Addtively manufactured bi-metal integral shaft and motor rotor heat exchanger and tie rod for ram air fan
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsCraig M. Beers, Brent J. Merritt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A journal bearing shaft is provided and includes a single monolithic body. The single monolithic body includes a tie rod, an end cap integrally connected to and extending radially outwardly from an end of the tie rod and defining openings, a journal bearing interface portion integrally connected to and extending aft from a distal edge of the end cap and a bi-metal heat exchanger integrally connected to and extending aft from an aft edge of the journal bearing interface portion and including an exterior body formed of a first material and heat exchange fins formed of a second material differing from the first material and extending radially between the exterior body and the tie rod.
Claims20
A journal bearing shaft, comprising:
- a single monolithic body, the single monolithic body comprising:
- a tie rod;
- an end cap integrally connected to and extending radially outwardly from an end of the tie rod and defining openings;
- a journal bearing interface portion integrally connected to and extending aft from a distal edge of the end cap;
- and
- a bi-metal heat exchanger integrally connected to and extending aft from an aft edge of the journal bearing interface portion and comprising an exterior body formed of a first material and heat exchange fins formed of a second material differing from the first material and extending radially between the exterior body and the tie rod.
A ram air fan assembly, comprising:
- a fan rotor to move air from a fan inlet to a fan outlet;
- and
- a journal bearing shaft disposed as a single monolithic body within the fan rotor and defining a flow path for cooling air,
- the single monolithic body comprising:
- a tie rod;
- an end cap integrally connected to and extending radially outwardly from an end of the tie rod and defining openings;
- a journal bearing interface portion integrally connected to and extending aft from a distal edge of the end cap;
- and
- a bi-metal heat exchanger integrally connected to and extending aft from an aft edge of the journal bearing interface portion and comprising an exterior body formed of a first material and heat exchange fins formed of a second material differing from the first material and extending radially between the exterior body and the tie rod.
A method of additively manufacturing a journal bearing shaft as a single monolithic body with a bi-metal construction, the method comprising:
- building up a first tie rod portion;
- simultaneously building up a second tie rod portion from the first tie rod portion and a bi-metal heat exchanger about the second tie rod portion to comprise an exterior body formed of a first material and heat exchange fins formed of a second material differing from the first material and extending radially between the second tie rod portion and the exterior body;
- simultaneously building up a third tie rod portion from the second tie rod portion and a journal bearing interface portion from the bi-metal heat exchange portion and about the third tie rod portion;
- and
- simultaneously building up an end of the tie rod from the third tie rod portion and an end cap from the journal bearing interface portion to connect with the end of the tie rod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.