# US 11,897,624 B2 · Method for thermal management for an aircraft propulsion system using a flow of compressed fluid extracted from a compressor section > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,624 B2 - Document ID: US11897624B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/164,208 - Filed: 2021-02-01 - Published: 2022-08-04 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-02-01 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo; Scott Gregory Edens - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897624B2 ## CPC - B64D 33/08: of power plant cooling systems - B64D 13/08: the air being heated or cooled - B64D 33/04: of exhaust outlets or jet pipes - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT ## Abstract A method and structure for thermal management for a vehicle is provided. The method includes extracting a flow of compressed fluid from a compressor section of a propulsion system in which the flow of compressed fluid includes a pressure parameter, and generating an output torque via expanding at least a portion of the flow of compressed fluid across a turbine operably connected to a driveshaft. The turbine is positioned downstream of the compressor section and upstream of a cooling system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for thermal management for an aircraft, the method comprising: extracting a flow of compressed fluid from a compressor section of a propulsion system, wherein the flow of compressed fluid comprises a pressure parameter; generating an output torque via expanding at least a first portion of the flow of compressed fluid across a turbine operably connected to a driveshaft, wherein the turbine is positioned downstream of the compressor section and upstream of a cooling system; determining a pressure requirement of the flow of compressed fluid at the cooling system; and providing at least a second portion of the flow of compressed fluid to the cooling system, wherein the portion of the flow of compressed fluid comprises the pressure requirement. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the output torque via expanding at least the portion of the flow of compressed fluid across the turbine comprises: providing a first portion of the flow of compressed fluid to the turbine; and providing, from upstream of the turbine, a second portion of the flow of compressed fluid to the cooling system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the second portion of the flow of compressed fluid corresponds to a pressure requirement at the cooling system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the first portion of the flow of compressed fluid corresponds to a difference between the pressure requirement at the cooling system and the pressure parameter of the flow of compressed fluid from the compressor section. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, the method comprising: combining the first portion and the second portion of the flow of compressed air. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, the method comprising: providing the combined flow of compressed air to the cooling system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the output torque via expanding at least the portion of the flow of compressed fluid across the turbine comprises converting excess pressure of the flow of compressed fluid from the compressor section into the output torque at the driveshaft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein an amount of the flow converted as part of converting excess pressure of the flow of compressed fluid corresponds to a difference between a pressure requirement of the flow of compressed fluid at the cooling system and the pressure parameter of the flow of compressed fluid at the compressor section. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, the method comprising: operating a turbomachine at the cooling system via the output torque from the turbine. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein operating the turbomachine at the cooling system comprises: providing, in serial flow arrangement, the flow of compressed fluid to a compressor at the turbomachine, a heat exchanger positioned downstream of the compressor, and an expander positioned downstream of the compressor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, the method comprising: providing the flow of compressed fluid to a thermal load positioned downstream of the expander. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, the method comprising: modulating mass flowrate of the flow of compressed fluid to the turbine based at least on a flow control device upstream of the turbine and downstream of the compressor section. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein modulating mass flowrate of the flow of compressed fluid to the turbine comprises: providing, from the flow control device, a first portion of the flow of compressed fluid to the turbine then expanding the first portion of the flow of compressed fluid across the turbine; providing, from the flow control device, a second portion of the flow of compressed fluid to the cooling system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein modulating mass flowrate of the flow of compressed fluid to the turbine comprises providing, from the flow control device, a first portion of the flow of compressed fluid to the turbine, wherein the first portion of the flow of compressed fluid corresponds to a difference between the pressure requirement at the cooling system and the pressure parameter of the flow of compressed fluid from the compressor section; and providing, from the flow control device, a second portion of the flow of compressed fluid to the cooling system, wherein the second portion of the flow of compressed fluid corresponds to a pressure requirement at the cooling system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, the method comprising: providing the flow of compressed fluid to a thermal load downstream of the turbine. ### Claim 16 A method for thermal management for an aircraft, the method comprising: extracting a flow of compressed fluid from a compressor section of a propulsion system, wherein the flow of compressed fluid comprises a pressure parameter; generating an output torque via expanding at least a portion of the flow of compressed fluid across a turbine operably connected to a driveshaft, wherein the turbine is positioned downstream of the compressor section and upstream of a cooling system, wherein generating the output torque via expanding at least the portion of the flow of compressed fluid across the turbine comprises: providing a first portion of the flow of compressed fluid to the turbine; and providing, from upstream of the turbine, a second portion of the flow of compressed fluid to the cooling system, wherein the second portion of the flow of compressed fluid corresponds to a pressure requirement at the cooling system. ### Claim 17 A method for thermal management for an aircraft, the method comprising: extracting a flow of compressed fluid from a compressor section of a propulsion system, wherein the flow of compressed fluid comprises a pressure parameter; and generating an output torque via expanding at least a portion of the flow of compressed fluid across a turbine operably connected to a driveshaft, wherein the turbine is positioned downstream of the compressor section and upstream of a cooling system wherein generating the output torque via expanding at least the portion of the flow of compressed fluid across the turbine comprises converting excess pressure of the flow of compressed fluid from the compressor section into the output torque at the driveshaft; and wherein an amount of the flow converted as part of converting excess pressure of the flow of compressed fluid corresponds to a difference between a pressure requirement of the flow of compressed fluid at the cooling system and the pressure parameter of the flow of compressed fluid at the compressor section. ### Claim 18 A method for thermal management for an aircraft, the method comprising: extracting a flow of compressed fluid from a compressor section of a propulsion system, wherein the flow of compressed fluid comprises a pressure parameter; generating an output torque via expanding at least a portion of the flow of compressed fluid across a turbine operably connected to a driveshaft, wherein the turbine is positioned downstream of the compressor section and upstream of a cooling system; and operating a turbomachine at the cooling system via the output torque from the turbine, wherein operating the turbomachine at the cooling system comprises: providing, in serial flow arrangement, the flow of compressed fluid to a compressor at the turbomachine, a heat exchanger positioned downstream of the compressor, and an expander positioned downstream of the compressor. ### Claim 19 A method for thermal management for an aircraft, the method comprising: extracting a flow of compressed fluid from a compressor section of a propulsion system, wherein the flow of compressed fluid comprises a pressure parameter; generating an output torque via expanding at least a portion of the flow of compressed fluid across a turbine operably connected to a driveshaft, wherein the turbine is positioned downstream of the compressor section and upstream of a cooling system; and modulating mass flowrate of the flow of compressed fluid to the turbine based at least on a flow control device upstream of the turbine and downstream of the compressor section, wherein modulating mass flowrate of the flow of compressed fluid to the turbine comprises: providing, from the flow control device, a first portion of the flow of compressed fluid to the turbine then expanding the first portion of the flow of compressed fluid across the turbine; providing, from the flow control device, a second portion of the flow of compressed fluid to the cooling system. ### Claim 20 A method for thermal management for an aircraft, the method comprising: extracting a flow of compressed fluid from a compressor section of a propulsion system, wherein the flow of compressed fluid comprises a pressure parameter; generating an output torque via expanding at least a portion of the flow of compressed fluid across a turbine operably connected to a driveshaft, wherein the turbine is positioned downstream of the compressor section and upstream of a cooling system; and modulating mass flowrate of the flow of compressed fluid to the turbine based at least on a flow control device upstream of the turbine and downstream of the compressor section, wherein modulating mass flowrate of the flow of compressed fluid to the turbine comprises: providing, from the flow control device, a first portion of the flow of compressed fluid to the turbine, wherein the first portion of the flow of compressed fluid corresponds to a difference between the pressure requirement at the cooling system and the pressure parameter of the flow of compressed fluid from the compressor section; and providing, from the flow control device, a second portion of the flow of compressed fluid to the cooling system, wherein the second portion of the flow of compressed fluid corresponds to a pressure requirement at the cooling system.