# US 11,078,795 B2 · OGV electroformed heat exchangers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,078,795 B2 - Document ID: US11078795B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/814,687 - Filed: 2017-11-16 - Published: 2019-05-16 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-16 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Dattu Guru Venkata Jonnalagadda; Sandeep Kumar; Emily Marie Phelps; Merin Sebastian; Gordon Tajiri; Ramana Reddy Kollam - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078795B2 ## CPC - F01D 5/18: Hollow blades, {i.e. blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities (structure of hollow blades in general F01D5/147)}; Heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades - C25D 1/02: Tubes; Rings; Hollow bodies - F01D 9/041: {using blades (F01D5/148 takes precedence)} - F01D 9/065: {Fluid supply or removal conduits traversing the working fluid flow, e.g. for lubrication-, cooling-, or sealing fluids (see also F01D25/16, F01D25/24 and F01D25/26)} - F01D 25/08: Cooling (of machines or engines in general F01P); Heating; Heat-insulation (of blade-carrying members, of blades F01D5/00) - F01D 25/12: Cooling - F05D 2220/36: specially adapted for the fan of turbofan engines - F05D 2230/30: with deposition of material - F05D 2240/12: Fluid guiding means, e.g. vanes - F05D 2260/204: by the use of microcircuits - F05D 2260/205: Cooling fluid recirculation, i.e. after cooling one or more components is the cooling fluid recovered and used elsewhere for other purposes - F05D 2260/98: Lubrication - F28F 2255/00: Heat exchanger elements made of materials having special features or resulting from particular manufacturing processes - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) ## Abstract A gas turbine engine guide vane heat exchanger has guide vane heat exchanger including electroformed fluid channels in electroformed heat exchanger tubes or a heat exchanger core disposed within airfoil. Non-flammable heat conducting liquid or non-metallic foam may fill space between tubes or core and airfoil. Fluid circuit may include channels within electroformed heat exchanger tubes or the heat exchanger core and extend from inlet manifold to outlet manifold for directing fluid or oil through channels and include fluid or oil supply inlet connected to inlet manifold for receiving the fluid or oil flowed into inlet manifold and a fluid or oil supply outlet connected to fluid or oil supply outlet for discharging fluid or oil flowed out of fluid or oil outlet manifold. Heat exchanger tubes or heat exchanger core, inlet manifold, outlet manifold, supply inlet and supply outlet may be integrally and monolithically electroformed together. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gas turbine engine outlet guide vane, comprising: a unitary and integrally formed monolithic body, comprising: an airfoil; electroformed fluid channels including electroformed heat exchanger tubes disposed within the airfoil and having a deposited wall thickness in a range of 0.030 inches to 0.1 inches; an outer end flange formed on a first end of the airfoil; an inner end flange formed on a second end of the airfoil; and a space extending between a surface defining a profile of the airfoil and the heat exchanger tubes, the space surrounding the electroformed heat exchanger tubes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine outlet guide vane of claim 1, wherein the space is filled with a non-flammable heat conducting liquid or non-metallic foam. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine outlet guide vane of claim 1, wherein the space is solid and filled with metal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine outlet guide vane of claim 1, further comprising a fluid circuit including the electroformed fluid channels within the electroformed heat exchanger tubes, the fluid circuit extending from an inlet manifold to an outlet manifold for directing a fluid or an oil through the electroformed heat exchanger tubes, and the fluid circuit including a supply inlet connected to the inlet manifold for receiving the fluid or the oil flow into the inlet manifold and a supply outlet connected to the outlet manifold and configured for discharging the fluid or the oil flow out of the outlet manifold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The gas turbine engine outlet guide vane of claim 4 wherein the electroformed heat exchanger tubes, the inlet manifold, the outlet manifold, the supply inlet, and the supply outlet are an integral monolithic body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The gas turbine engine outlet guide vane of claim 5, wherein the space is filled with a non-flammable heat conducting liquid or non-metallic foam. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The gas turbine engine outlet guide vane of claim 5, wherein the space is solid and filled with metal. ### Claim 8 A gas turbine engine, comprising: a fan frame including an inner hub and an annular fan casing, spaced radially outward from the inner hub; and a circular row of fan outlet guide vanes extending across a fan flow path between the annular fan casing and the inner hub wherein at least one of the circular row of fan outlet guide vanes includes a unitary body comprising an airfoil with an outer end flange and an inner end flange integrally and monolithically formed on a first end of the airfoil and a second end of the airfoil, respectively, the outer end flange mounted to the annular fan casing and the inner end flange mounted to the inner hub, the at least one of the circular row of fan outlet guide vanes further including a guide vane heat exchanger, comprising electroformed fluid channels, the electroformed fluid channels including electroformed heat exchanger tubes having a deposited wall thickness in a range of 0.030 inches to 0.1 inches, the electroformed heat exchanger tubes disposed within the airfoil, wherein a space extends between a surface defining a profile of the airfoil and the electroformed heat exchanger tubes and surrounds the electroformed heat exchanger tubes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The gas turbine engine of claim 8, wherein the space is filled with a non-flammable heat conducting liquid or non-metallic foam. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The gas turbine engine of claim 8, wherein the space is solid and filled with metal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The gas turbine engine of claim 8, further comprising a fluid circuit including the electroformed fluid channels within the electroformed heat exchanger tubes, the fluid circuit extending from an inlet manifold to an outlet manifold for directing a fluid or an oil through the electroformed heat exchanger tubes, and the fluid circuit including a supply inlet connected to the inlet manifold for receiving the fluid or the oil flow into the inlet manifold and a supply outlet connected to the outlet manifold and configured for discharging the fluid or the oil flow out of the outlet manifold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The gas turbine engine of claim 11 wherein the electroformed heat exchanger tubes, the inlet manifold, the outlet manifold, the supply inlet, and the supply outlet are an integral monolithic body. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The gas turbine engine of claim 12, wherein the space is filled with a non-flammable heat conducting liquid or non-metallic foam. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The gas turbine engine of claim 12, wherein the space is solid and filled with metal. ### Claim 15 A gas turbine engine guide vane heat exchanger, comprising: electroformed fluid channels integral and monolithically formed with at least another portion of the guide vane heat exchanger, the electroformed fluid channels including electroformed heat exchanger tubes having a deposited wall thickness in a range of 0.030 inches to 0.1 inches and the electroformed heat exchanger tubes disposed within an airfoil, wherein a space extends between a surface defining a profile of the airfoil and the electroformed heat exchanger tubes and surrounds the electroformed heat exchanger tubes; a fluid circuit including the electroformed fluid channels within the electroformed heat exchanger tubes, the fluid circuit extending from an inlet manifold to an outlet manifold for directing a fluid or an oil through the electroformed fluid channels and the fluid circuit including a supply inlet connected to the inlet manifold for receiving the fluid or the oil flow into the inlet manifold and a supply outlet connected to the outlet manifold and configured for discharging the fluid or the oil flow out of the outlet manifold, and wherein the electroformed heat exchanger tubes, the inlet manifold, the outlet manifold, the supply inlet, and the supply outlet are a unitary structure having an integral monolithic body. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The gas turbine engine guide vane heat exchanger of claim 15, further comprising a non-flammable heat conducting liquid or non-metallic foam filling the space between the electroformed heat exchanger tubes and the airfoil. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The gas turbine engine guide vane heat exchanger of claim 15, wherein the space is solid and filled with metal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The gas turbine engine guide vane heat exchanger of claim 15, wherein the space is filled with a non-flammable heat conducting liquid or non-metallic foam filling or the space is solid and filled with metal.