Heat exchanger for a gas turbine engine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorJeffrey Douglas Rambo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heat exchanger includes an inlet plenum chamber, an outlet plenum chamber fluidly coupled to the inlet plenum chamber, and a plurality of intermediate plenum chambers disposed downstream from the inlet plenum chamber and upstream from the outlet plenum chamber. The plurality of intermediate plenum chambers includes a first intermediate plenum chamber, at least one tube bundle, and a first bypass valve fluidly coupled to the first intermediate plenum chamber. The first bypass valve is configured to control fluid flow rate from the first intermediate plenum chamber to the outlet plenum chamber.
Claims26
A heat exchanger, comprising:
- an inlet plenum chamber;
- an outlet plenum chamber fluidly coupled to the inlet chamber;
- a plurality of intermediate plenum chambers disposed downstream from the inlet plenum chamber and upstream from the outlet plenum chamber, the plurality of intermediate plenum chambers including a first intermediate plenum chamber;
- at least one tube bundle;
- and
- a first bypass valve fluidly coupled to the first intermediate plenum chamber, wherein the first bypass valve is configured to control fluid flow rate from the first intermediate plenum chamber to the outlet plenum chamber,
- wherein the at least one tube bundle includes a plurality of tube bundles, wherein the plurality of tube bundles includes an inlet tube bundle, N+ intermediate tube bundles, and an outlet tube bundle, wherein the N+ intermediate tube bundles provide for fluid communication from the inlet plenum chamber, to each intermediate plenum chamber, and to the outlet plenum chamber.
A turbine engine, comprising:
- a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger comprising:
- an inlet plenum chamber;
- an outlet plenum chamber fluidly coupled to the inlet plenum chamber;
- a plurality of intermediate plenum chambers disposed downstream from the inlet plenum chamber and upstream from the outlet plenum chamber, the plurality of intermediate plenum chambers including a first intermediate plenum chamber;
- at least one tube bundle;
- and
- a first bypass valve fluidly coupled to the first intermediate plenum chamber, wherein the first bypass valve is configured to control fluid flow rate from the first intermediate plenum chamber to the outlet plenum chamber, wherein the first intermediate plenum chamber and the outlet plenum chamber are fluidly coupled to a mixing chamber.
A heat exchanger, comprising:
- an inlet plenum chamber;
- an outlet plenum chamber fluidly coupled to the inlet chamber;
- a plurality of intermediate plenum chambers disposed downstream from the inlet plenum chamber and upstream from the outlet plenum chamber, the plurality of intermediate plenum chambers including a first intermediate plenum chamber;
- at least one tube bundle;
- and
- a first bypass valve fluidly coupled to the first intermediate plenum chamber, wherein the first bypass valve is configured to control fluid flow rate from the first intermediate plenum chamber to the outlet plenum chamber, wherein the heat exchanger further includes a shell that at least partially surrounds the at least one tube bundle, wherein the shell at least partially defines the inlet plenum chamber, the plurality of intermediate plenum chambers, and the outlet plenum chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.