Air-Cooled Engine Surface Cooler with Spaced-Apart Fins
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current air-cooled surface coolers for turbomachines are space-constrained, obstruct airflow, and incur aerodynamic losses, limiting their ability to efficiently dissipate increasing heat loads, which is critical for modern turbofan/turbojet engines due to weight and size constraints.
Innovation Solution
A surface cooler design featuring a plate-like layer with spaced-apart, thermally conductive fins that increase turbulence and mixing of airflow, enhancing the heat transfer coefficient without unfavorable pressure drops, using materials like solid metals, metal foams, or carbon foams, and fluidic conduits to channel fluids for cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the surface cooler size is increased to handle higher heat loads, then heat transfer performance is improved, but device weight and occupied space increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the fin structure by introducing spaced-apart fins with specific pitch ratios (0.5-2.0) and height ratios (0.5-2.0) relative to the plate thickness. These parameter changes create optimal turbulence and mixing in the airflow path, enhancing heat transfer coefficient without requiring increased cooler size, thus resolving the contradiction between heat transfer performance and device weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a plate-like layer with spaced-apart fins that create a porous-like structure for airflow. This structure allows controlled turbulence and mixing while maintaining a compact form factor, enabling effective heat transfer without increasing the overall cooler size and weight.
2Temperature
If traditional plate-fin coolers are used to dissipate heat, then heat transfer area is increased, but aerodynamic losses and drag increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions of different fin spacing and heights within the cooler structure. The spaced-apart fins create localized turbulence zones that enhance heat transfer only where needed, rather than uniformly across the entire surface. This localized approach improves heat dissipation while minimizing overall aerodynamic drag and energy losses.
3Loss of energy
If cooler fins are mounted flush with the aft fan cowling to reduce drag, then aerodynamic losses are reduced, but available mounting space is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the third dimension by extending fins perpendicular to the plate-like layer in a spaced-apart configuration. This vertical dimensionality allows the cooler to achieve sufficient heat transfer area without increasing the horizontal footprint, enabling effective heat dissipation within the limited mounting space while maintaining flush mounting for reduced drag.
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
This design reduces the size and weight of the surface cooler while maintaining or improving heat transfer performance, addressing thermal constraints and aerodynamic losses, thereby enhancing engine efficiency and reducing specific fuel consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of spaced-apart fins are configured to augment heat transfer of the surface cooler by increasing the turbulence levels of a fluid flowing through the airflow paths
Implementation Method 2
increasing the turbulence levels of a fluid flowing through the airflow paths by promoting increased mixing
Implementation Method 3
a plate-like layer comprising a thermally conductive material; and a plurality of spaced-apart fins extending substantially perpendicular from an uppermost layer of the plate-like layer. The plurality of fins comprising a thermally conductive material
Implementation Method 4
augment heat transfer of the surface cooler by increasing the turbulence levels of a fluid flowing through the airflow paths
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A surface cooler comprises a plate-like layer and a plurality of spaced-apart fins extending substantially perpendicular from an uppermost layer of the plate-like layer. The plurality of fins defining a plurality of air flow paths. The plurality of spaced-apart fins are configured to augment heat transfer of the surface cooler by increasing the turbulence levels of a fluid flowing through the airflow paths by promoting increased mixing with a resulting increase in the heat transfer coefficient of the surface cooler. A method of forming the surface cooler and an engine including the surface cooler.