Gas Turbine Thermal Transport Bus for Shared Accessory Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines have inefficient heat exchanger configurations, leading to excessive size, weight, and resource utilization due to dedicated heat exchangers for individual accessory systems, which operate at varying capacities.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system with a thermal transport bus and heat exchange fluid, featuring a pump and multiple heat source exchangers along the bus, with a heat sink exchanger downstream for efficient heat transfer and allocation, allowing for selective use of heat sink exchangers based on operational needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dedicated heat exchangers are used for each accessory system, then each system can be cooled independently, but the number of heat exchangers increases and they operate inefficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple dedicated heat exchangers into a single shared heat exchanger that serves multiple accessory systems. The shared heat exchanger receives cooling demand from various systems (e.g., lubrication system, environmental control system) and fulfills their cooling requirements through a common cooling loop, thereby reducing the total number of heat exchangers while maintaining independent cooling capability for each system.
2Reliability
If heat exchangers are sized for maximum heat removal, then cooling capacity is sufficient, but the heat exchangers operate at nominal capacity most of the time
Solution Approach 1:
The shared heat exchanger is designed to fulfill multiple cooling functions for different accessory systems simultaneously or sequentially. By aggregating cooling demands from various systems, the heat exchanger operates at higher utilization rates while still providing sufficient cooling capacity for each individual system when needed, thereby improving overall productivity without compromising reliability.
3Reliability
If multiple dedicated heat exchangers are installed, then cooling redundancy is provided, but system weight and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple heat exchanger functions into a single shared unit, significantly reducing the total weight and size of the heat exchanger assembly. The shared heat exchanger is strategically positioned and designed to serve multiple accessory systems, thereby maintaining cooling redundancy through system-level architecture rather than through redundant hardware components.
4Reliability
If individual heat exchangers are used for each accessory system, then heat removal is guaranteed, but the system occupies excessive space
Solution Approach 1:
The shared heat exchanger is designed as a multi-functional component that handles cooling for multiple accessory systems within a single unit. This universal heat exchanger consolidates the space requirements of multiple individual heat exchangers into one compact installation, thereby reducing the total area occupied while ensuring adequate heat removal capacity for each connected 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
This configuration enables more efficient heat removal from accessory systems, reducing the number and size of heat exchangers required, optimizing resource use and maintaining desired temperature ranges while preventing fuel overheating and adding redundancy for system reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal transport bus having a heat exchange fluid flowing therethrough
Implementation Method 2
heat source exchangers in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid
Implementation Method 3
a pump for generating a flow of the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus
Data Source
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AI summary
A thermal management system 100 for a gas turbine engine and/or an aircraft is provided including a thermal transport bus 102 having a heat exchange fluid flowing therethrough. The thermal management system also includes a plurality of heat source exchangers 106 and at least one heat sink exchanger 108. The plurality of heat source exchangers and the at least one heat sink exchanger are in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus. The plurality of heat source exchangers are arranged along the thermal transport bus and configured to transfer heat from one or more accessory systems to the heat exchange fluid, and the at least one heat sink exchanger is located downstream of the plurality of heat source exchangers and configured to remove heat from the heat exchange fluid.