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US 6,581,369 B1Granted
Heat recovery in test cells for gas turbine engines
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorRichard Dana Kaufman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat recovery system. Gas turbine engines are tested in test cells. Exhaust from the engines is ducted into an exhaust pipe which is vented to the atmosphere. To prevent heat in the exhaust from damaging the exhaust pipe, cooling water is sprayed into the pipe. The cooling water is boiled into steam, which is also vented to the atmosphere. The invention recovers heat from the cooling water, as opposed to losing the heat to the atmosphere in the form of steam.
Claims14
A method comprising:
- a) place an aircraft gas turbine engine into a test cell;
- b) running the engine, and ducting exhaust through an exhaust pipe;
- c) transferring heat from the exhaust in the exhaust pipe to a liquid coolant circulating through a closed circuit-circuit and pipe;
- and
- d) repeating steps (a), (b), and (c), each repetition done with a different engine.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- a) running an aircraft gas turbine engine in a test cell and ducting exhaust through an exhaust pipe;
- b) maintaining a water-spray cooling system in readiness to cool the exhaust pipe;
- and
- c) transferring heat from the exhaust to a liquid coolant separate from the water-spray cooling system.
1 more element
Apparatus, comprising:
- a) a test cell having an exhaust pipe for receiving exhaust gases from an aircraft
- a) air gas turbine,
- b) closed circuit tubing which
- i) contains liquid coolant,
- ii) is in thermal contact with the exhaust pipe, and
- iii) is effective to extract over one million Btu's per hour from exhaust in the exhaust pipe.
3 more elements
Apparatus, comprising:
- a) a test cell having an exhaust pipe for receiving exhaust gases from an aircraft gas tube
- b) liquid-filled closed circuit conduit in thermal contact with the exhaust gases;
- c) a heat storage system;
- and
- d) a pump for pumping the liquid between the heat storage system and the tubing.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.