Turbine Engine Heat Exchanger for Bleed Air Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbine engines operating at high temperatures face damage to hot gas path components, and existing cooling systems that use compressor bleed air can increase drag due to bleeding air from the fan duct.
Innovation Solution
A turbine engine assembly with a heat exchanger that transfers heat between compressed air from a booster compressor and a high-pressure compressor to cool the bleed air, increasing mass flow and reducing drag by channeling cooled air to air-cooled components without using bypass duct air.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If bypass air is channeled from fan duct to cool compressor bleed air, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but drag on turbine engine assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the cooling function from the bypass air system and relocates it to compressor bleed air. By taking out the harmful effect (drag from bypass air bleeding) while preserving the useful effect (cooling), the system achieves cooling without the adverse drag penalty. The cooling function is extracted from the fan duct bypass system and implemented through compressor bleed air instead.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a heat exchanger as an intermediary device between the compressor bleed air and the air-cooled components. This intermediary enables heat transfer from the bleed air to the components without requiring direct contact or bypass air flow, thus achieving cooling while avoiding the drag associated with bypass air extraction.
2Temperature
If compressor bleed air is used to cool hot gas path components, then component temperature is reduced, but mass flow through high-pressure compressor decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temperature parameter of the compressor bleed air by passing it through a heat exchanger before it reaches the air-cooled components. This parameter change (cooling the bleed air) allows the air to absorb heat from the hot gas path components more effectively, providing cooling capability while maintaining the mass flow through the high-pressure compressor.
3Productivity
If turbine engine operates at increasingly high temperatures to improve performance, then engine efficiency increases, but damage to hot gas path components occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary cooling action to the compressor bleed air before it contacts the air-cooled components. By pre-cooling the bleed air through a heat exchanger, the system prepares the cooling medium in advance, enabling it to effectively absorb heat from hot gas path components and protect them from thermal damage while allowing the engine to operate at high temperatures for improved performance.
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 cooling system effectively reduces the temperature of compressor bleed air for air-cooled components, decreases drag, and can provide additional propulsion by utilizing the cooled air flow.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger configured to receive a second portion of the flow of first compressed air from the booster compressor and a first portion of the flow of second compressed air from the high-pressure compressor such that heat is transferred therebetween
Data Source
AI summary
A turbine engine assembly is provided. The assembly includes a booster compressor that discharges a flow of first compressed air at a first temperature, and a high-pressure compressor (HPC). The HPC receives a first portion of the flow of first compressed air and discharges the first portion at a second temperature higher than the first temperature such that a flow of second compressed air is formed. The assembly also includes a heat exchanger (HEX) that receives a second portion of the flow of first compressed air from the booster compressor and a first portion of the flow of second compressed air from the HPC such that heat is transferred therebetween. The HEX discharges the first portion of the flow of second compressed air at a third temperature lower than the second temperature and higher than the first temperature such that a flow of cooled bleed air is formed.