Thermal management system for an electric propulsion engine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsLawrence Chih-hui Cheung, Nikolai N. Pastouchenko, Kishore Ramakrishnan, Brandon Wayne Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A propulsion system for an aircraft includes an electric propulsion engine configured to be mounted at an aft end of the aircraft. The electric propulsion engine includes an electric motor and a fan rotatable about a central axis, the fan driven by the electric motor. The electric propulsion system additionally includes a cooling system operable with an airflow over the aft end the aircraft when the electric propulsion system is mounted to the aircraft. The cooling system is configured to cool the electric motor during operation of the electric propulsion engine.
Claims17
A propulsion system for an aircraft having an aft end, the propulsion system comprising:
- a boundary layer ingestion fan configured to be mounted at the aft end of the aircraft, the boundary layer ingestion fan defining a central axis and comprising:
- a forward support member;
- an outer nacelle coupled to the forward support member, the outer nacelle comprising a forward tip extending circumferentially about the central axis;
- an electric motor;
- a fan rotatable about the central axis and driven by the electric motor;
- and
- a cooling system operable with an airflow over the aft end of the aircraft when the boundary layer ingestion fan is mounted to the aircraft, the cooling system configured to cool the electric motor during operation of the boundary layer ingestion fan, wherein the cooling system comprises a closed loop in direct thermal communication with the electric motor and configured to channel a thermal transfer fluid therethrough, the cooling system further comprising a first heat exchanger integrated into a surface of the forward tip of the outer nacelle and extending along a circumference of the outer nacelle about the central axis, the first heat exchanger configured to be in thermal communication with the thermal transfer fluid in the closed loop, wherein the closed loop is configured to channel the thermal transfer fluid from the electric motor to the first heat exchanger in the surface of the forward tip and from the first heat exchanger back to the electric motor.
An aircraft defining an aft end and comprising:
- a boundary layer ingestion fan mounted at the aft end of the aircraft, the boundary layer ingestion fan defining a central axis and comprising:
- a forward support member;
- an outer nacelle coupled to the forward support member, the outer nacelle comprising a forward tip extending circumferentially about the central axis;
- an electric motor;
- a fan rotatable about the central axis and driven by the electric motor;
- and
- a cooling system operable with an airflow over the aft end of the aircraft for cooling the electric motor during operation of the boundary layer ingestion fan, wherein the cooling system comprises a closed loop in direct thermal communication with the electric motor and configured to channel a thermal transfer fluid therethrough, the cooling system further comprising a first heat exchanger integrated into a surface of the forward tip of the outer nacelle and extending along a circumference of the outer nacelle about the central axis, the first heat exchanger configured to be in thermal communication with the thermal transfer fluid in the closed loop, wherein the closed loop is configured to channel the thermal transfer fluid from the electric motor to the first heat exchanger in the surface of the forward tip and from the first heat exchanger back to the electric motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.