Nose cone assembly and method of circulating air in a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016298540-A1
Application number	US-201514685325-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 13, 2015
Priority date	Apr 13, 2015
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A nose cone assembly for a gas turbine engine and method of circulating air in a gas turbine engine are disclosed. The nose cone assembly includes a nose cone having an aperture communicating air to an interior space of the nose cone and a discharge member communicating the air out of the nose cone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A nose cone assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising:
a nose cone having an aperture communicating air to an interior space of the nose cone; a discharge member communicating the air out of the nose cone; and a heat exchanger disposed forward of the discharge member in the interior space.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the discharge member discharges the air at a discharge location forward of a fan of the gas turbine engine when the nose cone assembly is mounted to the gas turbine engine.

3 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of heat exchangers disposed forward of the discharge member in the interior space; and a plurality of apertures disposed adjacent the plurality of heat exchangers and communicating air to the interior space.

4 . The assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a guide member disposed in fluid communication between the plurality of heat exchangers and the discharge member to guide the air toward the discharge member.

5 . The assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of conduits circulating fluid through the discharge member and the plurality of heat exchangers.

6 . The assembly of claim 5 , wherein at least one conduit of the plurality of conduits is in fluid communication with at least two heat exchangers of the plurality of heat exchangers.

7 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the discharge member includes a pump that draws the air out of the interior space.

8 . The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the pump is driven by a shaft of the gas turbine engine when the nose cone assembly is mounted to the gas turbine engine.

9 . A gas turbine engine assembly comprising:
a fan section including a fan; a nose cone having an aperture communicating air to an interior space of the nose cone; a discharge member communicating the air out of the nose cone at a discharge location forward of the fan when the nose cone assembly is mounted to the gas turbine engine; and a heat exchanger disposed forward of the discharge member in the interior space.

10 . The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced heat exchangers disposed forward of the discharge member in the interior space.

11 . The assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a guide member disposed in fluid communication between the plurality of heat exchangers and the discharge member to guide the air toward the discharge member.

12 . The assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of conduits circulating fluid through the discharge member and the plurality of heat exchangers.

13 . The assembly of claim 12 , wherein at least one conduit of the plurality of conduits is in fluid communication with at least two heat exchangers of the plurality of heat exchangers.

14 . The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the discharge member includes a pump that draws air out of the interior space.

15 . The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the pump is driven by a shaft of the gas turbine engine.

16 . A method of circulating air in a gas turbine engine comprising:
providing a nose cone having an aperture and an interior space; providing a heat exchanger in the interior space; providing a discharge member; circulating air through the aperture; circulating the air through the heat exchanger in the interior space; and discharging the air out of the discharge member.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
providing a plurality of heat exchangers in the interior space; and circulating the air through the plurality of heat exchangers in the interior space.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising circulating oil through the plurality of heat exchangers and the discharge member.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising circulating the air through the aperture and the plurality of heat exchangers with a pump.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein discharging the air comprises discharging the air at a discharge location forward of a fan of the gas turbine engine when the nose cone is mounted to the gas turbine engine.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Suciu Gabriel L
• Chandler Jesse M
• Hipsky Harold W
• Zywiak Thomas M

Classifications

• F02C7/18

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

• F01D25/12

  Cooling · CPC title

• F02C7/14

  of fluids in the plant {, e.g. lubricant or fuel (F02C7/185 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B64C11/14

  Spinners · CPC title

• F05D2260/213

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