Tube thermal coupling assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017191766-A1
Application number	US-201514984349-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 30, 2015
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A thermal coupling assembly for facilitating thermal transfer between a heat source and a heat sink is provided herein. The thermal coupling assembly includes a thermally conductive element, an insulative wrap, and a cover. The thermally conductive element includes a first end wall configured to engage a surface of the heat source, a second end wall configured to engage a surface of the heat sink, and a body including a thermal conductor. The insulative wrap at least partially surrounds the thermally conductive element, the heat source, and the heat sink. The cover at least partially surrounds at least one of said insulative wrap, the thermally conductive element, the heat source, and the heat sink.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A thermal coupling assembly comprising:
a thermally conductive element comprising:
a first end wall configured to engage a surface of a heat source;
a second end wall configured to engage a surface of a heat sink; and
a body comprising a thermal conductor;
an insulative wrap at least partially surrounding said thermally conductive element, the heat source, and the heat sink; and a cover at least partially surrounding at least one of said insulative wrap, said thermally conductive element, the heat source, and the heat sink.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat source and the heat sink comprise elongate members, which extend in parallel for a predetermined distance.

3 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said body comprises a pair of opposing side walls having a concave cross-section.

4 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said cover comprises a pair of opposing side walls having a concave cross-section.

5 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first end wall comprises a surface complementary to the surface of the heat source, and said second end wall comprises a surface complementary to the surface of the heat sink.

6 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said heat source and said heat sink comprises a piping member.

7 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said body comprises a metallic foam having a thermal conductivity of approximately 1950 W/mK.

8 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said cover comprises a polished metal insulative cover having an emissivity between 0.1 and 0.45.

9 . A method of thermally coupling a heat source and a heat sink, said method comprising:
coupling a thermally conductive element to the heat source and the heat sink, the thermally conductive element including a first end wall configured to engage a surface of the heat source, a second end wall configured to engage a surface of the heat sink, and a body including a thermal conductor; wrapping an insulative member around the thermally conductive element, the heat source, and the heat sink; and encasing the insulative member, the thermally conductive element, the heat source, and the heat sink in a cover.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein coupling the thermally conductive element to the heat source and the heat sink comprises coupling the thermally conductive element to the heat source and the heat sink comprising elongate members that extend in parallel for a predetermined distance.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein coupling the thermally conductive element to the heat source and the heat sink comprises coupling the thermally conductive element to the heat source and the heat sink comprising piping members.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising providing the thermally conductive element including the first end wall having a surface complementary to the surface of the heat source and the second end wall having a surface complementary to the surface of the heat sink.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
providing the thermally conductive element including the body having a pair of opposing side walls having a concave cross-section; and providing the cover having a pair of opposing side walls having a concave cross-section.

14 . A turbofan engine comprising:
a core engine; a fuel management system configured to provide fuel to said core engine; and a thermal coupling assembly coupled to said fuel management system, said thermal coupling assembly comprising:
a thermally conductive element comprising:
a first end wall configured to engage a surface of a heat source of said fuel management system;
a second end wall configured to engage a surface of a heat sink of the said management system; and
a body comprising a thermal conductor;

an insulative wrap at least partially surrounding said thermally conductive element, the heat source, and the heat sink; and
a cover at least partially surrounding at least one of said insulative wrap, said thermally conductive element, the heat source, and the heat sink.

15 . The turbofan engine of claim 14 , wherein the heat source and the heat sink comprise elongate members, which extend in parallel for a predetermined distance.

16 . The turbofan engine of claim 15 , wherein the heat source and the heat sink comprise piping members of said fuel management system.

17 . The turbofan engine of claim 14 , wherein said body comprises a pair of opposing side walls having a concave cross-section.

18 . The turbofan engine of claim 14 , wherein said cover comprises a pair of opposing side walls having a concave cross-section.

19 . The turbofan engine of claim 14 , wherein said first end wall comprises a surface complementary to the surface of the heat source, and said second end wall comprises a surface complementary to the surface of the heat sink.

20 . The turbofan engine of claim 14 , wherein said body comprises a metallic foam having a thermal conductivity of approximately 1950 W/mK, and wherein said cover comprises a polished metal insulative cover having an emissivity between 0.1 and 0.45.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Karatas Caner
• Yoruk Hasan

Classifications

• F05D2300/612

  Foam · CPC title

• F05D2300/224

  Carbon, e.g. graphite · CPC title

• F05D2300/10

  Metals, alloys or intermetallic compounds · CPC title

• F02C7/222

  Fuel flow conduits, e.g. manifolds · CPC title

• F28D2021/0026

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