Aerospace thermal management system
AssigneeHeart Aerospace Incorporated
InventorsJoel Fransson, Francisco Martins, Nils Carlson, Enis Dönmez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a thermal management system (10) for a hybrid electric aircraft (100), wherein the system comprises: at least one aircraft unit (12) configured to be used in electric propulsion of the aircraft; a first fluid circuit (18) arranged to cool the at least one aircraft unit; an internal combustion engine (28); a second fluid circuit (30) for the internal combustion engine; and a heat exchanger (20), wherein the first fluid circuit is arranged to provide heating to the second fluid circuit via said heat exchanger.
Claims15
A thermal management system for a hybrid electric aircraft, wherein the system comprises:
- an electric propulsion unit comprising an electric motor and at least one motor control unit configured to be used in electric propulsion of the aircraft;
- a first fluid circuit;
- a turboprop engine configured for propulsion of the aircraft;
- a second fluid circuit for the turboprop engine;
- a heat exchanger;
- and
- a control unit configured to:
- detect a first operational state of the aircraft, the first operational state comprising:
- the electric propulsion unit being on, the turboprop engine being off, and the aircraft flying;
- responsive to detecting the first operational state, control a set of pumps to flow fluid through the first fluid circuit for provision of heat to the second fluid circuit via the heat exchanger, wherein the first fluid circuit is arranged to:
- cool the electric propulsion unit;
- and
- provide heating to the second fluid circuit via said heat exchanger;
- detect a second operational state of the aircraft, the second operational state comprising:
- the electric propulsion unit being off, the turboprop engine being on, and the aircraft flying;
- responsive to detecting the second operational state, control the set of pumps to flow fluid through the second fluid circuit for provision of heat to the first circuit via the heat exchanger, wherein the second fluid circuit is arranged to provide heating to the first fluid circuit via said heat exchanger.
A thermal management method, comprising:
- cooling, by a first fluid in a first fluid circuit, an electric propulsion unit comprising an electric motor and at least one motor control unit used in electric propulsion of a hybrid electric aircraft;
- detecting that the electric propulsion unit is on, that the turboprop engine is off, and that the aircraft is flying;
- responsive to detecting that the electric propulsion unit is on, that the turboprop engine is off, and that the aircraft is flying:
- providing heating from the first fluid in the first fluid circuit to a second fluid in a second fluid circuit for a turboprop engine via a heat exchanger connected to the first fluid circuit downstream of the electric propulsion unit;
- detecting that the electric propulsion unit is off, that the turboprop engine is on, and that the aircraft is flying;
- and
- responsive to detecting that the electric propulsion unit is off, that the turboprop engine is on, and that the aircraft is flying:
- providing heating from the second fluid circuit to the first fluid circuit via said heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.