Cooling System for Aerospace Vehicle Components

• US 20100132915A1
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Blanding, David E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,950,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/41
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/006 the air being used to cool structural parts of the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0614 with subsystems for cooling avionics
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/00 Equipment not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20854 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20863 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A cooling system for removing heat generated by electrical components onboard aerospace vehicles flows coolant between an evaporator that removes heat from the component, and a condenser within the skin of the vehicle. The skin is formed from facesheets comprising multiple layers of polymer resin reinforced with meshes of single and double wall nanotubes. The nanotubes conduct the heat directionally so as to both distribute the heat over the skin and direct the heat to the outer surface of the skin where the heat can be carried away by air flowing over the skin. The skin may also include conductive carbon foam surrounding the condenser to reduce thermal resistance between the condenser and the facesheets.

Claims

1. A composite skin for an aerospace vehicle, comprising:

a thermal distribution system for distributing heat from a heat source laterally through the skin; and

,

first and second facesheets on opposite sides of the thermal distribution system, at least the first facesheet being thermally conductive for conducting heat from the distribution system to a face of the skin.

2. The composite skin of claim 1, wherein the first facesheet includes—

a first layer of material for conducting heat laterally through the first facesheet, and,

a second layer of material contacting the first layer for conducting heat through the thickness of the first facesheet.

3. The composite skin of claim 1, wherein the first facesheet includes a layer of thermally conductive adhesive bonding the first layer to the second layer.

4. The composite skin of claim 2, wherein the first facesheet includes a third layer of material contacting the second layer for conducting heat laterally through the first facesheet.

5. The composite skin of claim 2, wherein the first layer of material includes a mesh of carbon nanotubes aligned in one direction within the first facesheet and held in a synthetic resin matrix.

6. The composite skin of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second facesheets includes:

a first layer including a mesh of single wall carbon nanotubes aligned in a first direction within the facesheet and held in a synthetic resin matrix, and

a second layer contacting the first layer, the second layer including a mesh of double wall carbon nanotubes aligned in a second direction transverse to the first direction and held in a synthetic resin matrix.

7. The composite skin of claim 1, wherein the first facesheet includes:

first and second layers each including synthetic resin reinforced with single wall carbon nanotubes unidirectionally aligned, and,

a third layer including synthetic resin between the first and second layers, the third layer being reinforced with double wall nanotubes aligned in a direction transverse to each of the alignment directions of the single wall nanotubes in the first and second layers.

8. The composite skin of claim 7, wherein the first facesheet includes:

a first thermally conductive film containing carbon nanofibers for bonding the first layer to the second layer, and

a second thermally conductive film containing carbon nanofibers for bonding the second layer to the third layer.

9. The composite skin of claim 1, wherein the thermal distribution system includes:

a heat transfer fluid, and

a serpentine heat exchanger between the first and second facesheets through which the heat transfer fluid may flow.

10. The composite skin of claim 1, further comprising a thermally conductive foam between the first and second facesheets for spreading the heat distributed by the thermal distribution system.

11. The composite skin of claim 10, wherein the conductive foam includes carbon.

12. The composite skin of claim 1, wherein the thermal distribution system include a heat exchanger in contact with at least one of the first and second facesheets.

13. A system for controlling heat generated by electronic components on-board an airplane, comprising:

a cooling system for absorbing heat from an electronic component and transferring the absorbed heat to a wing on the airplane; and

,

a thermally conductive skin on the wing connected with the cooling system for transferring the absorbed heat to air flowing over the wing.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the cooling system includes:

a first heat exchanger thermally coupled with the electronic component,

a second heat exchanger in the wing thermally coupled with the conductive skin, and

a heat transfer medium flowing between the first and second heat exchangers for conveying the absorbed heat to the wing.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the first heat exchanger includes an evaporator for vaporizing the heat transfer medium, and

the second heat exchanger includes a condenser for condensing the heat transfer medium.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the thermally conductive skin includes:

inner and on outer facesheets,

a layer of thermally conductive material between the inner and outer facesheets for conducting heat from the second heat exchanger to at least one of the inner and outer facesheets.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the inner and outer facesheets includes:

a first layer of material for conducting heat laterally through the plane of the at least one facesheet, and,

a second layer of material contacting the first layer for conducting heat transversely through the plane of the at least one facesheet.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one facesheet includes a third layer of material contacting the second layer for conducting heat laterally through the plane of the at least one facesheet.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first layer of material includes a synthetic resin reinforced with a mesh of carbon nanotubes aligned in one direction within the plane of the at least one facesheet.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the inner and outer facesheets includes:

first and second layers each including synthetic resin reinforced with single wall carbon nanotubes unidirectionally aligned, and,

a third layer including synthetic resin between the first and second layers, the third layer being reinforced with double wall nanotubes aligned in a direction transverse to each of the alignment directions of the single wall nanotubes in the first and second layers.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the thermally conductive material includes thermally conductive carbon foam.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the second heat exchanger includes a serpentine coil through which the heat transfer medium may flow, the serpentine coil including generally straight legs extending fore and aft in the wing, and sections connecting the ends of the legs.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the second heat exchanger includes a serpentine coil including portions in thermal contact with the thermally conductive skin.

24. The system of claim 14, further comprising a valve for controlling the flow of the heat transfer medium between the first and second heat exchangers.

25. A thermally conductive facesheet for use in the skin of an aerospace vehicle, comprising:

a first layer of thermally conductive material for conducting heat in a first direction laterally through the skin, and,

a second layer of thermally conductive material contacting the first layer for conducting heat in a second direction transverse to the first direction.

26. The composite skin of claim 25, wherein the facesheet further comprises a layer of thermally conductive adhesive bonding the first layer to the second layer.

27. The composite skin of claim 25, wherein the facesheet further comprises a third layer of thermally conductive material contacting the second layer for conducting heat in a third direction laterally through the skin.

28. The composite skin of claim 26, wherein the first layer of material includes a mesh of carbon nanotubes aligned in the first direction and held in a synthetic resin matrix.

29. The composite skin of claim 25, wherein:

the first layer includes a mesh of single wall carbon nanotubes aligned in the first direction and held in a synthetic resin matrix, and

the second layer includes a mesh of double wall carbon nanotubes aligned in the second direction and held in a synthetic resin matrix.

30. The composite skin of claim 27, wherein the third layer includes a synthetic resin reinforced with nanotubes aligned in the third direction.

31. A method of cooling an electronic component on-board an aircraft, comprising the steps of:

(A) transferring heat from an electronic component to a coolant;

(B) flowing the coolant through at least a section of a wing on the aircraft; and

,

(C) transferring heat in the coolant to a surface of the wing.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein step (A) includes evaporating the coolant to absorb the heat from the electronic component.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein step (B) includes distributing the flow of coolant through the wing by passing the coolant through a serpentine coil.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein step (C) includes condensing the coolant to release heat contained in the coolant.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein step (A) includes:

placing the electronic component in a thermally conductive enclosure, and

conducting heat from the electronic component to the coolant through the enclosure.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein step (C) includes conducting the heat from coolant tubes to the wing surface.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of:

(D) distributing the heat through the wing by conducting the heat through a conductive foam.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein step (C) includes:

spreading the heat across a first layer of material,

conducting the heat from the first layer to a second layer, and

spreading the heat across the second layer.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein spreading the heat across the first and second layer is performed by conducting the heat through carbon nanotubes.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein conducting the heat from the first layer to the second layer is performed by conducting the heat through carbon nanotubes.