# US 12,006,869 B2 · Heat exchanger for a gas turbine engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,006,869 B2 - Document ID: US12006869B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/959,534 - Filed: 2022-10-04 - Published: 2024-04-04 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-10-04 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006869B2 ## CPC - F02C 7/12: Cooling of plants (of component parts, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. F01D; cooling of engines in general F01P) - F02C 7/14: of fluids in the plant {, e.g. lubricant or fuel (F02C7/185 takes precedence)} - F02C 9/18: by bleeding, bypassing or acting on variable working fluid interconnections between turbines or compressors or their stages {(F02C3/113 takes precedence)} - 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 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger as in claim 1, wherein the first bypass valve is disposed outside of and downstream from the first intermediate plenum chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger as in claim 1, wherein the first bypass valve is an actively controlled splitter valve. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger as in claim 1, wherein the first bypass valve is a thermostatic valve, pressure relief valve or shape memory alloy valve. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger as in claim 1, wherein the first intermediate plenum chamber and the outlet plenum chamber are fluidly coupled to a mixing chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger as in claim 1, wherein the first intermediate plenum chamber is sub-divided into a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first bypass valve is configured to meter flow from the first chamber to the second chamber. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger as in claim 1, further comprising a second bypass valve, wherein the plurality of intermediate plenum chambers includes a second intermediate plenum chamber, and wherein the second intermediate plenum chamber is fluidly coupled to the second bypass valve. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The heat exchanger as in claim 7, wherein the second bypass valve controls fluid flow between the second intermediate plenum chamber and the first intermediate plenum chamber. ### Claim 9 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. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The turbine engine as in claim 9, wherein the first bypass valve is disposed outside of and downstream from the first intermediate plenum chamber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The turbine engine as in claim 9, wherein the first bypass valve is one of an actively controlled splitter valve, a thermostatic valve, pressure relief valve or shape memory alloy valve. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The turbine engine as in claim 9, wherein the first intermediate plenum chamber is sub-divided into a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first bypass valve meters flow from the first chamber to the second chamber, and wherein the first chamber is fluidly coupled to a first system of the turbine engine and the outlet plenum chamber is fluid coupled to a second system of the turbine engine. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The turbine engine as in claim 9, wherein the plurality of intermediate plenum chambers includes a second intermediate plenum chamber, and wherein the second intermediate plenum chamber is fluidly coupled to the first bypass valve. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The turbine engine as in claim 9, wherein the plurality of intermediate plenum chambers includes a second intermediate plenum chamber, wherein the heat exchanger further comprises a second bypass valve, wherein the second bypass valve controls fluid flow between the second intermediate plenum chamber and the first intermediate plenum chamber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The turbine engine as in claim 9, 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. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The turbine engine as in claim 9, 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. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The turbine engine as in claim 16, further comprising a tube side fluid source and a shell side fluid source, wherein the at least one tube bundle includes a single tube bundle that extends within the shell, wherein the single tube bundle is fluidly coupled to the tube side fluid source, and wherein the inlet plenum chamber is fluidly coupled to the shell side fluid source. ### Claim 18 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. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The heat exchanger as in claim 18, wherein the at least one tube bundle includes a single tube bundle that extends within the shell, wherein the single tube bundle is fluidly coupled to the tube side fluid source, and wherein the inlet plenum chamber is fluidly coupled to the shell side fluid source. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The heat exchanger as in claim 18, wherein the first bypass valve is disposed outside of and downstream from the first intermediate plenum chamber. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The heat exchanger as in claim 18, wherein the first bypass valve is an actively controlled splitter valve. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The heat exchanger as in claim 18, wherein the first bypass valve is a thermostatic valve, pressure relief valve or shape memory alloy valve. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The heat exchanger as in claim 18, wherein the first intermediate plenum chamber and the outlet plenum chamber are fluidly coupled to a mixing chamber. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The heat exchanger as in claim 18, wherein the first intermediate plenum chamber is sub-divided into a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first bypass valve is configured to meter flow from the first chamber to the second chamber. ### Claim 25 (depends on 18) The heat exchanger as in claim 18, further comprising a second bypass valve, wherein the plurality of intermediate plenum chambers includes a second intermediate plenum chamber, and wherein the second intermediate plenum chamber is fluidly coupled to the second bypass valve. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The heat exchanger as in claim 25, wherein the second bypass valve controls fluid flow between the second intermediate plenum chamber and the first intermediate plenum chamber.