Combined surface cooler and acoustic absorber for turbomachines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9938931-B2
Application number	US-34246608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2008
Priority date	Dec 23, 2008
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A surface cooler for turbomachines includes an inner layer and an outer layer disposed adjacent to the inner layer and including a metal foam, a carbon foam, or a combination thereof, wherein the metal foam, the carbon foam or a combination thereof is configured to augment heat transfer and enhance acoustic absorption. Further, the outer layer includes a plurality of fins, wherein the plurality of fins are configured to augment heat transfer and enhance acoustic absorption, and wherein the plurality of fins includes metal foam, a carbon foam, or a combination thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surface cooler comprising:
an inner layer; and
an outer layer disposed adjacent to the inner layer and comprising a metal foam, a carbon foam, or a combination thereof, wherein the metal foam, the carbon foam or a combination thereof is configured to augment heat transfer and enhance acoustic absorption, wherein the outer layer comprises a plurality of fins and the plurality of fins comprises a metal foam, a carbon foam, or a combination thereof.

2. The surface cooler of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of tubes disposed in the inner layer, wherein the plurality of tubes are configured to carry fluid to be cooled.

3. The surface cooler of claim 1 , wherein the inner layer comprises a solid metal.

4. The surface cooler of claim 1 , wherein the inner layer comprises a metal foam, a carbon foam or a combination thereof.

5. The surface cooler of claim 1 , further comprising a trailing edge, a leading edge, or a combination thereof, disposed on one or more ends of the plurality of fins.

6. The surface cooler of claim 5 , wherein the trailing edge, the leading edge or a combination thereof are configured to cover at least a portion of an edge of the plurality of fins.

7. The surface cooler of claim 5 , wherein the trailing edge, the leading edge, or a combination thereof comprise a metal.

8. The surface cooler of claim 1 , wherein the outer layer comprise a carbon foam having a thermal conductivity in a range of from 150 W/m·K to 390 W/m·K.

9. The surface cooler of claim 1 , wherein the outer layer comprises an aluminum foam having a thermal conductivity of 189 W/m·k.

10. The surface cooler of claim 1 , wherein the outer layer has a porosity in a range of 75% to 95% of the volume of the outer layer.

11. The surface cooler of claim 1 , wherein the outer layer is a closed-cell foam.

12. The surface cooler of claim 1 , wherein the outer layer is an open-celled foam.

13. The surface cooler of claim 1 , wherein the outer layer comprises gas-filled pores.

14. A method of forming a surface cooler, comprising:
forming an inner layer;
forming an outer layer adjacent to the inner layer, wherein the outer layer comprises a metal foam, a carbon foam, or a combination thereof, and wherein the metal foam, the carbon foam, or a combination thereof is configured to augment heat transfer and enhance acoustic absorption and machining the outer layer to form a plurality of fins, wherein the fins are configured to augment heat transfer and acoustic absorption.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising disposing a plurality of tubes in the inner layer, wherein the plurality of tubes are configured to carry fluid to be cooled.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the inner layer comprises a solid metal.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the inner layer comprises a metal foam, a carbon foam, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising disposing the surface cooler along an outer wall of a turbomachine.

19. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the outer layer has a porosity in a range of 75% to 95% of the volume of the outer layer.

20. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the outer layer is an open-celled foam.

21. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the outer layer comprises gas-filled pores.

22. An engine comprising:
a core engine; and
a surface cooler according to claim 1 .

23. The engine of claim 22 , wherein the surface cooler is disposed adjacent to a nacelle wall of the engine.

24. The engine of claim 22 , wherein the surface cooler is disposed adjacent to an inner wall of the engine.

Assignees

• Wood Trevor Howard
• Wetzel Todd Garrett
• Luedke Jonathan Glenn
• Tucker Thomas Michael
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Wood Trevor Howard
• Wetzel Todd Garrett
• Luedke Jonathan Glenn
• Tucker Thomas Michael

Classifications

• F05D2300/224

  Carbon, e.g. graphite · CPC title

• Y10T29/4935

  Heat exchanger or boiler making · CPC title

• F02K1/827 Primary

  Sound absorbing structures or liners · CPC title

• F01D25/12

  Cooling · CPC title

• F05D2300/612

  Foam · CPC title