Combined pump system for engine TMS AOC reduction and ECS loss elimination

• US 9,470,153 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Suciu, Gabriel L., Glahn, Jorn A., Merry, Brian D., Dye, Christopher M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sung, Gerald L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Linderman, Eric
• Application Number:
  US13/253,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• Field of Search: 607/92, 602/261, 602/62, 60/390.8, 602/66
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/09 of the centripetal type
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/103 the compressor being of the centrifugal type
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/107 with two or more rotors connected by power transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/04 Gas-turbine plants providing heated or pressurised working fluid for other apparatus, e.g. without mechanical power output F02C6/18 takes precedence ; for a fluidised-bed combustor F02C3/205
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/14 of fluids in the plant , e.g. lubricant or fuel F02C7/185 takes precedence
• 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: F02C 9/16 Control of working fluid flow F02C9/48 takes precedence; control of air-intake flow F02C7/057
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A compression pump for an engine is provided. The pump may include a first pump impeller operatively coupled to a main shaft of the engine, a first inlet configured to at least partially receive bypass airflow, and a first outlet configured to direct compressed air to a thermal management system. The first pump impeller may be rotatably fixed about a common axis of the compression pump. Additionally the compression pump may extend radially to one exterior side of the engine. Furthermore the compression pump can be coupled to the main shaft of the engine by an engine towershaft. A first intake manifold may be coupled to a first inlet of the compression pump and a first discharge manifold may be couple to a first outlet of the compression pump which may have one or more heat exchangers.

Claims

1. A compression pump for an engine, comprising:

a first radial pump impeller operatively coupled to a main shaft of the engine, the first radial pump impeller rotatably fixed about a common axis of the compression pump, the common axis of the compression pump nonparallel to a center axis of the engine;

a first inlet configured to at least partially receive bypass airflow;

a first outlet configured to direct compressed air to a thermal management system;

wherein the first radial pump impeller is coupled to the main shaft by an engine towershaft and wherein the engine towershaft rotatable about a longitudinal axis; and

wherein the compression pump is located within an engine core nacelle of the engine.

2. The compression pump of claim 1 further comprising a second pump impeller operatively coupled to the main shaft, a second inlet configured to at least partially receive bypass airflow, and a second outlet configured to direct compressed air to an environmental control system.

3. The compression pump of claim 2, wherein the first pump impeller and the second pump impellers are configured to compress air at different compression rates.

4. The compression pump of claim 1, wherein the first pump impeller is coupled to the main shaft by an engine towershaft.

5. The compression pump of claim 4, wherein the engine towershaft is coupled to at least one of a low pressure spool and a high pressure spool.

6. The compression pump of claim 1 further comprising an intake manifold that is coupled to the first inlet and configured to at least partially receive bypass airflow exiting a fan section.

7. The compression pump of claim 1, wherein the thermal management system includes one or more heat exchangers configured to maintain engine fluid temperatures.

8. The compression pump of claim 7, wherein the heat exchangers are at least partially configured in series.

9. A pump system for an engine, comprising:

a pump operatively coupled to a main shaft of the engine by an engine towershaft, the engine towershaft is rotatable about a longitudinal axis and radially extending to one exterior side of the engine;

a radial pump impeller rotatably fixed about the engine towershaft;

an intake manifold coupled to a first inlet of the pump; and

a first discharge manifold coupled to a first outlet of the pump and having one or more heat exchangers;

wherein an axis of rotation of the radial pump impeller is nonparallel to a central axis of the engine and

wherein the pump being configured to compress bypass airflow received through the intake manifold and output compressed air through at least the first discharge manifold.

10. The pump system of claim 9, wherein the pump includes one or more radial pump impellers that are rotated by the engine towershaft, the pump being configured to compress bypass airflow received through the intake manifold and output compressed air through at least the first discharge manifold, the first discharge manifold being configured to direct compressed air to a thermal management system.

11. The pump system of claim 9 further comprising a second discharge manifold that is coupled to a second outlet of the pump and configured to direct compressed air to an environmental control system.

12. The pump system of claim 9, wherein the engine towershaft is driven by at least one of a low pressure spool and a high pressure spool.

13. The pump system of claim 9, wherein the intake manifold is configured to intake bypass airflow exiting a fan section.

14. The pump system of claim 9, wherein the heat exchangers are at least partially configured in series.

15. A pump system for a turbine engine having a main shaft disposed within a core engine, the pump system comprising:

a first impeller disposed within a first chamber and operatively coupled to the main shaft, the first chamber having a first inlet and a first outlet, the first pump impeller rotatably fixed about a common axis of the pump system the common axis radially extending to one exterior side of the engine;

a second pump impeller disposed within a second chamber and operatively coupled to the main shaft, the second chamber having a second inlet and a second outlet, the second pump impeller rotatably fixed about the common axis of the pump system, the common axis radially extending to one exterior side of a core engine;

outlet a first discharge manifold coupled to the first outlet and configured to direct compressed air to a thermal management system; and

a second discharge manifold coupled to the second outlet and configured to direct compressed air to an environmental control system;

wherein the common axis of the pump system is nonparallel to the main shaft;

wherein an intake manifold is coupled to the first and second inlets and configured to at least partially receive bypass airflow exiting a fan section; and

wherein an engine towershaft is configured to couple the first and second pump impellers to the main shaft.

16. The pump system of claim 15 further comprising an intake manifold that is coupled to the first and second inlets and configured to at least partially receive bypass airflow exiting a fan section.

17. The pump system of claim 15 further comprising an engine towershaft configured to couple the first and second pump impellers to the main shaft.

18. The pump system of claim 15, wherein the first pump impeller and the second pump impeller are driven by at least one of a low pressure spool and a high pressure spool.

19. The pump system of claim 15, wherein the first pump impeller and the second pump impellers are configured to compress air at different compression rates.

20. The pump system of claim 15, wherein the first discharge manifold is configured to direct compressed air to one or more heat exchangers configured to maintain engine fluid temperatures.