Aircraft surface cooler assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020200040-A1
Application number	US-201816225075-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2018
Priority date	Dec 19, 2018
Publication date	Jun 25, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A surface cooler having a first cooling passage section configured to be operably coupled to a fan casing of an aircraft engine, the cooling passage section having a heat exchanger body defining a first distal end and a second distal end and having a set of fluid passages internal to the heat exchanger body and a first set of fins located on a first exterior surface of the heat exchanger body and a manifold operably coupled to a first distal end of the cooling passage section and wherein the manifold includes a manifold body having an interior fluidly coupled to at least one of the set of fluid passages and a second set of fins located on the manifold body to define a finned manifold and a method for forming same.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fan casing assembly, comprising:
an annular fan casing having peripheral wall; an annular surface cooler operably coupled to the annular fan casing and having a first surface confronting the peripheral wall and a second surface opposite the first surface, the annular surface cooler, comprising:
a first cooling passage section configured to be operably coupled to the annular fan casing of an aircraft engine, the first cooling passage section having a heat exchanger body defining a first distal end and a second distal end and having a set of fluid passages internal to the heat exchanger body and a first set of fins located on a first exterior surface of the heat exchanger body; and
a manifold operably coupled to the first distal end of the first cooling passage section and wherein the manifold includes a manifold body having an interior fluidly coupled to at least one of the set of fluid passages and a second set of fins located on the manifold body to define a finned manifold.

2 . The fan casing assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second manifold operably coupled to the second distal end of the first cooling passage section and wherein the second manifold includes a second manifold body having a second interior fluidly coupled to at least one of the set of fluid passages and a third set of fins located on the second manifold body.

3 . The fan casing assembly of claim 2 wherein the finned manifold is a finned inlet/outlet manifold and the second manifold is a finned return manifold.

4 . The fan casing assembly of claim 3 wherein the annular surface cooler is an air cooled oil cooler.

5 . The fan casing assembly of claim 3 wherein the annular surface cooler includes at least one of an integrated drive generator surface cooler and a lube surface cooler.

6 . The fan casing assembly of claim 5 wherein the annular surface cooler includes both the integrated drive generator surface cooler and the lube surface cooler, each having a first cooling passage section, a finned inlet/outlet manifold, and a finned return manifold.

7 . The fan casing assembly of claim 6 wherein the lube surface cooler further comprises a third finned heat exchanger body having a set of internal fluid passages fluidly coupled to the finned inlet/outlet manifold at a first end.

8 . The fan casing assembly of claim 7 wherein the lube surface cooler further comprises another finned return manifold coupled to a second end of the third finned heat exchanger body.

9 . The fan casing assembly of claim 8 wherein the annular surface cooler with the finned manifolds and finned return manifolds provides for a substantially same heat transfer as an annular surface cooler having manifolds with no fins and the annular surface cooler with the finned manifolds has a reduced weight compared to the an annular surface cooler having manifolds with no fins.

10 . The fan casing assembly of claim 8 wherein the annular surface cooler with the finned manifolds and finned return manifolds provides for a significant specific fuel consumption improvement improved by at least 20% as compared to an annular surface cooler having manifolds with no fins.

11 . The fan casing assembly of claim 10 wherein the annular surface cooler with the finned manifolds and finned return manifolds provides for a specific fuel consumption improved by at least 50% as compared to an annular surface cooler having manifolds with no fins.

12 . A surface cooler assembly, comprising:
a cooling passage section having a heat exchanger body defining a first distal end and a second distal end and having a set of fluid passages internal to the heat exchanger body and a first set of fins located on a first exterior surface of the heat exchanger body; and a manifold operably coupled to the first distal end of the cooling passage section and wherein the manifold includes a manifold body having an interior fluidly coupled to at least one of the set of fluid passages and a second set of fins located exteriorly on the manifold body to define a finned manifold.

13 . The annular surface cooler assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a second manifold operably coupled to the second distal end of the cooling passage section and wherein the second manifold includes a second manifold body having a second interior fluidly coupled to at least one of the set of fluid passages and a third set of fins located on the second manifold body.

14 . The annular surface cooler assembly of claim 13 wherein the finned manifold is a finned inlet/outlet manifold and the second manifold is a finned return manifold.

15 . The annular surface cooler assembly of claim 14 , further comprising as second finned heat exchanger body having a set of internal fluid passages fluidly coupled to the finned inlet/outlet manifold at a first end and further comprising a second finned return manifold operably coupled to the second finned heat exchanger body at a second end of the second finned heat exchanger body.

16 . The annular surface cooler assembly of claim 13 wherein the surface cooler is an air cooled oil cooler.

17 . A method of forming a surface cooler, the method comprising:
extruding a cooling passage section configured to be operably coupled to a fan casing of an aircraft engine, the cooling passage section having a heat exchanger body defining a first distal end and a second distal end and having a set of fluid passages internal to the heat exchanger body; forming a first set of fins located on a first exterior surface of the heat exchanger body; forming a manifold having a manifold body having an interior and a second set of fins located on the manifold body; and fluidly coupling the interior of the manifold body and at least one of the set of fluid passages of the heat exchanger body.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein forming the manifold body comprises casting, machining, or extruding the manifold body.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein forming the second set of fins comprises additively manufacturing the second set of fins on the manifold body.

20 . The method of claim 19 wherein the second set of fins is formed from a second material different from a first material of the manifold body.

Assignees

• Unison Ind Llc

Inventors

• Jiang Hua
• Lighthill Anthony Lynn
• Moore James Michael
• Hundley Jr Walter Arthur
• Espinosa Ricardo Arturo Gutierrez
• Luschek Bernard Albert
• Mcqueen Dennis Alan
• Dreischarf Derek Thomas
• Storage Michael Ralph

Classifications

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• B64D2033/024

  comprising cooling means · CPC title

• B64D33/02

  of combustion air intakes · CPC title

• B64D29/00

  Power-plant nacelles, fairings or cowlings · CPC title

• F02C7/12 Primary

  Cooling of plants (of component parts, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. F01D; cooling of engines in general F01P) · CPC title