Microchannel heat exchangers for gas turbine intercooling and condensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016177829-A1
Application number	US-201514623707-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2015
Priority date	Feb 21, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gas turbine engine heat exchange system includes a first microchannel heat exchanger (MCHX) configured to transfer heat between a first air stream and a working fluid. The first MCHX includes a plurality of air-passage layers. Each of the air-passage layers includes a plurality of etched air-passage microchannels that are configured to allow passage of the first air stream therethrough. The first MCHX also includes a plurality of working fluid layers. Each working fluid layer includes a plurality of etched working fluid microchannels that are configured to allow passage of the working fluid therethrough.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A gas turbine engine heat exchange system comprising a first microchannel heat exchanger (MCHX) configured to transfer heat between a first air stream and a working fluid, wherein the first MCHX comprises:
a first plurality of air-passage layers, wherein each air-passage layer of the first plurality of air-passage layers includes a first plurality of etched air-passage microchannels configured to allow passage of the first air stream therethrough; and a first plurality of working fluid layers, wherein each working fluid layer of the first plurality of working fluid layers includes a first plurality of etched working fluid microchannels configured to allow passage of the working fluid therethrough.

2 . The gas turbine engine heat exchange system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of etched air-passage microchannels are on a first side of each air-passage layer of the first plurality of air-passage layers and on a second side of each air-passage layer of the first plurality of air-passage layers, and wherein the first side is opposite the second side.

3 . The gas turbine engine heat exchange system of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of etched air-passage microchannels converge at a first end of each air-passage layer of the first plurality of air-passage layers.

4 . The gas turbine engine heat exchange system of claim 1 , wherein an inner dimension of each etched air-passage microchannel of the first plurality of etched air-passage microchannels and each etched working fluid microchannel of the first plurality of etched working fluid microchannels is no less than 0.005 inches and no more than 0.120 inches.

5 . The gas turbine engine heat exchange system of claim 1 , further comprising a second MCHX functionally connected with the first MCHX, wherein the second MCHX comprises:
a second plurality of air-passage layers, wherein each air-passage layer of the second plurality of etched air-passage layers includes a second plurality of etched air-passage microchannels configured to allow the passage of a bypass air stream therethrough; and a second plurality of working fluid layers, wherein each working fluid layer of the second plurality of working fluid layers includes a second plurality of etched working fluid microchannels configured to allow the passage of the working fluid therethrough, and wherein the gas turbine engine heat exchange system is configured to transport a quantity of heat from the first air stream to the bypass air stream.

6 . The gas turbine engine heat exchange system of claim 5 , wherein the first MCHX is an intercooler MCHX and the second MCHX is a condenser MCHX.

7 . The gas turbine engine heat exchange system of claim 1 , the first MCHX further comprising a first plurality of sealing layers bonded to the first plurality of working fluid layers such that a single sealing layer of the first plurality of sealing layers is bonded to a single working fluid layer of the first plurality of working fluid layers to create a first plurality of working and sealing layer sets.

8 . The gas turbine engine heat exchange system of claim 7 , wherein each air-passage layer of the first plurality of air-passage layers is diffusion bonded between two working and sealing layer sets of the first plurality of working and sealing layer sets.

9 . The gas turbine engine heat exchange system of claim 7 , wherein each working and sealing layer set of the first plurality of working and sealing layer sets comprises:
an etched internal intake manifold, wherein the etched internal intake manifold is configured to distribute the working fluid to the first plurality of etched working fluid microchannels; and an etched internal outtake manifold, wherein the etched internal outtake manifold is configured to receive the working fluid from the first plurality of etched working fluid microchannels.

10 . The gas turbine engine heat exchange system of claim 9 , wherein the etched intake manifold and the etched outtake manifold of each working and sealing layer set of the first plurality of working and sealing layer sets surround a plurality of supports configured to support a sealing layer of the first plurality of sealing layers.

11 . The gas turbine engine heat exchange system of claim 9 , wherein the internal intake manifold has a dimensional volume different than the internal outtake manifold.

12 . A microchannel heat exchanger (MCHX) system configured to transport heat within a gas turbine engine, the MCHX system comprising:
a first MCHX comprising:
a first layer having a plurality of electrochemically etched air-passage microchannels configured to convey a first air stream through the first MCHX in a first direction; and
a second layer bonded to the first layer, the second layer having a plurality of electrochemically etched intercooler working fluid microchannels configured to convey a working fluid through the first MCHX in a second direction opposite the first direction.

13 . The MCHX system of claim 12 , further comprising a second MCHX fluidly coupled to the first MCHX exchanger, the second MCHX is configured to convey heat between a second air stream and the working fluid, and wherein the first air stream is a core air stream and the second air stream is a bypass air stream, and wherein the MCHX system is configured to convey heat between the core air stream and the bypass air stream.

14 . The MCHX system of claim 12 , wherein the first MCHX has a porosity between 0.30 and 0.70, and wherein the porosity is a sum of each void volume in the first MCHX divided by a total volume of the first MCHX.

15 . The MCHX of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of electrochemically etched air-passage microchannels converge at a first end of the first layer to converge a plurality of air streams passing through the MCHX, wherein the first air stream entering the plurality of electrochemically etched air-passage microchannels comprises the plurality of air streams passing through the MCHX.

16 . The MCHX system of claim 12 , wherein the second layer of the first MCHX further comprises:
an internal intake manifold electrochemically etched into the first layer, wherein the internal intake manifold is configured to convey the working fluid to the plurality of electrochemically etched working fluid microchannels; and an internal outtake manifold electrochemically etched into the first layer, wherein the internal outtake manifold is configured to receive the working fluid from the plurality of electrochemically etched working fluid microchannels.

17 . The MCHX system of claim 16 , wherein an internal volume of the internal intake manifold is less than an internal volume of the internal outtake manifold.

18 . A method of conveying a quantity of heat within a gas turbine engine comprising:
passing an air stream from a gas turbine engine through a plurality of etched microchannel air passages of a first heat exchanger; and passing a working fluid through a plurality of etched microchannel working fluid passages of the first heat exchanger such that a quantity of heat is transferred between the working fluid and the air stream.

19 . The method of conveying the quantity of heat within the gas turbine engine of claim 18 , wherein an inner dimension of each passage of the plurality of etched microchannel working fluid passages and each passage of the plurality of etched microchannel air passages is no less than 0.005 inches and no more than 0.120 inches.

20 . The method of conveying a qua

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp
• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• Loebig James C
• Dejulio Emil R

Classifications

• F28D2021/0026

  for combustion engines, e.g. for gas turbines or for Stirling engines · CPC title

• F28F2275/061

  by diffusion bonding · CPC title

• F28F2260/00

  Heat exchangers or heat exchange elements having special size, e.g. microstructures · CPC title

• F28D9/0031

  the conduits for one heat-exchange medium being formed by paired plates touching each other (F28D9/0012, F28D9/0025, F28D9/0081, F28D9/04 take precedence) · CPC title

• F02C7/143

  before or between the compressor stages · CPC title