a discharge plenum in fluid communication with t

Assignees

• Ge Avio Srl

Inventors

• Caimano Antonio
• Cardillo Antonio
• Fanelli Ivan

Classifications

• F05D2250/25

  helical · CPC title

• F05D2260/201

  by impingement of a fluid · CPC title

• F05D2260/213

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

• F02C7/00

  Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants (controlling F02C9/00) · CPC title

• F05D2230/53

  by integrally manufacturing a component, e.g. by milling from a billet or one piece construction · CPC title