Active Thermal Management for Fire-Tolerant Drive Systems
AssigneeBell Helicopter Textron Inc.
InventorsAndrew Jordan Birkenheuer, Keith David Weaver, Jon Damon Bennett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention includes a thermal management system and method including: a drive shaft; one or more fans or impellers in fluid communication with at least a portion of the drive shaft; and one or more air management baffles configured to direct air flow between the impeller and the portion of the drive shaft. In one embodiment, the system and method further includes insulation positioned about the at least a portion of the drive shaft.
Claims22
A thermal management system, comprising:
- a drive shaft;
- one or more fans or impellers in fluid communication with at least a portion of the drive shaft;
- and
- one or more air management baffles configured to direct air flow between the impeller and the at least a portion of the drive shaft.
A method of managing the thermal condition of a drive system, comprising:
- placing one or more fans or impellers in fluid communication with a portion of a drive shaft;
- and
- configuring one or more air management baffles to direct air between the one or more fans or impellers and the drive shaft.
A rotorcraft, comprising:
- a fuselage;
- an engine compartment coupled to the fuselage;
- an engine coupled to the engine compartment and disposed within the engine compartment;
- a transmission coupled to the fuselage;
- the engine coupled to the transmission;
- a drive shaft coupled to the transmission;
- one or more fans or impellers in fluid communication with at least a portion of the drive shaft;
- and
- one or more air management baffles configured to direct air flow between the one or more fans or impellers and the portion of the drive shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.