Plug in fluid cooled electrical connections for tail cone mounted generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11242156-B2
Application number	US-201916354335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2019
Priority date	Mar 15, 2019
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A gas turbine engine including: a tail cone; a low pressure compressor; a low pressure turbine; a low speed spool interconnecting the low pressure compressor and the low pressure turbine; and an electric generator located within the tail cone, the electric generator being operably connected to the low speed spool, wherein the electric generator includes a coolant cavity in thermal communication with one or more components of the electric generator; a structural support housing at least partially enclosing the electric generator, the structural support housing including a forward wall located on a forward end of the structural support housing, wherein the forward wall includes a first opening; a first coolant conveying tube extending through the first opening to fluidly connect to the coolant cavity; and a first electrical connector tube extending through the first opening within the first coolant conveying tube to electrically connect to the electric generator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a tail cone having a cone shaped portion;
a low pressure compressor;
a low pressure turbine;
a low speed spool interconnecting the low pressure compressor and the low pressure turbine; and
an electric generator located within the cone shaped portion of the tail cone, the electric generator being operably connected to the low speed spool, wherein the electric generator comprises a coolant cavity in thermal communication with one or more components of the electric generator, and wherein the coolant cavity includes a top and a bottom, the electric generator being located between the top and the bottom;
a structural support housing at least partially enclosing the electric generator, the structural support housing comprising a forward wall located on a forward end of the structural support housing, wherein the forward wall encloses the electric generator within the cone shaped portion, wherein the forward wall comprises a first opening and a second opening, and wherein the first opening is located gravitationally above the second opening;
a first coolant conveying tube extending through the first opening to fluidly connect to the coolant cavity, wherein the first coolant conveying tube is configured to supply coolant to the top of the coolant cavity;
a second coolant conveying tube extending through the second opening to fluidly connect to the coolant cavity gravitationally below an entirety of the electric generator, wherein the second coolant conveying tube is configured to remove coolant from the bottom of the coolant cavity, the bottom being located gravitationally below the entirety of the electric generator;
a first electrical connector tube extending through the first opening within the first coolant conveying tube to electrically connect to the electric generator,
wherein the first electrical connector tube extends forward from the electric generator while staying fully enclosed within the cone shaped portion of the tail cone until projecting forward through the forward wall; and
a second electrical connector tube extending through the second opening within the second coolant conveying tube to electrically connect to the electric generator,
wherein the second electrical connector tube extends forward from the electric generator while staying fully enclosed within the cone shaped portion of the tail cone until projecting forward through the forward wall.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat rejection heat exchanger fluidly connected to the first coolant conveying tube and the second coolant conveying tube.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 2 , further comprising:
a bypass duct, wherein the heat rejection heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the bypass duct.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 2 , further comprising:
a bypass duct, wherein the heat rejection heat exchanger is located within the bypass duct.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the coolant is an oil.

6. An electric generation system for a gas turbine engine, the electric generation system comprising:
a tail cone having a cone shaped portion;
an electric generator located within the cone shape portion of the tail cone, the electric generator comprising a coolant cavity in thermal communication with one or more components of the electric generator, and wherein the coolant cavity includes a top and a bottom, the electric generator being located between the top and the bottom;
a structural support housing at least partially enclosing the electric generator, the structural support housing comprising a forward wall located on a forward end of the structural support housing, wherein the forward wall encloses the electric generator within the cone shaped portion, wherein the forward wall comprises a first opening and a second opening, and wherein the first opening is located gravitationally above the second opening;
a first coolant conveying tube extending through the first opening to fluidly connect to the top of the coolant cavity, wherein the first coolant conveying tube is configured to supply coolant to the top of the coolant cavity;
a second coolant conveying tube extending through the second opening to fluidly connect to the bottom of the coolant cavity gravitationally below an entirety of the electric generator, wherein the second coolant conveying tube is configured to remove coolant from the bottom of the coolant cavity, the bottom being located gravitationally below the entirety of the electric generator;
a first electrical connector tube extending through the first opening within the first coolant conveying tube to electrically connect to the electric generator,
wherein the first electrical connector tube extends forward from the electric generator while staying fully enclosed within the cone shaped portion of the tail cone until projecting forward through the forward wall; and
a second electrical connector tube extending through the second opening within the second coolant conveying tube to electrically connect to the electric generator,
wherein the second electrical connector tube extends forward from the electric generator while staying fully enclosed within the cone shaped portion of the tail cone until projecting forward through the forward wall.

7. The electric generation system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a heat rejection heat exchanger fluidly connected to the first coolant conveying tube and the second coolant conveying tube.

8. The electric generation system of claim 6 , wherein the electric generator is configured to connect to a low speed spool of the gas turbine engine.

9. The electric generation system of claim 6 , wherein the coolant is an oil.

10. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a tail cone having a cone shaped portion;
a low pressure compressor;
a low pressure turbine;
a low speed spool interconnecting the low pressure compressor and the low pressure turbine;
an electric generator located within the cone shaped portion of the tail cone, the electric generator being operably connected to the low speed spool, wherein the electric generator comprises a coolant cavity in thermal communication with one or more components of the electric generator, and wherein the coolant cavity includes a top and a bottom, the electric generator being located between the top and the bottom;
a structural support housing at least partially enclosing the electric generator, the structural support housing comprising a forward wall located on a forward end of the structural support housing, wherein the forward wall enclose the electric generator within the cone shaped portion, wherein the forward wall comprises a first opening and a second opening, and wherein the first opening is located gravitationally above the second opening;
a first coolant conveying tube extending through the first opening to fluidly connect to the top of the coolant cavity, wherein the first coolant conveying tube is configured to supply coolant to the top of the coolant cavity;
a first electrical connector tube extending through the first opening within the first coolant conveying tube to electrically connect to the electric generator;
a second coolant conveying tube extending through the second opening to fluidly connect to the bottom of the coolant cavity gravitationally below an entirety of the electric generator, wherein the second coolant conveying tube is configured to remove coolant from the bottom of the coolant cavity, the bottom being located gravitationally below the entirety of the electric generator;
a second electrical connector tube extending away from the electric generator in the forward direction through the secon

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Spierling Todd A

Classifications

• H02K9/19

  for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil · CPC title

• F01D15/10 Primary

  Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators · CPC title

• H02K7/1823

  structurally associated with turbines or similar engines · CPC title

• F05D2260/213

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

• F02C7/32

  Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries · CPC title