Annular Heat Exchanger Transduct Segments for Engine Cooling

Solution Overview

Problem

Current heat exchange systems in gas turbine engines for cooling high pressure hot bleed air are overly complex, leading to significant pressure loss and weight increase due to frictional losses in elaborate piping, resulting in negligible thrust benefit and increased specific fuel consumption.

Innovation Solution

An annular heat exchanger design featuring curvilinear plates and transduct segments with radially layered cooling channels, enhancing heat transfer efficiency by maximizing cooling fluid flow through the heat transfer area and minimizing pressure loss.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If elaborate piping is used to route cooler fan duct bleed air to the heat exchanger, then heat exchange function is achieved, but pressure loss increases significantly due to frictional losses from bends and turns

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat exchange functionVSAvoidpressure loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The heat exchanger is integrated directly into the fan duct structure, merging the cooling function with the existing ductwork. This eliminates the need for separate elaborate piping systems and their associated frictional losses, while maintaining effective heat exchange between the fan duct air and the hot bleed air.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The fan duct itself serves as an intermediary medium for heat transfer. By using the fan duct air as the cooling medium that flows through or alongside the heat exchanger passages, the system eliminates long piping runs and directly utilizes the available cool air source for heat exchange.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If elaborate piping is used to route cooler fan duct bleed air, then heat exchange function is achieved, but aircraft weight increases due to complex piping structure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat exchange functionVSAvoidpiping weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The heat exchanger is integrated directly into the fan duct structure, merging the cooling function with the existing ductwork. This eliminates the need for separate elaborate piping systems and their associated frictional losses, while maintaining effective heat exchange between the fan duct air and the hot bleed air.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The fan duct structure serves multiple functions: it provides the aerodynamic ducting for fan air flow and simultaneously serves as the heat exchange structure. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated separate piping, reducing overall system weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Temperature

If cooler fan duct bleed air is discharged overboard after heat exchange, then cooling function is achieved, but thrust benefit is negligible due to pressure loss

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling functionVSAvoidthrust loss

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The heat exchanger is integrated directly into the fan duct structure, merging the cooling function with the existing ductwork. This eliminates the need for separate elaborate piping systems and their associated frictional losses, while maintaining effective heat exchange between the fan duct air and the hot bleed air.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The fan duct air that provides cooling continues to flow through the engine system and can be reused or properly discharged, maintaining its useful action throughout the system rather than being wasted. The continuous flow minimizes disruption to the engine's thrust-generating airflow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

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

The annular heat exchanger design significantly improves heat transfer efficiency, minimizing pressure loss and weight while maintaining thrust potential, thereby reducing specific fuel consumption and aircraft weight.

Implementation Method 1

the hotter high pressure air gives up some of its thermal energy to the cooler fan duct bleed air

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Heat Exchanger

Data Source

PatentUS10344674B2Heat exchanger for embedded engine applications: transduct segments

Publication Date: 2019.07.09 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO

AI summary

A transduct segment, that can include a main tube extending from a first end to a second end and defining a hollow passageway therethrough, a lower platform attached to an outer surface of the main tube on first side of an aperture defined within the main tube, and an upper platform attached to the outer surface of the main tube on second side of the aperture that is opposite of the first side, is provided. The upper platform is integral with the lower platform to define a supply channel therebetween, and the supply channel is in fluid communication with the hollow passageway of the main tube through the aperture defined by the main tube. The lower platform and the upper platform define an interface defining a plurality of channels in fluid communication with the hollow passageway defined by the main tube.