Aircraft Engine Thermal Management System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal management systems for power electronics in the aerospace industry are bulky and inefficient during startup, as they rely on bypass air for cooling, which is not available during motionless activities, and fail to provide adequate cooling while maintaining lightweight and compact designs with increasing power requirements.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system for aircraft engines that includes a coolant passage connected to an electronic device, with a generator fluidically linked through a coolant path that traverses a cooler area of the aircraft, utilizing a heat exchanger and pump to transfer heat from the device to a coolant, which is then cooled within the aircraft wing before being transferred to the generator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional bypass air cooling is used for power electronics, then cooling is provided during operation, but no cooling is available during startup or motionless activities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a coolant fluid as an intermediary substance to transfer heat from the power electronics. The coolant circulates through a closed-loop system with heat exchangers, enabling heat removal independent of aircraft motion or bypass air flow, thus ensuring cooling availability during startup and motionless conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a hydraulic coolant circulation system with pumps, heat exchangers, and fluid passages to actively manage thermal loads. This hydraulic approach replaces passive air cooling with an active fluid-based thermal management system that operates reliably during all flight phases
2Reliability
If typical packaging configurations are used for air cooled electronics, then cooling is achieved, but the design becomes bulky with high volume
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the thermal management system with existing aircraft structures by routing coolant passages through the fuselage and utilizing engine cooling systems. The belly fairing houses electronic devices with embedded coolant channels, merging structural, thermal, and aerodynamic functions to reduce overall volume
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the third dimension by routing coolant paths through the aircraft fuselage and wing structures, allowing heat exchangers to be positioned in thermally favorable locations. This spatial optimization enables compact packaging of power electronics without compromising cooling effectiveness
3Reliability
If typical packaging configurations are used for air cooled electronics, then cooling is provided, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system is integrated with existing aircraft structures including the fuselage, belly fairing, and engine nacelles. By utilizing existing structural components as heat exchanger surfaces and coolant pathways, the system avoids adding separate heavy cooling structures, thereby reducing overall weight
4Power
If power level requirements are increased for power electronics, then output power is improved, but thermal management becomes more challenging with existing systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system actively manages thermal parameters by varying coolant flow rates, heat exchanger surface areas, and thermal conductivity paths based on power level requirements. This enables the thermal management system to adapt to increasing power densities while maintaining reliable operation
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant fluid acts as a thermal intermediary that efficiently transfers heat from high-power electronics to distributed heat exchangers. This intermediary mechanism enables effective thermal management of high-power devices by decoupling the heat generation location from the heat dissipation locations throughout the aircraft structure
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system provides efficient and reliable thermal management, reducing size and weight while ensuring adequate cooling during startup, enhancing reliability and maintaining compactness.
Implementation Method 1
a coolant passage in thermal communication with an electronic device
Implementation Method 2
pumping a coolant through a passage of a body coupled to an electronic device, transferring heat from the electronic device to the coolant within the passage of the body
Implementation Method 3
transferring heat from the coolant to a first fluid within a heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft engine thermal management system includes a body having a coolant passage in thermal communication with an electronic device, wherein the body and the electronic device are located in a first portion of the aircraft. A generator is fluidically connected by a coolant path to the coolant passage wherein the generator is located in a second portion of the aircraft, with at least a portion of the coolant path is located within a cooling location having a lower average temperature than either the first portion or the second portion of the aircraft.