Rotatable heat exchanger for a gas turbine engine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorEyitayo James Owoeye
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rotatable heat exchanger includes a first manifold assembly, a second manifold assembly, and a core extending axially from the first manifold assembly to the second manifold assembly. The first manifold assembly, the core, and the second manifold assembly are formed to mount around and rotate with a shaft. The core includes a plurality of helical passages that extend from the first manifold assembly to the second manifold assembly. The plurality of helical passages includes a plurality of first-fluid passages fluidly coupled to the first manifold assembly and to the second manifold assembly, and a plurality of second-fluid passages fluidly coupled to the first manifold assembly and the second manifold assembly.
Claims15
A gas turbine engine having a shaft coupled to a compressor section and defining a longitudinal axis, a radial direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, a circumferential direction around the longitudinal axis, and an axial direction extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, the shaft extends circumferentially about the longitudinal axis, the gas turbine engine comprising:
- a bearing compartment including a bearing cavity, a buffer cavity, and a seal disposed between the buffer cavity and the bearing cavity;
- a first-fluid source providing a first fluid;
- a second-fluid source providing a second fluid;
- and
- a rotatable heat exchanger extending circumferentially around and coupled to the shaft, the rotatable heat exchanger having a core including an annular inner casing and a plurality of helical passages extending helically about the annular inner casing, the plurality of helical passages comprising:
- a plurality of first-fluid passages fluidly coupled to the first-fluid source, wherein the first fluid flows in a first helical flow direction through the plurality of first-fluid passages;
- and
- a plurality of second-fluid passages fluidly coupled to, in serial flow order, the second-fluid source and to the buffer cavity of the bearing compartment, wherein the second fluid flows in a second helical flow direction;
- wherein the rotatable heat exchanger further comprises:
- a first manifold assembly disposed at a first end of the core, the first manifold assembly defining a first-fluid inlet manifold having a first-fluid inlet and a second-fluid outlet manifold having a second-fluid outlet, wherein the first-fluid inlet and the second-fluid outlet are each annular and extend around the longitudinal axis and each face in a same axial direction;
- and
- a second manifold assembly disposed at a second end of the core opposite the first end of the core, the second manifold assembly defining a first-fluid outlet manifold having a first-fluid outlet and a second-fluid inlet manifold having a second-fluid inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.