Auxiliary power unit with intercooler
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorsRichard Ullyott, Anthony Jones, Andre Julien, Jean Thomassin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An auxiliary power unit for an aircraft, having a compressor, an intercooler including first conduit(s) having an inlet in fluid communication with the compressor outlet and second conduit(s) configured for circulation of a coolant therethrough, an engine core having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the first conduit(s), and a bleed conduit in fluid communication with the outlet of the first conduit(s) through a bleed air valve. The auxiliary power unit may include a generator in driving engagement with the shaft of the engine core to provide electrical power for the aircraft. A method of providing compressed air and electrical power to an aircraft is also discussed.
Claims17
A method of providing compressed air and electrical power to an aircraft, the method comprising:
- flowing compressed air from an outlet of a compressor of an auxiliary power unit through an intercooler;
- flowing compressed air from the intercooler simultaneously to an inlet of an engine core of the auxiliary power unit and through a bleed conduit in communication with a pneumatic system of the aircraft, the engine core including an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber of varying volume;
- driving at least one generator providing electrical power to the aircraft with a turbine section of the auxiliary power unit including compounding power from the turbine section with power from the engine core, the turbine section including a first stage turbine and a second stage turbine, and
- flowing excess compressed air from the outlet of the compressor to an inlet of the second stage turbine through a flow path separate from the engine core, the flow path bypassing the first stage turbine, the first stage turbine having at least one rotor engaged on a turbine shaft in driving engagement with a shaft of the engine core, the second stage turbine having at least one rotor engaged on the turbine shaft.
A method of operating an auxiliary power unit for providing compressed air to a pneumatic system of an aircraft, comprising:
- compressing air via a compressor of the auxiliary power unit;
- cooling the compressed air via an intercooler;
- feeding a first portion of the cooled compressed air to an engine core of the auxiliary power unit and a second portion of the cooled compressed air to the pneumatic system of the aircraft through a bleed conduit in communication therewith, the engine core including an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber of varying volume;
- driving at least one generator providing electrical power to the aircraft with a turbine section of the auxiliary power unit including compounding power from the turbine section with power from the engine core, the turbine section including a first stage turbine and a second stage turbine;
- and
- flowing excess compressed air from the compressor to an inlet of the second stage turbine through a flow path separate from the engine core, the flow path bypassing the first stage turbine, the first stage turbine having at least one rotor engaged on a turbine shaft in driving engagement with a shaft of the engine core, the second stage turbine having at least one rotor engaged on the turbine shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.