Heat exchanger assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9810150-B2
Application number	US-201514826380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2015
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A heat exchanger assembly for a gas turbine engine including a frame, including a non-planar outer wall, a non-planar inner wall spaced radially inward from the non-planar outer wall to form a frame cavity therebetween, an inlet side extending between the non-planar outer wall and the non-planar inner wall, an inlet passage extending through the inlet side, an outlet side extending between the non-planar outer wall and the non-planar inner wall opposite the inlet side; an outlet passage extending through the outlet side, and a continuous non-planar core disposed within the frame cavity and in flow communication with the inlet passage and the outlet passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising:
a frame comprising:
a non-planar outer wall;
a non-planar inner wall spaced radially inward from the non-planar outer wall to form a frame cavity therebetween;
an inlet side extending between the non-planar outer wall and the non-planar inner wall;
an inlet passage extending through the inlet side;
an outlet side extending between the non-planar outer wall and the non-planar inner wall opposite the inlet side;
an outlet passage extending through the outlet side;
the non-planar outer wall, the non-planar inner wall, the inlet side, and the outlet side defining a frame cavity therebetween;
a continuous non-planar core disposed within the frame cavity and in flow communication with the inlet passage and the outlet passage;
a first diffuser, including a first diffuser cavity, disposed within the frame cavity, wherein the first diffuser is in flow communication with the continuous non-planer core; and
at least one first vane disposed within the first diffuser cavity.

2. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the continuous non-planar core comprises: at least one non-planar channel, wherein the at least one non-planar channel is in flow communication with the inlet passage and the outlet passage;
and a plurality of cooling fins operably coupled to the at least one non-planar channel.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , further comprising a second diffuser, including a second diffuser cavity, disposed within the frame cavity, wherein the second diffuser is in flow communication with the continuous non-planar core.

4. The heat exchanger of claim 3 , further comprising at least one second vane disposed within the second diffuser cavity.

5. The heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the frame and the continuous non-planar core are formed using an additive manufacturing technique.

6. A gas turbine engine assembly comprising:
a core gas turbine engine;
a nacelle circumscribing the core gas turbine engine to create a fan bypass duct; and a heat exchanger assembly disposed within the fan bypass duct, wherein the heat exchanger assembly comprises:
a frame comprising:
a non-planar outer wall;
a non-planar inner wall spaced radially inward from the non-planar outer wall to form a frame cavity therebetween;

an inlet side extending between the non-planar outer wall and the continuous non-planar inner wall;
an inlet passage extending through the inlet side;
an outlet side extending between the non-planar outer wall and the non-planar inner wall opposite the inlet side;
an outlet passage extending through the outlet side;
the non-planar outer wall, the non-planar inner wall, the inlet side, and the outlet side defining a frame cavity therebetween;

a continuous non-planar core disposed within the frame cavity and in flow communication with the inlet passage and the outlet passage;
a first diffuser, including a first diffuser cavity, disposed within the frame cavity, wherein the first diffuser is in flow communication with the continuous non-planer core; and
at least one first vane disposed within the first diffuser cavity.

7. The gas turbine engine assembly of claim 6 , wherein the continuous non-planar core comprises:
at least one non-planar channel, wherein the at least one non-planar channel is in flow communication with the inlet passage and the outlet passage;
and a plurality of cooling fins operably coupled to the at least one non-planar channel.

8. The gas turbine engine assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a second diffuser, including a second diffuser cavity, disposed within the frame cavity, wherein the second diffuser is in flow communication with the continuous non-planar core.

9. The gas turbine engine assembly of claim 8 , wherein at least one second vane is disposed within the second diffuser cavity.

10. The gas turbine engine assembly claim 6 , wherein the frame, and continuous non-planar core are formed using an additive manufacturing technique.

11. A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger assembly comprising: performing an additive manufacturing process to form a non-planar outer wall, a non-planar inner wall spaced radially inward from the non-planar outer wall to form a frame cavity there between, and a continuous non-planar core disposed within the frame cavity; and
forming a first diffuser, including a first diffuser cavity, within the frame cavity, wherein the first diffuser is in flow communication with the continuous non-planar core and at least one first vane within the first diffuser cavity.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
performing an additive manufacturing process to form an inlet side extending between the non-planar outer wall and the non-planar inner wall, and an outlet side extending between the non-planar outer wall and the non-planar inner wall opposite the inlet side;
wherein an inlet passage extends through the inlet side, and an outlet passage extends through the outlet side; and
wherein the continuous non-planar core is in flow communication with the inlet passage and the outlet passage.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising: performing an additive manufacturing process to form at least one non-planar channel, within the continuous non-planar core, wherein the at least one non-planar channel is in flow communication with the inlet passage and the outlet passage, and a plurality of cooling fins operably coupled to the at least one non-planar channel.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
performing an additive manufacturing process to form the first diffuser.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of performing comprises: defining a three-dimensional model of the heat exchanger assembly; and
converting the three-dimensional model to a plurality of slices that each define a cross-sectional layer of the heat exchanger assembly.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Schmitz John T
• Ott Joe
• Kironn Lexia
• Butcher Evan

Classifications

• F05D2220/20

  within closed fluid conduits, e.g. pipes · CPC title

• F02C7/14 Primary

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

• F28F2255/00

  Heat exchanger elements made of materials having special features or resulting from particular manufacturing processes · CPC title

• F05D2250/20

  Three-dimensional · CPC title

• F05D2250/71

  curved · CPC title