Passive ventilation system for tail cone zone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12372010-B1
Application number	US-202418423446-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 26, 2024
Priority date	Jan 26, 2024
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A tail cone ventilation system including a tail cone case defining a tail cone interior and a tail cone exterior, the tail cone having a forward portion and an aft portion separated axially along a tail cone axis; a distribution manifold located within the tail cone interior proximate the forward portion, wherein the distribution manifold comprises nozzles arranged radially around the axis, the nozzles configured to direct a cooling air over at least one electronic component within the tail cone interior and along an inner surface of the tail cone case; an air inlet fluidly coupled with the distribution manifold through ducting, the air inlet located externally from the tail cone interior; and a tail cone discharge located proximate the tail cone aft portion, the tail cone discharge being fluidly coupled with the distribution manifold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tail cone ventilation system comprising:
a tail cone case defining a tail cone interior and a tail cone exterior, the tail cone having a forward portion and an aft portion separated axially along a tail cone axis;
a distribution manifold located within the tail cone interior proximate the forward portion, wherein the distribution manifold comprises nozzles arranged radially around the axis, the nozzles configured to direct a cooling air over at least one electronic component within the tail cone interior and along an inner surface of the tail cone case;
an air inlet fluidly coupled with the distribution manifold through ducting, the air inlet located externally from the tail cone interior; and
a tail cone discharge located proximate the tail cone aft portion, the tail cone discharge being fluidly coupled with the distribution manifold.

2. The tail cone ventilation system according to claim 1 , wherein the distribution manifold comprises a circular torus located concentric around the tail cone axis.

3. The tail cone ventilation system according to claim 1 , wherein the distribution manifold comprises more than one torus of varying circumferences, located at various distances from the tail cone forward portion along the tail cone axis.

4. The tail cone ventilation system according to claim 1 , wherein the air inlet comprises an air scoop design configured to receive air flowing past an outer surface.

5. The tail cone ventilation system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a conduit attached to the tail cone case at the tail cone exterior and to a pylon at an opposite end, the conduit comprising a cable chase having cable, the cable being in operative communication with the at least one electronic component within the tail cone interior, the cable chase being isolated from the tail cone interior by a firewall, a cooling supply fluidly coupled with the cable chase, the cooling supply configured to cool the cable within the cable chase.

6. The tail cone ventilation system according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a pylon air scoop fluidly coupled to the cable chase, wherein the pylon air scoop is configured to direct the cooling air to the cable chase through internal flow passages.

7. The tail cone ventilation system according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzles are configured to direct the cooling air along an inner surface of the tail cone case forming a cooling film layer.

8. A tail cone ventilation system comprising:
a gas turbine engine aft portion;
a tail cone case attached to the gas turbine aft portion; the tail cone case defining a tail cone interior and a tail cone exterior, the tail cone having a forward portion and an aft portion separated axially along a tail cone axis;
a distribution manifold located within the tail cone interior proximate the forward portion, wherein the distribution manifold comprises nozzles arranged radially around the axis, the nozzles configured to direct a cooling air over at least one electronic component and along an inner surface of the tail cone case;
an air inlet fluidly coupled with the distribution manifold through ducting, the air inlet located externally from the tail cone interior; and
a tail cone discharge located proximate the tail cone aft portion, the tail cone discharge being fluidly coupled with the distribution manifold.

9. The tail cone ventilation system according to claim 8 , further comprising:
insulation attached to the tail cone case between the tail cone interior and the tail cone exterior.

10. The tail cone ventilation system according to claim 8 , wherein the distribution manifold comprises a circular torus located concentric around the tail cone axis.

11. The tail cone ventilation system according to claim 8 , wherein the distribution manifold comprises more than one torus of varying circumferences, located at various distances from the tail cone forward portion along the tail cone axis.

12. The tail cone ventilation system according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a conduit attached to the tail cone case at the tail cone exterior and to a pylon at an opposite end, the conduit comprising a cable chase having cable, the cable being in operative communication with the at least one electronic component within the tail cone interior, the cable chase being isolated from the tail cone interior by a firewall, a cooling supply fluidly coupled with the cable chase, the cooling supply configured to cool the cable within the cable chase.

13. The tail cone ventilation system according to claim 8 , wherein the nozzles are configured to direct the cooling air along an inner surface of the tail cone case forming a cooling film layer.

14. A process for cooling a tail cone interior comprising:
attaching a tail cone case to a gas turbine engine aft portion, the tail cone case defining a tail cone interior and a tail cone exterior, the tail cone having a forward portion and an aft portion separated axially along a tail cone axis;
locating a distribution manifold within the tail cone interior proximate the forward portion;
forming nozzles on the distribution manifold, the nozzles arranged radially around the tail cone axis;
configuring the nozzles to direct a cooling air over at least one electronic component within the tail cone case;
configuring the nozzles to direct a cooling air along an inner surface of the tail cone case;
fluidly coupling an air inlet with the distribution manifold through ducting, the air inlet located externally from the tail cone interior;
locating a tail cone discharge proximate the tail cone aft portion; and
fluidly coupling the tail cone discharge with the distribution manifold.

15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the distribution manifold comprises a circular torus located concentric around the tail cone axis.

16. The process of claim 14 , wherein the distribution manifold comprises more than one torus of varying circumferences, located at various distances from the tail cone forward portion along the tail cone axis.

17. The process of claim 14 , further comprising:
attaching a conduit to the tail cone case at the tail cone exterior and to a pylon at an opposite end, the conduit comprising a cable chase having cable, the cable being in operative communication with the at least one electronic component within the tail cone interior, the cable chase being isolated from the tail cone interior by a firewall, a cooling supply fluidly coupled with the cable chase, the cooling supply configured to cool the cable within the cable chase.

18. The process of claim 14 , further comprising:
attaching insulation to the tail cone case between the tail cone interior and the tail cone exterior.

19. The process of claim 14 , further comprising:
configuring the nozzles to direct the cooling air along an inner surface of the tail cone case forming a cooling film layer.

20. The process of claim 14 , further comprising:
fluidly coupling a pylon air scoop to the cable chase; and
configuring the pylon air scoop to direct the cooling air to the cable chase through internal flow passages.

Assignees

• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Papa Federico
• Heims Eric J
• Rezvani Reza
• Qiu Yuan J
• Ackermann William K

Classifications

• F05D2260/232

  characterized by the cooling medium · CPC title

• F02C7/18

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

• F01D25/12

  Cooling · CPC title

• B05B1/207

  the elongated body being a closed loop · CPC title

• B05B1/005

  Nozzles or other outlets specially adapted for discharging one or more gases · CPC title