Pericritical Fluid Phase Control in Turbine Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in effectively monitoring and controlling the phase properties of pericritical fluids, such as supercritical and near-supercritical fluids, used in engine systems like turbine engines, which can impact engine operations and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A pericritical fluid system that includes sensors to monitor phase properties and a control system to adjust conditions, such as temperature and pressure, to maintain desired phase states, thereby ensuring optimal engine performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pericritical fluids are used in turbine engines for cooling and fuel purposes, then engine efficiency and thermal management performance are improved, but phase property variations and phase changes can negatively impact engine operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a control system that continuously monitors phase properties (temperature, pressure, density) of the pericritical fluid and adjusts system parameters in real-time to maintain optimal phase state, preventing phase changes that would compromise engine reliability while preserving efficiency benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts temperature and pressure parameters to maintain the pericritical fluid within its optimal phase state range, using controlled parameter variations to prevent phase transitions and ensure stable engine operation while maximizing thermal management performance
2Reliability
If pericritical fluids are maintained in near-supercritical or supercritical phase states, then cooling effectiveness and fuel performance are improved, but precise monitoring and control of phase properties becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The control system integrates multiple sensors and control functions into a unified system that simultaneously monitors temperature, pressure, and density while executing control actions, reducing the complexity of managing separate monitoring and control systems for pericritical fluid phase state maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical phase monitoring systems with electronic sensors and digital control systems that can precisely measure and respond to phase property changes, simplifying the monitoring process while maintaining high precision control of the pericritical 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 enables precise control of pericritical fluid phase properties, improving engine efficiency, thermal management, and fuel system performance by maintaining optimal phase states under varying conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a pericritical fluid may be utilized in a near-supercritical or supercritical state to cool various fluid streams or components of the engine
Implementation Method 2
the engine may be configured for the pericritical fluid to be utilized in a pericritical phase state, such as in a near-supercritical phase state and/or in a supercritical phase state
Data Source
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AI summary
A pericritical fluid system (400) for a thermal management system (200) associated with a turbine engine (102) includes one or more sensors configured to generate sensor outputs corresponding to one or more phase properties of a pericritical fluid flowing through a cooling circuit of the thermal management system, and a controller is configured to generate control commands configured to control one or more controllable components of the thermal management system based at least in part on the sensor outputs. The one or more sensors include one or more phase detection sensors, being an acoustic sensor.