Systems for thermoelectric cooling for jet aircraft propulsion systems
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorJohn Akin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft jet propulsion system may comprise a thermoelectric cooler array coupled to a portion thereof, wherein the TEC array converts electrical energy to heat energy to create a temperature gradient and cools a turbine case using the temperature difference of the TEC array. The system may include a controller configured to control an input power provided to each TEC of the array of TECs, such that the array of TECs facilitates controlled cooling of the aircraft jet propulsion system in response to the input power provided to each TEC of the array of TECs. The TEC array may be powered by an alternator or by a thermoelectric generator.
Claims11
An aircraft jet propulsion system comprising:
- a turbine case;
- a gearbox;
- heat fins coupled to a first side of the turbine case;
- an array of thermoelectric coolers (TECs) disposed axially on a second side of the turbine case, the second side being opposite the first side of the turbine case, wherein each TEC of the array of TECs comprises a first substrate and a second substrate, wherein an input power generates a temperature difference between the first substrate and the second substrate;
- an epoxy layer disposed between the second side of the turbine case and the array of TECs, the epoxy layer being configured to conduct heat from the array of TECs to the turbine case through to the heat fins:
- an array of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) coupled to the second side of the turbine case and interleaved between the array of TECs, wherein the array of TEGs converts heat energy to electrical energy, wherein the array of TEGs is configured to supply the input power to at least one TEC of the array of TECs;
- and
- a controller configured to control the input power provided to each TEC of the array of TECs,
- wherein the array of TECs are configured to facilitate controlled cooling of the turbine case in response to the input power provided to each TEC of the array of TECs from the array of TEGs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.