Supersonic Engine Cooling System With Nested Heat Exchanger
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Supersonic engines face challenges in cooling due to high gas temperatures and limited cooling fluid availability, with traditional film cooling techniques being ineffective, especially in managing heat transfer regions created by shockwaves.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system comprising a conduit with a heat exchanger disposed within its surface, featuring plural passageways and unit cells that direct gas and cooling fluid in different directions, facilitating heat exchange and mitigating boundary layer separation through shockwave-induced pressure changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional film cooling techniques are used, then cooling effect is achieved, but cooling fluid availability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is divided into multiple unit cells (e.g., 200 unit cells) that are fluidly coupled to form plural passageways. Each unit cell contains internal structures that direct cooling fluid through specific paths, segmenting the cooling function into distributed units that collectively manage heat transfer across the conduit surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger is disposed within the surface of the conduit, with the heat exchanger itself containing plural passageways within its structure. The unit cells are nested within the heat exchanger, creating a nested configuration where smaller cooling structures are embedded within larger thermal management components.
2Temperature
If cooling flow is increased to manage heat, then component temperatures are controlled, but engine efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger with its plural passageways and unit cells provides localized cooling at specific hot spots on the conduit surface where shockwaves impinge. Rather than uniformly cooling the entire engine, the system targets specific regions experiencing high heat transfer, allowing other regions to maintain higher temperatures optimal for combustion efficiency.
3Stress or pressure
If shockwaves are used to increase gas pressure, then combustion is enhanced, but boundary layer separation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger acts as an intermediary structure between the shockwaves and the conduit surface. It provides a controlled thermal exchange interface that manages the interaction between high-pressure shockwave regions and the boundary layer, preventing direct adverse effects while maintaining the pressure-enhancing benefits of shockwaves.
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 effectively reduces surface temperatures and mitigates boundary layer separation by exchanging heat between the gas and cooling fluid, enhancing thermal management in supersonic engines despite limited cooling fluid availability.
Implementation Method 1
The heat exchanger cools the gas by exchanging heat from the gas to the cooling fluid within the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
exchanging heat from the gas to the cooling fluid within the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
The conduit receives a supersonic engine-generated shockwave that impinges on the surface of the conduit at an impingement location
Implementation Method 4
mitigates boundary layer separation by exchanging heat between the gas and cooling fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling system includes a conduit extending from an upstream end to a downstream end and retains a gas. A heat exchanger is fluidly coupled with and disposed within a surface of the conduit. A portion of the gas is directed into the heat exchanger via one or more passages extending between the conduit and the heat exchanger, and a portion of the gas is directed out of the heat exchanger via the one or more passages. The heat exchanger directs cooling fluid in one or more directions within the heat exchanger along one or more passageways of plural passageways. The heat exchanger directs the portion of the gas in one or more directions within the heat exchanger along one or more other passageways of the plural passageways. The heat exchanger cools the gas by exchanging heat from the gas to the cooling fluid within the heat exchanger.