# US 12,110,127 B2 · Aircraft propulsion assembly comprising a plate heat exchanger, of hexagonal longitudinal section, positioned in a bifurcation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,127 B2 - Document ID: US12110127B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/972,033 - Filed: 2022-10-24 - Published: 2023-04-27 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-10-25 - Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH - Applicants: Airbus Operations (S.A.S.) - Inventors: Adeline Soulie - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110127B2 ## CPC - B64D 33/08: of power plant cooling systems - F02C 7/14: of fluids in the plant {, e.g. lubricant or fuel (F02C7/185 takes precedence)} - B64D 29/02: associated with wings - B64D 33/04: of exhaust outlets or jet pipes - F02C 7/18: the medium being gaseous, e.g. air {(F02C7/125 takes precedence)} - F02C 7/20: Mounting or supporting of plant; Accommodating heat expansion or creep - F28F 3/08: Elements constructed for building-up into stacks, e.g. capable of being taken apart for cleaning - F05D 2250/132: hexagonal - F05D 2260/213: by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - 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) - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract An aircraft propulsion assembly having an engine, a nacelle positioned around the engine, an annular duct delimited by the engine and the nacelle for a bypass flow of cold air, at least one bifurcation passing through the annular duct for connecting the engine and the nacelle and having a leading edge and a primary structure of a pylon housed in the bifurcation and configured to connect the engine to an aircraft wing. The propulsion assembly has at least one heat exchange device including a plate heat exchanger, having a hexagonal longitudinal section and positioned in the bifurcation. According to one configuration, the heat exchanger is a countercurrent heat exchanger. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An aircraft propulsion assembly comprising: an engine; a nacelle positioned around the engine; an annular duct, which is defined by the engine and the nacelle, in which a bypass flow of cold air can flow; at least one bifurcation connecting the engine and the nacelle, wherein the at least one bifurcation has: a leading edge; and a primary structure of a pylon housed in the at least one bifurcation, wherein the pylon is configured to connect the engine to an aircraft wing; and at least one heat exchange device, which comprises: a heat exchanger comprising a first hot air circuit connecting a first inlet and a first outlet, and comprising a second cold air circuit connecting a second inlet and a second outlet; a hot air supply duct connected to the first inlet and configured to take hot air from the engine; a hot air outlet duct connected to the first outlet and configured to convey hot air towards at least one item of aircraft equipment; a cold air supply duct connected to the second inlet and configured to take cold air from the bypass flow; and an exhaust duct connected to the second outlet and configured to expel the air out of the aircraft; wherein the heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger, having a hexagonal longitudinal section and positioned in the bifurcation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The propulsion assembly according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger comprises plates positioned in vertical longitudinal planes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The propulsion assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cold air supply duct has at least one opening configured to take the cold air from the bypass flow, wherein the at least one opening is positioned in the leading edge of the bifurcation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The propulsion assembly according to claim 3, wherein the at least one opening is positioned approximately in a middle of the annular duct. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The propulsion assembly according to claim 3, wherein the cold air supply duct comprises: a first portion having a first end, which is connected to the at least one opening, and a second end; and a second portion having a first end, which is connected to the second inlet of the heat exchanger, and a second end; wherein the second end of the first portion and the second end of the second portion are fitted one inside another and are able to slide with respect to one another. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The propulsion assembly according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger comprises: mutually parallel upper and lower lateral faces; mutually parallel right-hand and left-hand lateral faces perpendicular to the upper and lower lateral faces; first upper and lower end faces perpendicular to the right-hand and left-hand lateral faces; and second upper and lower end faces perpendicular to the right-hand and left-hand lateral faces; wherein the first and second upper end faces are adjacent to the upper lateral face and positioned on either side of the upper lateral face; and the first and second lower end faces are adjacent to the lower lateral face and positioned on either side of the lower lateral face. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The propulsion assembly according to claim 6, wherein: the first inlet is positioned on the second lower end face; the first outlet is positioned on the first upper end face; the second inlet is positioned on the first lower end face; and the second outlet is positioned on the second upper end face. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The propulsion assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the first upper and lower end faces form an angle of between 60° and 150°; and the second upper and lower end faces form an angle of between 60° and 150°. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The propulsion assembly according to claim 8, wherein: the first inlet is positioned on the second lower end face; the first outlet is positioned on the first upper end face; the second inlet is positioned on the first lower end face; and the second outlet is positioned on the second upper end face. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The propulsion assembly according to claim 6, wherein the lower lateral face of the heat exchanger is pressed against the primary structure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The propulsion assembly according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is a countercurrent heat exchanger. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) An aircraft comprising at least one propulsion assembly according to claim 1.