AIRCRAFT THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20160280387A1
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Snape, Nathan, Hill, James D., Suciu, Gabriel L., Merry, Brian D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,082,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/14 of fluids in the plant , e.g. lubricant or fuel F02C7/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/213 by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/232 characterized by the cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/98 Lubrication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An aircraft thermal management system includes a first fluid system containing a first fluid, a fluid loop containing a thermally neutral heat transfer fluid, a second fluid system containing a second fluid, a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the first fluid to the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid, and a second heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid to the second fluid. The fluid loop is configured to provide the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid to the first heat exchanger at a pressure that matches the pressure of the first fluid.

Claims

1. An aircraft thermal management system comprising:

a first fluid system containing a first fluid;

a fluid loop containing a thermally neutral heat transfer fluid;

a second fluid system containing a second fluid;

a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the first fluid to the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid, wherein the fluid loop is configured to provide the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid to the first heat exchanger at a pressure that matches the pressure of the first fluid; and

a second heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid to the second fluid.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid loop is configured to provide the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid to the second heat exchanger at a pressure that matches the pressure of the second fluid.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first fluid operates at a pressure between about 1379 kPa (200 psi) and about 20684 kPa (3000 psi).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first fluid operates at a temperature between about 16°

C. (60°

F.) and about 1093°

C. (2000°

F.).

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first fluid operates at a pressure range that is greater than a pressure range of the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid and the pressure range of the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid is greater than a pressure range of the second fluid.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid is selected from the group consisting of mixtures of biphenyl and diphenyl oxides, incompressible heat transfer fluids, mixtures of water and glycol, and combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first fluid is engine bleed air operating at a pressure range between about 3447 kPa (500 psi) and about 6895 kPa (1000 psi) and a temperature range between about 482°

C. (900°

F.) and about 816°

C. (1500°

F.).

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second fluid is fan air operating at a pressure range between about 138 kPa (20 psi) and about 1517 kPa (220 psi) and a temperature range less than about 93°

C. (200°

F.).

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first fluid is oil or fuel, and wherein the first pressure range is between about 1379 kPa (200 psi) and about 20,684 kPa (3000 psi) and the first temperature range is between about 16°

C. (60°

F.) and about 149°

C. (300°

F.).

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger is a plate-fin type heat exchanger.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger is a tube-shell type heat exchanger.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein a difference between pressures of the first fluid and the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid in the first heat exchanger is less than about 6895 kPa (1000 psi).

13. The system of claim 1, wherein a difference between temperatures of the first fluid and the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid is less than about 760°

C. (1400°

F.).

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first fluid is oil operating at a pressure range between about 1379 kPa (200 psi) and about 3103 kPa (450 psi), and wherein the second fluid operates at a pressure range between about 1379 kPa (200 psi) and about 3103 kPa (450 psi).

15. A method for cooling a fluid on an aircraft, the method comprising:

delivering the fluid to a first side of a first heat exchanger at a first pressure;

delivering a thermally neutral heat transfer fluid to a second side of the first heat exchanger at a second pressure that matches the first pressure, wherein heat is transferred from the fluid to the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid in the first heat exchanger;

delivering the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid to a first side of a second heat exchanger at a third pressure; and

delivering a second fluid to a second side of the second heat exchanger at a fourth pressure that matches the third pressure, wherein heat is transferred from the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid to the second fluid in the second heat exchanger.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first pressure is between about 1379 kPa (200 psi) and about 20684 kPa (3000 psi), and wherein the second pressure range is between about 1379 kPa (200 psi) and about 3103 kPa (450 psi).

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first fluid is selected from the group consisting of compressor bleed air, turbine cooling air, oil and fuel, and wherein the thermally neutral heat exchange fluid is selected from the group consisting of mixtures of biphenyl and diphenyl oxides, incompressible heat transfer fluids, mixtures of water and glycol, and combinations thereof.