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US 11,255,373 B2Granted
Active thermal management for fire-tolerant drive systems
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorsAndrew Jordan Birkenheuer, Keith David Weaver, Jon Damon Bennett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal management system and method includes: a drive shaft; one or more fans or impellers in fluid communication with at least a portion of the drive shaft; and one or more air management baffles configured to direct air flow between the impeller and the portion of the drive shaft. In one embodiment, the system and method further includes insulation positioned about the at least a portion of the drive shaft.
Claims15
A thermal management system for a rotorcraft, comprising:
- a tail rotor drive shaft, wherein a portion of the tail rotor drive shaft extends along side an exterior of an engine compartment of the rotorcraft;
- an insulation located adjacent to and surrounding a portion of one or more air management baffles, wherein a portion of the insulation is disposed between the one or more air management baffles and the engine compartment;
- one or more fans or impellers in fluid communication with at least the portion of the tail rotor drive shaft extending along side the exterior of the engine compartment;
- and
- wherein the one or more air management baffles surround at least the portion of the tail rotor drive shaft extending along side the exterior of the engine compartment, wherein the one or more air management baffles direct air flow caused by the one or more fans or impellers across the portion of the tail rotor drive shaft extending along side the exterior of the engine compartment, and remove heat from the tail rotor drive shaft that originates in the engine compartment.
2 more elements
A method of managing the thermal condition of a tail rotor drive system in a rotorcraft, comprising:
- positioning an insulation adjacent to and surrounding a portion of one or more air management baffles, wherein a portion of the insulation is disposed between the one or more air management baffles and an engine compartment of the rotorcraft, and the one or more air management baffles surround at least a portion of a tail rotor drive shaft extending along side an exterior of the engine compartment;
- placing one or more fans or impellers in fluid communication with at least the portion of the tail rotor drive shaft extending along side the exterior of the engine compartment;
- and
- removing heat from the tail rotor drive shaft that originates in the engine compartment by creating an air flow using the one or more fans or impellers and directing the air flow across the portion of the tail rotor drive shaft extending along side the exterior of the engine compartment using the one or more air management baffles.
1 more element
A rotorcraft, comprising:
- a fuselage;
- an engine compartment coupled to the fuselage;
- an engine coupled to the engine compartment and disposed within the engine compartment;
- a transmission coupled to the fuselage;
- the engine coupled to the transmission;
- a tail rotor drive shaft coupled to the transmission, wherein a portion of the tail rotor drive shaft extends along side an exterior of the engine compartment;
- an insulation located adjacent to and surrounding a portion of one or more air management baffles, wherein a portion of the insulation is disposed between the one or more air management baffles and the engine compartment;
- one or more fans or impellers in fluid communication with at least the portion of the tail rotor drive shaft extending along side the exterior of the engine compartment;
- and
- wherein the one or more air management baffles surround at least the portion of the tail rotor drive shaft extending along side the exterior of the engine compartment, wherein the one or more air management baffles direct air flow caused by the one or more fans or impellers across the portion of the tail rotor drive shaft extending along side the exterior of the engine compartment, and remove heat from the tail rotor drive shaft that originates in the engine compartment.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.