Thermoplastic Annular Portion for Air Compressor Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air compressors for aircraft face challenges in achieving high compression ratios while minimizing mass and volume, as traditional thermal management solutions like thermal barriers and cooling systems increase weight and size, and risk overheating that can damage electronic components.
Innovation Solution
A centrifugal air compressor design featuring a metallic compression wheel and a thermoplastic annular portion with non-metallic elements, where the thermoplastic material has thermal expansion matching the metallic material, reducing thermal conductivity and preventing mechanical detachment, and using carbon-filled polyetheretherketone (PEEK) for the annular portion to minimize mass and thermal impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a thermal barrier made of titanium or stainless steel is placed on the compressor body, then the thermal conductivity is reduced enabling higher compression ratios, but the mass and volume of the air compressor significantly increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a metallic volute (aluminum or aluminum alloy) with a thermoplastic annular portion containing non-metallic elements (glass beads, ceramic particles, or mineral fillers). This composite structure provides thermal insulation comparable to titanium or stainless steel barriers but with significantly reduced density and mass, resolving the contradiction between thermal conductivity reduction and mass minimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by selecting a thermoplastic matrix with specific base thermal conductivity and adjusting the type, amount, and distribution of non-metallic elements to achieve the desired thermal insulation properties. This parameter optimization allows the compressor to achieve high compression ratios while maintaining low mass, avoiding the need for heavy metal thermal barriers.
2Temperature
If a cooling system is integrated with the air compressor body, then the temperature is controlled preventing overheating, but the mass and volume of the air compressor significantly increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the thermal management function from a separate cooling system and integrates it directly into the compressor body structure through the thermoplastic annular portion. This integrated thermal insulation layer passively manages temperature by reducing thermal conductivity at the source, eliminating the need for additional active cooling systems and their associated mass and volume.
3Productivity
If the compression ratio is increased to achieve higher performance, then the compression efficiency is improved, but the temperature rises causing overheating that can damage electronic components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful thermal energy generated during compression into a manageable parameter by using the thermoplastic annular portion with non-metallic elements as a thermal buffer. This material absorbs and dissipates the heat generated during high-ratio compression, allowing the compressor to maintain high productivity without damaging electronic components, effectively turning the thermal byproduct into a controlled aspect of the compression process.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a metallic material is used for the volute to match thermal expansion with the compression wheel, then mechanical separation is prevented, but the mass of the air compressor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system where the metallic volute provides thermal expansion compatibility with the compression wheel, while the thermoplastic annular portion with non-metallic elements provides thermal insulation. This differentiated material assignment allows the metallic component to maintain mechanical stability through thermal expansion matching while the composite insulation layer reduces overall mass compared to using solid metal throughout the compressor body.
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 allows for high air compression ratios with reduced risk of overheating, minimizing the mass of the air compressor and preventing damage to electronic components, while maintaining low density and thermal expansion compatibility.
Implementation Method 1
The thermoplastic material of the annular portion, for its part, limits the thermal conductivity of the air compressor body
Implementation Method 2
the thermoplastic material exhibiting a thermal expansion corresponding to that of the metallic material
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an air compressor comprising a centrifuge-type compression wheel defining an axial direction (DA) and a radial direction (DR), an air admission opening extending circumferentially around the compression wheel and opening up onto a compression piece (150), the compression piece (150) comprising a first part (151) forming a volute (152) for the ejection of compressed air which is mounted facing the compression wheel in the radial direction (DR), and an at least partially annular second part (153) extending around the first part (151), the second part (153) comprising a central opening (156) receiving at least part of the compression wheel and an air deviation torus (154), the volute (152) consisting of a metal material and the torus (154) consisting of a thermoplastic material loaded with non-metal elements, the thermal expansion of the thermoplastic material corresponding to that of the metal material.