Tail cone ejector for power cable cooling system in a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11585291-B2
Application number	US-202017018795-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2020
Priority date	Sep 11, 2020
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

An ejector assembly for a cooling system of a gas turbine engine may comprise: a tail cone having a tail cone outlet in fluid communication with a cooling air flow of the cooling system; an ejector body defining a mixing section, a constant area section, and a diffuser section; and a nozzle section in fluid communication with an exhaust air flow of the gas turbine engine, the ejector assembly configured to entrain the cooling air flow via the exhaust air flow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
an ejector assembly comprising:
a tail cone having a tail cone outlet in fluid communication with a cooling air flow of a cooling system, and
an ejector body defining a mixing section, a constant area section downstream of the mixing section, and a diffuser section downstream of the constant area section,
wherein a nozzle section of the ejector assembly is defined by the tail cone and the ejector body, the nozzle section being in fluid communication with a portion of a core airflow of the gas turbine engine and defining a choked flow area radially between the tail cone and the ejector body, the ejector assembly configured to entrain the cooling air flow via the portion of the core airflow,
an electric motor disposed in the tail cone;
a conduit in fluid communication with the electric motor;
a plurality of conductive cables extending through the conduit and coupled to the electric motor; and
a primary nozzle disposed radially outward from the ejector assembly, the primary nozzle defining an exhaust outlet upstream of the ejector body for a remainder of the core airflow of the gas turbine engine.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the ejector body further comprises a scoop defining an inlet to the nozzle section.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein a throat of the nozzle section is disposed forward of the tail cone outlet.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the cooling air flow is from an external air source disposed radially outward from a bypass air flow path of the gas turbine engine.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the cooling air flow is configured to cool the plurality of conductive cables.

6. A cooling system of a gas turbine engine, the cooling system comprising:
a tail cone having a tail cone outlet;
an electric motor disposed in the tail cone;
a conduit;
a plurality of cables extending from the electric motor, the plurality of cables disposed at least partially in the conduit;
a cooling source in fluid communication with the conduit, the cooling source configured to flow a cooling air flow through the conduit to cool the plurality of cables; and
an ejector body coupled to the tail cone and defining a mixing section, a constant area section downstream of the mixing section, and a diffuser section downstream of the constant area section, the ejector body configured to entrain the cooling air flow through the tail cone outlet via a portion of a core airflow of the gas turbine engine,
wherein a nozzle section is defined by the tail cone and the ejector body, the nozzle section being in fluid communication with the portion of the core airflow and defining a choked flow area radially between the tail cone and the ejector body; and
a primary nozzle disposed radially outward from the ejector body, the primary nozzle defining an exhaust outlet upstream of the ejector body for a remainder of the core airflow of the gas turbine engine.

7. The cooling system of claim 6 , wherein the cooling source includes an electric fan.

8. The cooling system of claim 7 , wherein the conduit is in fluid communication with the electric fan.

9. The cooling system of claim 6 , wherein the tail cone comprises a scoop configured to divert the portion of core airflow configured to entrain the cooling air flow.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a cooling source in fluid communication with the conduit.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the cooling source is configured to flow the cooling air flow through the conduit to cool the plurality of conductive cables.

Assignees

• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

• Muldoon Marc J
• Rheaume Jonathan
• Taylor Stephen H

Classifications

• F05D2220/76

  an electrical generator · CPC title

• F01D15/10

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

• Y02T50/60

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

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F02C7/18 Primary

  the medium being gaseous, e.g. air {(F02C7/125 takes precedence)} · CPC title