Tilted Heat Exchanger Cooling for Vertical Thrust Unit Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for vehicle engine units, particularly in aviation vehicles, fail to provide sufficient thermal management when one of multiple vertical thrust units fails, leading to potential overheating and reduced operational time, especially in high ambient temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system with a coolant storage container and a heat exchanger tilted to optimize airflow, combined with a phase change material to absorb thermal energy, ensuring extended operation time and preventing overheating by increasing coolant volume and thermal capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a conventional cooling system is used without additional coolant storage, then the system structure remains simple, but the operational time before overheating begins is insufficient when a vertical thrust unit fails
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system pre-fills an additional coolant storage container before operation begins. This preliminary action ensures that sufficient coolant is available in advance to handle extended operational periods or failure scenarios, directly increasing the duration of action without requiring complex active control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an additional coolant storage container that can be relatively simple in design, accepting that the coolant itself is a consumable resource. This approach prioritizes extending operational time using a straightforward, somewhat disposable solution rather than investing in complex, reusable thermal management systems.
2Temperature
If the heat exchanger is positioned parallel to the airflow direction, then the structural integration is simpler, but the cooling efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is tilted at a specific angle (20-40 degrees) relative to the airflow direction, creating a localized optimization of heat transfer characteristics. This angular positioning improves the thermal exchange efficiency between the coolant and ambient air by maximizing the exposed surface area to the cooling flow, while the tilt angle range balances performance with structural considerations.
3Reliability
If multiple vertical thrust units are operated simultaneously, then the vehicle can maintain flight, but the thermal load on the cooling system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The additional coolant storage container serves as a thermal buffer or cushion that is prepared in advance. When multiple thrust units operate simultaneously or when one unit fails and others compensate, this pre-positioned coolant reserve absorbs the increased thermal load, preventing overheating and maintaining flight reliability without requiring active system changes.
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 extends operational time by 30%-50% when one vertical thrust unit fails, providing adequate cooling even in high ambient temperatures, ensuring safe landing and preventing overheating of critical components.
Implementation Method 1
the coolant container with the coolant stored therein is configured to absorb thermal energy
Implementation Method 2
combined with a phase change material to absorb thermal energy
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger connected to the motor
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle including a boom having a first opening at a first surface and a second opening at an opposite second surface, a channel extending in a first direction between the first and second openings and connecting the first opening with the second opening and a heat exchanger arranged in the channel, where the heat exchanger is tilted with respect to the first direction.