Device and method for cooling a heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12542286-B2
Application number	US-202118029352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2021
Priority date	Sep 30, 2020
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for cooling a heat exchanger of a fuel cell of a flight propulsion drive outside of a flight phase of an aircraft. The flight propulsion drive has an air line with at least one compressor for feeding compressed air for the operation of the fuel cell. A flow amplifier is arranged in the region of the heat exchanger, and is configured to guide air onto a cooling surface of the heat exchanger, whereby thermal energy is diverted from the cooling surface of the heat exchanger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device for cooling a heat exchanger of a fuel cell of a flight propulsion drive outside of a flight phase of an aircraft, comprising:
the flight propulsion drive having an air line with at least one compressor having an output with a first branch and a second branch downstream of the at least one compressor; the first branch being in fluid communication with the fuel cell for feeding compressed air for operating the fuel cell; a cooling circuit loop with coolant therein and being in communication with the fuel cell and having a heat exchanger with a cooling surface in communication with the cooling circuit loop; a flow amplifier arranged proximal to the heat exchanger and in communication with second branch of the output of the at least one compressor, the flow amplifier being configured to conduct air onto the cooling surface of the heat exchanger, whereby compressed air is conducted to the flow amplifier from the second branch of the output to cool the heat exchanger and the coolant in the cooling circuit to remove heat from the fuel cell.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow amplifier operates according to the Venturi and/or the Coanda principles, to conduct air onto the cooling surface of the heat exchanger.

3 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein the flow amplifier is configured to also conduct ambient air, in addition to the compressed air, onto the cooling surface of the heat exchanger.

4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein a flow control valve is arranged upstream of the flow amplifier so that the air flow fed to the flow amplifier can be controlled by this valve.

5 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow amplifier is formed ring-shaped or annularly.

6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is arranged in the propulsion nacelle.

7 . The device according to claim 6 , wherein the flow amplifier is arranged in the inlet of the propulsion nacelle.

8 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one compressor includes multiple stages, and the branch is arranged downstream of a first stage.

9 . A method for cooling a heat exchanger of a fuel cell of a flight propulsion drive outside of a flight phase of an aircraft, wherein the flight propulsion drive has an air line with at least one compressor having an output with a first branch and a second branch downstream of the at least one compressor; the first branch being in fluid communication with the fuel cell for feeding compressed air for operating the fuel cell, comprising the steps of:
providing a cooling circuit loop with coolant therein and being in communication with the fuel cell and having a heat exchanger with a cooling surface in communication with the cooling circuit loop; providing a flow amplifier proximal to the heat exchanger and in communication with the second branch of the output of the at least one compressor; compressing air by at least one compressor of the flight propulsion drive; conducting the compressed air through the second branch of the output and through the flow amplifier onto the cooling surface of the heat exchanger; taking up the thermal energy from the cooling surface by the air flow; and removing the thermal energy with the air flow.

10 . The method for cooling a heat exchanger according to claim 9 , wherein the flow amplifier, in addition to the compressed air, also conducts ambient air onto a cooling surface of the heat exchanger.

Assignees

• MTU Aero Engines AG

Inventors

• Law Barnaby

Classifications

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• H01M8/04111

  using a compressor turbine assembly · CPC title

• H01M8/04074

  Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell · CPC title

• B64D33/08

  of power plant cooling systems · CPC title