Integrated Pump Heat Exchanger for TMS Air-Oil Cooler
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Solution Overview
Problem
Newer gas turbine engine designs with lower fan pressure ratios result in larger, heavier, and more costly air-to-air heat exchangers due to reduced effectiveness, making them difficult to install and produce.
Innovation Solution
A pump system for the thermal management system that includes an impeller driven by a towershaft, connected to a mid-spool coupling a mid-pressure compressor to a mid-pressure turbine section, which increases pressure across heat exchangers, reducing their size and integrating them closely with the impeller discharge duct.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If fan pressure ratio is reduced in newer engine designs, then engine efficiency is improved, but heat exchanger size increases prohibitively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the pump function with the heat exchanger assembly by integrating the impeller directly into the heat exchanger housing. This merging allows the pump and heat exchanger to work as a unified system, where the pump increases pressure differential across the heat exchanger surfaces, enabling more compact heat exchanger design while maintaining effectiveness despite reduced fan pressure ratio
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pressure parameter by introducing a pump that increases the pressure differential across the heat exchanger. This parameter change compensates for the reduced fan pressure ratio, allowing the heat exchanger to maintain its effectiveness in a smaller size while the engine operates at optimized, lower fan pressure ratios
2Reliability
If heat exchanger size increases, then heat rejection effectiveness is maintained, but system weight and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pump and heat exchanger are merged into a single integrated assembly, sharing common structural components and mounting interfaces. This integration reduces overall system weight compared to separate components, while the pump ensures adequate pressure differential for effective heat rejection
Solution Approach 2:
By increasing the pressure differential through the integrated pump, the heat exchanger can achieve the required heat rejection effectiveness in a smaller, lighter package. The parameter change in pressure enables reduced heat exchanger size while maintaining thermal performance
3Reliability
If heat exchanger area increases, then heat transfer effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of pump and heat exchanger into a single assembly reduces the total number of discrete components that need to be manufactured, assembled, and tested. This merging simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces costs while achieving the required heat transfer effectiveness through the combined system
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 pump system reduces air-oil cooler size by over 80%, decreases overall system weight, and improves external packaging by enhancing heat exchanger integration and effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
an impeller having an intake for receiving air from the manifold and an outlet for discharging air to the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
two heat exchangers incorporated in the discharge manifold which forms part of the thermal management system
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
An engine includes a duct containing a flow of cool air and a pump system having an impeller with an inlet for receiving air from the duct and an outlet for discharging ai into a discharge manifold. The discharge manifold containin at least one heat exchanger which forms part of a thermal management system.