MECHANICALLY DRIVEN AIR VEHICLE THERMAL MANAGEMENT DEVICE

• US 20180045068A1
• Filed: 08/11/2016
• Published: 02/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Brinson, Thomas Edward, Gemin, Paul Robert
• Granted Patent: US 11,203,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/06 the air being conditioned pressurising B64D13/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0618 with arrangements for reducing or managing bleed air, using another air source, e.g. ram air
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/10 of gas-turbine type jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/24 by selectively cooling-heating stator or rotor components
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 13/003 with at least two independent shafts, i.e. cross-compound
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 13/006 one being a reverse turbine
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 13/02 Working-fluid interconnection of machines or engines
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/12 Combinations with mechanical gearing driven by multiple engines F01D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/02 Blade-carrying members, e.g. rotors rotors of non-bladed type F01D1/34; stators F01D9/00 ; selecting particular materials F01D5/28
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/12 Cooling of plants of component parts, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. F01D; cooling of engines in general F01P
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/32 Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/36 Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/321 for axial flow compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/5826 Cooling at least part of the working fluid in a heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/323 for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/24 for turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/60 Shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/213 by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/40311 of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/606 Bypassing the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2309/004 : using a compressor of the rotary type
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2309/005 : using an expander of the rotary type
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 9/004 : the refrigerant being air
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 9/008 : the refrigerant being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 9/10 : with several cooling stages
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 9/14 : characterised by the cycle used, e.g. Stirling cycle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 : Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to an aircraft power generation system including a reverse Brayton cycle system, a gas turbine engine, and a gearbox. The gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a turbine section, and an engine shaft. The compressor section is arranged in serial flow arrangement with the turbine section. The engine shaft is rotatable with at least a portion of the compressor section and with at least a portion of the turbine section. The reverse Brayton cycle system includes a compressor, a driveshaft, a turbine, and a first exchanger. The driveshaft is rotatable with the compressor or the turbine, and the compressor, the first heat exchanger, and the turbine are in serial flow arrangement. The gearbox is configured to receive mechanical energy from the engine shaft and transmit mechanical energy to the reverse Brayton cycle system through the driveshaft.

Claims

1. An aircraft power generation system, comprising:

a gas turbine engine including a compressor section, a turbine section, and an engine shaft, the compressor section arranged in serial flow arrangement with the turbine section, and the engine shaft rotatable with at least a portion of the compressor section and with at least a portion of the turbine section;

a reverse Brayton cycle system, including a compressor, a driveshaft, a turbine, and a first exchanger, the driveshaft rotatable with the compressor or the turbine, and the compressor, the first heat exchanger, and the turbine in serial flow arrangement; and

a gearbox, wherein the gearbox is configured to receive mechanical energy from the engine shaft and transmit mechanical energy to the reverse Brayton cycle system through the driveshaft.

2. The system in claim 1, further comprising:

a thermal management system; and

a working fluid, wherein the working fluid is in the reverse Brayton cycle system, and wherein the working fluid is in fluid communication with the thermal management system.

3. The system in claim 2, wherein the thermal management system further comprises an environmental control system, and wherein the environmental control system is in fluid communication with the reverse Brayton cycle system.

4. The system in claim 1, wherein the reverse Brayton cycle system further comprises a second heat exchanger, and wherein the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the turbine, and the second heat exchanger are in an operatively closed loop arrangement.

5. The system in claim 4, further comprising:

a thermal management system in thermal communication with the reverse Brayton cycle system.

6. The system in claim 4, wherein the reverse Brayton cycle system further comprises a working fluid, and wherein the working fluid is a compressible fluid.

7. The system in claim 1, wherein the gas turbine engine further comprises an active clearance control system, wherein the active clearance control system is configured in thermal communication with the reverse Brayton cycle system.

8. The system in claim 1, further comprising:

an electrical powertrain.

9. The system in claim 8, wherein the driveshaft is rotatable with the gearbox, the reverse Brayton cycle system, and the electrical powertrain in serial arrangement.

10. The system in claim 9, further comprising:

a propulsion device, wherein the propulsion device is coupled to the electrical powertrain in serial arrangement.

11. The system in claim 8, wherein the electrical powertrain is mechanically coupled to the gearbox, and wherein the electrical powertrain is in parallel arrangement to the reverse Brayton cycle system.

12. The system in claim 11, further comprising:

a propulsion device, wherein the propulsion device is coupled to the electrical powertrain in serial arrangement.

13. The system in claim 1, further comprising:

a second gearbox.

14. The system in claim 13, wherein the driveshaft is rotatable with the gearbox, the reverse Brayton cycle system, and the second gearbox in serial arrangement.

15. The system in claim 14, further comprising:

a propulsion device, wherein the propulsion device is coupled to the second gearbox in serial arrangement.

16. The system in claim 13, wherein the second gearbox is mechanically coupled to the gearbox, and wherein the second gearbox is in parallel arrangement to the reverse Brayton cycle system.

17. The system in claim 13, further comprising:

a gear driven system, wherein the gear driven system is in serial arrangement to the second gearbox, and wherein the second gearbox is configured to transmit mechanical energy to the gear driven system.

18. The system in claim 1, further comprising:

a gear driven system, wherein the gear driven system is mechanically coupled to the gearbox, and wherein the gear driven system is in parallel arrangement to the reverse Brayton cycle system.

19. The system in claim 1, wherein the driveshaft rotational speed is proportional to the engine shaft rotational speed.

20. The system in claim 1, wherein the gearbox is configured to output a variable rotational speed to the driveshaft relative to the rotational speed of the engine shaft.