# US 11,994,066 B2 · Thermal management system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,066 B2 - Document ID: US11994066B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/874,358 - Filed: 2022-07-27 - Published: 2024-02-01 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2022-07-27 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller; Kevin Edward Hinderliter; Daniel Alan Niergarth; Brian Gene Brzek - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994066B2 ## CPC - F02C 7/12: Cooling of plants (of component parts, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. F01D; cooling of engines in general F01P) - F02C 7/06: Arrangements of bearings (bearings F16C); Lubricating ({of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or} engines in general F01M) - F02C 7/14: of fluids in the plant {, e.g. lubricant or fuel (F02C7/185 takes precedence)} - F05D 2240/50: Bearings - F05D 2260/20: Heat transfer, e.g. cooling - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A thermal management system of a gas turbine engine, the thermal management system including: a thermal transport bus configured to have a heat exchange fluid flowing therethrough and including a pump including a plurality of bearings; an auxiliary thermal bus in thermal communication with the plurality of bearings; and an auxiliary heat exchanger in thermal communication with the auxiliary thermal bus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A thermal management system of a gas turbine engine, the thermal management system comprising: a thermal transport bus configured to have a heat exchange fluid flowing therethrough and comprising a pump comprising a plurality of bearings; an auxiliary thermal bus in thermal communication with the plurality of bearings; and an auxiliary heat exchanger in thermal communication with the auxiliary thermal bus. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the pump is a supercritical pump, and wherein the heat exchange fluid is a supercritical heat exchange fluid. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the pump comprises a rotor and an impeller, and wherein the auxiliary thermal bus is in thermal communication with the rotor and the impeller. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The thermal management system of claim 3, wherein the auxiliary heat exchanger is operable to remove heat from the heat exchange fluid in the auxiliary thermal bus. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The thermal management system of claim 4, wherein the heat exchange fluid defines a first average temperature when in the thermal transport bus, wherein the heat exchange fluid defines a second average temperature when in the auxiliary thermal bus, and wherein the second average temperature is lower than the first average temperature. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The thermal management system of claim 4, wherein the pump defines an outlet, wherein the auxiliary thermal bus is operable to provide the heat exchange fluid to the plurality of bearings, and wherein the heat exchange fluid flows from the plurality of bearings to the impeller, to outlet, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary thermal bus is in fluid communication with the thermal transport bus at a location upstream of the pump. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary thermal bus is a recirculation loop. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary thermal bus is formed integrally with the pump. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the thermal management system comprises: a second auxiliary heat exchanger that is operable to add heat to the heat exchange fluid in the auxiliary thermal bus. ### Claim 11 A method of operating a thermal management system of a gas turbine engine; the method comprising: receiving data indicative of a state of a plurality of bearings of a pump of the thermal management system using a sensor, the state of the plurality of bearings including an operational temperature of the plurality of bearings; starting the pump in response to receiving the data indicative of the state of the plurality of bearings, the pump in fluid communication with a thermal transport bus and an auxiliary thermal bus; cooling a heat exchange fluid within the auxiliary thermal bus with an auxiliary heat exchanger; and providing the heat exchange fluid within the auxiliary thermal bus to the plurality of bearings of the pump. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein starting the pump comprises generating a flow of the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus. ### Claim 13 A gas turbine engine comprising: a heat source; and a thermal management system comprising: a thermal transport bus configured to have a heat exchange fluid flowing therethrough; an auxiliary thermal bus in fluid communication with the thermal transport bus; an auxiliary heat exchanger in thermal communication with the auxiliary thermal bus; and a pump having a plurality of bearings, and wherein the auxiliary thermal bus is in fluid communication with the plurality of bearings. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The gas turbine engine of claim 13, wherein the heat source is a main lubrication system for providing lubrication to a bearing system of the gas turbine engine. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The gas turbine engine of claim 13, wherein the pump is a supercritical pump, and wherein the heat exchange fluid is a supercritical heat exchange fluid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The gas turbine engine of claim 13, wherein the pump comprises a rotor and an impeller, and wherein the auxiliary thermal bus is in thermal communication with the rotor and the impeller. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The gas turbine engine of claim 16, wherein the auxiliary heat exchanger is operable to remove heat from the heat exchange fluid in the auxiliary thermal bus. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The gas turbine engine of claim 17, wherein the heat exchange fluid defines a first average temperature when in the thermal transport bus, wherein the heat exchange fluid defines a second average temperature when in the auxiliary thermal bus, and wherein the second average temperature is lower than the first average temperature. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The gas turbine engine of claim 17, wherein the pump defines an outlet, wherein the auxiliary thermal bus is operable to provide the heat exchange fluid to the plurality of bearings, and wherein the heat exchange fluid flows from the plurality of bearings to the impeller, to outlet, or a combination thereof.