Elevated Pump Thermal Management for Gas Turbine Engines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal management systems for gas turbine engines face inefficiencies in heat removal and operability, particularly due to suboptimal spatial orientation of components and reliance on conventional heat exchangers, which can lead to reduced reliability and durability during various operating conditions.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system with a thermal transport bus, heat source exchangers, and a pump assembly, where the pump is positioned elevated to utilize natural convection and prevent liquid ingestion, incorporating supercritical thermal fluids for improved heat transfer and operability, and featuring a pump protection device to ensure the fluid remains in a supercritical state, enhancing reliability and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional heat exchangers are used in thermal management systems, then heat removal capability is provided, but system reliability and operability are reduced due to suboptimal spatial orientation and liquid ingestion risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by positioning the pump at the highest point in the system rather than at the lowest point. This inversion prevents liquid ingestion into the pump by ensuring that any liquid separates and drains away from the pump inlet, thereby improving reliability and operability while maintaining heat removal capability through the thermal transport bus and heat exchangers.
2Reliability
If pump is positioned at lowest point, then liquid drainage is facilitated, but liquid ingestion into pump increases reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is positioned at the highest point in the system, inverting the conventional lowest-point placement. This inversion prevents liquid from reaching the pump inlet through gravity-driven separation, where liquid drains away from the pump rather than toward it, eliminating the harmful effect of liquid ingestion and improving pump reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal transport bus serves as an intermediary element that connects heat sources to heat exchangers without requiring the pump to be positioned at the lowest point. This intermediary structure allows the pump to be relocated to the highest point while maintaining effective heat removal through the closed-loop thermal management system.
3Productivity
If supercritical fluids are used, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases due to phase state management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes supercritical fluids by changing the physical state parameter of the working fluid to a supercritical phase, which provides superior heat transfer efficiency. The pump positioning at the highest point and the closed-loop thermal transport bus design simplify the management of this phase state by using gravity-driven liquid separation and continuous circulation, thereby reducing operational complexity despite the advanced fluid state.
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 system achieves improved operability, reliability, and durability by efficiently managing heat through optimized component placement and the use of supercritical fluids, allowing for effective heat transfer and reduced risk of fluid phase imbalances, thus enhancing the overall performance of the gas turbine engine.
Implementation Method 1
the pump is positioned elevated to utilize natural convection
Implementation Method 2
incorporating supercritical thermal fluids for improved heat transfer
Implementation Method 3
featuring a pump protection device to ensure the fluid remains in a supercritical state
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for operating a thermal management system of a gas turbine engine. The method includes: operating the gas turbine engine to start-up the gas turbine engine; receiving data indicative of a state of a thermal transport bus of the thermal management system using a sensor, the state of the thermal transport bus including a phase of a thermal fluid within the thermal transport bus; and starting a pump of a pump assembly in response to receiving data indicative of the state of the thermal transport bus of the thermal management system, the pump in fluid communication with the thermal transport bus.