Thermophotovoltaic assembly for an aircraft propulsion system

A gas turbine engine for an aircraft propulsion system, the gas turbine engine comprising:

• a turbine section and an exhaust section, the turbine section and the exhaust section forming a core flow path and a bypass flow path along an axis of the gas turbine engine;
• an engine case disposed within the exhaust section, the engine case disposed radially between and separating the core flow path and the bypass flow path, the engine case including an inner liner and an outer liner, the inner liner forming the core flow path through the exhaust section, the outer liner disposed radially outward of the inner liner and extending between and to an inner radial side and an outer radial side;
• and
• a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) assembly including a plurality of TPV cells and a heat exchanger, the plurality of TPV cells disposed on one or both of the inner liner or the outer liner, the heat exchanger disposed on the outer liner, the heat exchanger including an exterior panel and a plurality of heat transfer fins, the exterior panel extends circumferentially about the axis, the plurality of heat transfer fins extending radially between and connecting the outer liner and the exterior panel, the plurality of heat transfer fins extending circumferentially about the axis, and the plurality of heat transfer fins forming a plurality of cooling air channels through the heat exchanger.

A method for generating electrical power with a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) assembly of a gas turbine engine of an aircraft propulsion system, the method comprising:

• directing a combustion exhaust gas through an exhaust section of the gas turbine engine along a core flow path, the core flow path extending along an axis of the gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine extending along the axis and including a compression section, a combustor section, a turbine section and the exhaust section;
• heating an inner liner of an engine case with the combustion exhaust gas directed through the exhaust section, the inner liner forming the core flow path through the exhaust section;
• generating electrical power with a plurality of TPV cells of the TPV assembly by absorbing an emitted light from the inner liner with the plurality of TPV cells, the plurality of TPV cells disposed radially outside of the inner liner;
• directing a bypass air flow along a bypass flow path separated from the core flow path by the engine case;
• and
• cooling the TPV assembly by directing the bypass air flow through a heat exchanger of the TPV assembly, the heat exchanger including a plurality of heat exchanger fins extending radially outboard of the plurality of TPV cells.