Turboprop-powered aircraft with thermal system
First Claim
1. A turboprop-powered medium altitude long endurance aircraft, comprising:
- a heat exchanger having an air flow channel interlaced with a heat-storage material;
an air inlet arranged to input external air from ground-based cooling air and/or a ram air scoop directly into the air flow channel so as to cool the heat-storage material; and
an air recirculation path including the air flow channel;
whereinthe heat exchanger is configured to cool recirculating air flowing through the air flow channel; and
the air recirculation path is arranged to allow the recirculating air to provide cooling from the air flow channel to the turboprop-powered medium altitude long endurance aircraft.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are disclosed for a turboprop-powered medium altitude long endurance (MALE) aircraft, having: a heat exchanger with a heat-storage material, for example a heat-storage wax; and an air recirculation path. The heat exchanger can be arranged to cool air recirculating around the air recirculation path which is arranged to provide cooling to the MALE aircraft, for example to an equipment bay. The heat-storage material may be cooled by ground-based cooling apparatus when the aircraft is on the ground and/or by ram air when the aircraft is in flight. The heat-storage material may have a melting point selected so as to be rendered solid during ground-based cooling and/or ram air cooling, and/or selected so as to undergo melting while cooling the air recirculating around the air recirculation path.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A turboprop-powered medium altitude long endurance aircraft, comprising:
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a heat exchanger having an air flow channel interlaced with a heat-storage material; an air inlet arranged to input external air from ground-based cooling air and/or a ram air scoop directly into the air flow channel so as to cool the heat-storage material; and an air recirculation path including the air flow channel;
whereinthe heat exchanger is configured to cool recirculating air flowing through the air flow channel; and the air recirculation path is arranged to allow the recirculating air to provide cooling from the air flow channel to the turboprop-powered medium altitude long endurance aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of thermally managing a turboprop-powered medium altitude long endurance aircraft, the method comprising:
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providing a heat exchanger having an air flow channel interlaced with a heat-storage material; using external air input from ground-based cooling air and/or a ram air scoop directly into the heat exchanger from an air inlet via the air flow channel to cool the heat-storage material; and cooling, after using the external air input from ground-based air and/or the ram air scoop to cool the heat-storage material of the heat exchanger, the turboprop-powered medium altitude long endurance aircraft with recirculated air passed via the air flow channel. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for thermally managing a turboprop-powered medium altitude long endurance aircraft, the system comprising:
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a heat exchanger; a heat-storage material; an air inlet; an air flow channel; an air recirculation path; external air from ground-based cooling air and a ram air scoop; wherein the air flow channel is interlaced with the heat-storage material; wherein the air inlet is arranged to input the external air into the heat exchanger so as to cool the heat-storage material within the heat exchanger; wherein the heat exchanger is configured to cool recirculating air around the air recirculation path; wherein the air recirculation path is arranged to allow the recirculating air to provide aircraft cooling air; and a thermal control system configured to provide cooling of the heat-storage material in the heat exchanger using the external air from the air inlet into the air flow channel; and after the cooling of the heat-storage material, provide cooling, with the recirculated air cooled via the air flow channel, the turboprop-powered medium altitude long endurance aircraft.
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Specification