Turbine pump assembly with turbine exhaust cooled heat exchanger for active hydraulic oil
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsRichard A. Himmelmann, William T. Conroy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A turbine pump system includes a turbine pump assembly including a housing, a pump located in the housing, a turbine located in the housing and operably connected to the pump, and a heat exchanger located between the pump and a hydraulic fluid load. The heat exchanger is configured to reduce a temperature of a hydraulic fluid flow output by the pump and directed to the hydraulic fluid load. The heat exchanger is operably connected to a turbine gas flow and utilizes the turbine gas flow to cool the hydraulic fluid flow at the heat exchanger.
Claims20
A turbine pump system, comprising:
- a turbine pump assembly including:
- a housing;
- a pump disposed in the housing;
- a turbine disposed in the housing and operably connected to the pump;
- and
- a heat exchanger disposed between the pump and a hydraulic fluid load, the heat exchanger configured to reduce a temperature of a hydraulic fluid flow output by the pump and directed to the hydraulic fluid load;
- wherein the heat exchanger is operably connected to a turbine gas flow and utilizes the turbine gas flow to cool the hydraulic fluid flow at the heat exchanger.
A method of operating a turbine pump assembly, comprising:
- directing a turbine fluid flow through a turbine to drive the rotation thereof;
- flowing a hydraulic fluid flow through a centrifugal pump via rotation of the turbine, thereby pressurizing a hydraulic fluid flow;
- directing the hydraulic fluid flow through a heat exchanger fluidly downstream of the centrifugal pump;
- reducing a temperature of the hydraulic fluid flow via thermal energy exchange with the turbine fluid flow at the heat exchanger;
- and
- directing the hydraulic fluid flow from the heat exchanger to a hydraulic fluid load.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.