# US 2014/0360153 A1 · Gas turbine engine thermal management system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0360153 A1 - Document ID: US20140360153A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/247,575 - Filed: 2014-04-08 - Published: 2014-12-11 - Earliest claimed: 2011-10-31 - Assignees: United Technologies Corporation - Applicants: United Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Federico Papa; Thomas G. Phillips; Kathleen R. Phillips; Ethan K. Stearns; Justin W. Heiss - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140360153A1 ## CPC - F02C 7/12: Cooling of plants (of component parts, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. F01D; cooling of engines in general F01P) - F01D 25/12: Cooling - F02C 3/08: the compressor comprising at least one radial stage (F02C3/10 takes precedence) - F02C 7/06: Arrangements of bearings (bearings F16C); Lubricating ({of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or} engines in general F01M) - F02C 7/08: Heating air supply before combustion, e.g. by exhaust gases - F02C 7/14: of fluids in the plant {, e.g. lubricant or fuel (F02C7/185 takes precedence)} - F02C 7/224: Heating fuel before feeding to the burner - F02C 7/232: Fuel valves {(control of fuel supply by means of fuel metering valves F02C9/263)}; Draining valves or systems (valves in general F16K) - F02C 9/00: Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants (controlling air intakes F02C7/057; controlling turbines F01D; controlling compressors F04D27/00; controlling in general G05) - F02C 9/48: Control of fuel supply conjointly with another control of the plant (with nozzle section control F02K1/17) - G05B 15/02: electric - G05D 7/06: characterised by the use of electric means {(G05D7/005 takes precedence)} - F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines - F05D 2260/213: by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit - Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for 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) - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A gas turbine engine according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, among other possible things includes a fan. A geared architecture is configured for driving the fan. A turbine section is configured for driving the geared architecture. A thermal management system that includes a first fluid circuit and a second fluid circuit that manage heat generated in at least a portion of the gas turbine engine. A first heat exchanger is incorporated into each of the first fluid circuit and the second fluid circuit. A second heat exchanger is incorporated into the first fluid circuit. A valve controls an amount of a first fluid that is communicated to the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. A controller is configured to control a positioning of the valve. The amount of the first fluid communicated to the first heat exchanger is based on a first characteristic of a second fluid and the amount of the first fluid communicated to the second heat exchanger is based on a second characteristic of the second fluid. A method and a system are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gas turbine engine, comprising: a fan; a geared architecture configured for driving the fan; a turbine section configured for driving the geared architecture; a thermal management system that includes a first fluid circuit and a second fluid circuit that manage heat generated in at least a portion of the gas turbine engine; a first heat exchanger incorporated into each of said first fluid circuit and said second fluid circuit; a second heat exchanger incorporated into said first fluid circuit; a valve that controls an amount of a first fluid that is communicated to said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger; and a controller configured to control a positioning of said valve, wherein said amount of said first fluid communicated to said first heat exchanger is based on a first characteristic of a second fluid and said amount of said first fluid communicated to said second heat exchanger is based on a second characteristic of said second fluid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said first fluid circuit circulates oil. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 2, wherein said second fluid circuit circulates fuel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 3, comprising a first sensor that senses said first characteristic and a second sensor that senses said second characteristic. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said first fluid circuit incorporates a third heat exchanger. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said first fluid circuit communicates a conditioned first fluid to at least one engine system and said second fluid circuit communicates a conditioned second fluid to at least a combustor section of the gas turbine engine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 4, wherein the gas turbine engine is a high bypass geared aircraft engine having a bypass ratio greater than about ten (10). ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the fan is configured to operate at a fan pressure ratio of less than about 1.45. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 8, wherein the geared architecture is configured to drive the fan at a fan tip speed of less than about 1150 fps. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 8, wherein the turbine section includes a fan drive turbine section configured for driving the geared architecture. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10, wherein the fan drive turbine section is configured to operate a pressure ratio greater than about (5). ### Claim 12 A method of designing a thermal management system for a gas turbine engine, comprising: configuring a heat exchanger; configuring a valve for controlling an amount of a first fluid that is communicated through said heat exchanger; configuring a first sensor that is operable for sensing a first characteristic of a second fluid that is communicated through said heat exchanger to exchange heat with said first fluid; and configuring a second sensor that is operable for sensing a second characteristic of said second fluid, wherein a positioning of said valve is based on at least one of said first characteristic and said second characteristic. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as recited in claim 12, including configuring a controller to receive a signal from each of said first sensor and said second sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method as recited in claim 13, including configuring said controller to modulate said valve for communicating said amount of said first fluid to said heat exchanger in response to at least one of said signal from said first sensor and said signal from said second sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said first characteristic includes temperature information and said second characteristic includes pressure information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method as recited in claim 14, including configuring said controller to modulate said valve for communicating said amount of said first fluid to said heat exchanger in response to receiving information indicative of at least one of an altitude, an ambient temperature, and an engine power condition. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said first sensor is configured for sensing a temperature of said second fluid after said second fluid exits said heat exchanger. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said second sensor is configured for sensing a flow rate of said second fluid through a pump. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said first fluid is oil and said second fluid is fuel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method as recited in claim 12, including configuring said heat exchanger to be part of a first fluid circuit that also includes a second heat exchanger and a third heat exchanger. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method as recited in claim 20, including configuring said heat exchanger to be incorporated into a second fluid circuit in addition to said first fluid circuit. ### Claim 22 A thermal management system comprising: a first fluid circuit and a second fluid circuit configured for managing heat generated in at least a portion of a gas turbine engine; a first heat exchanger incorporated into each of said first fluid circuit and said second fluid circuit; a second heat exchanger incorporated into said first fluid circuit; a valve to control an amount of a first fluid that is communicated to said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger; and a controller configured to control a positioning of said valve, wherein said amount of said first fluid communicated to said first heat exchanger is based on a first characteristic of a second fluid and said amount of said first fluid communicated to said second heat exchanger is based on a second characteristic of said second fluid. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The thermal management system as recited in claim 22, wherein said first fluid circuit is configured for circulating oil. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The thermal management system as recited in claim 22, wherein said second fluid circuit is configured for circulating fuel. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The thermal management system as recited in claim 22, including a first sensor configured for sensing said first characteristic and a second sensor configured for sensing said second characteristic. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The thermal management system as recited in claim 22, wherein said first fluid circuit is configured to incorporate a third heat exchanger. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The thermal management system as recited in claim 22, wherein said first fluid circuit is configured to communicate a conditioned first fluid to at least one engine system and said second fluid circuit is configured to communicate a conditioned second fluid to at least a combustor section of the gas turbine engine.