Self-cooling loop with electric ram fan for motor driven compressor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9470218-B2
Application number	US-201313889499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2013
Priority date	May 8, 2013
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

A motor driven compressor system includes a motor with an internal cooling loop. The internal cooling loop draws cooling air from outside the motor driven compressor system. At least one compressor is driven by the motor. A heat exchanger is in fluid communication with the at least one compressor and the cooling loop and is arranged in a ram air duct. An on board inert gas generating system (OBIGGS) for a gas turbine engine and a method of cooling the system utilizing such a compressor system are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motor driven compressor system for use in an on board inert gas generating system (OBIGGS), comprising:
a motor including an internal cooling loop, wherein the internal cooling loop draws cooling air from outside the motor driven compressor system;
at least one compressor driven by the motor; and
a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the at least one compressor and the cooling loop and arranged in a ram air duct; and
a fan arranged downstream from the heat exchanger in the ram air duct.

2. The motor driven compressor system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one compressor comprises a first compressor and a second compressor.

3. The motor driven compressor system of claim 1 , wherein the fan is an electric fan.

4. The motor driven compressor system of claim 1 , wherein the ram air duct feeds into an overboard exhaust downstream from the fan.

5. The motor driven compressor system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is an intercooler-type heat exchanger.

6. The motor driven compressor system of claim 1 , further comprising a bearing and rotor cooling loop separate from the internal cooling loop.

7. The motor driven compressor system of claim 6 , wherein the bearing and rotor cooling loop draws cooling air from an outlet of the heat exchanger.

8. The motor driven compressor system of claim 6 , wherein the bearing and rotor cooling loop feeds into the internal cooling loop.

9. The motor driven compressor system of claim 1 , further comprising an air separation module (ASM) configured to separate nitrogen-enriched air from oxygen-enriched air and in fluid communication with the heat exchanger.

10. An on board inert gas generating system (OBIGGS) for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
an air separation module (ASM) configured to separate nitrogen-enriched air from oxygen-enriched air;
a heat exchanger configured to cool air entering the ASM and arranged in a ram air duct; and
a motor driven compressor system feeding air into the ASM, and including a first compressor and a second compressor driven by a motor and an internal cooling loop, wherein the internal cooling loop draws cooling air from outside the OBIGGS, wherein air from the first compressor feeds into an overboard exhaust at a first mixing point and oxygen-enriched air feeds into the overboard exhaust at a second mixing point.

11. The OBIGGS of claim 10 , wherein a fan is arranged downstream from the heat exchanger and upstream from the overboard exhaust in the ram air duct.

12. The OBIGGS of claim 11 , wherein the second mixing points is downstream from the fan.

13. The OBIGGS of claim 11 , wherein the first and second mixing points are upstream from the fan.

14. The OBIGGS of claim 10 , wherein air exiting from the internal cooling loop is cooled by the heat exchanger.

15. The OBIGGS of claim 10 , further comprising a temperature regulator valve between the heat exchanger and the ASM.

16. A method of cooling an on board inert gas generating system (OBIGGS), comprising:
providing a motor driving at least one compressor;
providing a heat exchanger arranged in a ram air duct and configured to cool air passing to an air separation module (ASM) from the at least one compressor;
providing a fan arranged downstream from the heat exchanger in the ram air duct;
drawing cooling air from outside of the OBIGGS; and
providing the cooling air to a motor cooling loop.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising passing air exiting the cooling loop through the heat exchanger.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising drawing additional cooling air from an outlet of the heat exchanger and providing the additional cooling air to a bearing and rotor cooling loop.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising passing air exiting from the bearing and rotor cooling loop to the motor cooling loop.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising regulating a temperature of the air passing to the ASM from the at least one compressor.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Eowsakul Vanwijak

Classifications

• F04B39/066 Primary

  Cooling by ventilation · CPC title