Back to results
US 8,910,465 B2Granted
Gas turbine engine and heat exchange system
AssigneeRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
InventorDouglas J. Snyder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention is a unique gas turbine engine. Another embodiment is a unique gas turbine engine heat exchange system. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for gas turbine engines and heat exchange systems for gas turbine engines. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
Claims19
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- an engine core;
- a first fan operable to generate a first air stream at a first pressure downstream thereof;
- a second fan positioned downstream of the first fan, the second fan operable to receive a portion of the first air stream and generate a second air steam at a second pressure;
- a fan bypass duct operative to direct a portion of the second air stream to a bypass stream around the engine core;
- an other fan bypass duct operative to direct a portion of the first air stream to an other bypass stream around the engine core;
- and
- an adaptive heat exchange system operative to cool an object of cooling using the air from the fan bypass duct and/or the other fan bypass duct as a cooling medium;
- wherein the gas turbine engine is configured to operate in a first mode in which the second pressure in the fan bypass duct is greater than the first pressure in the other fan bypass duct, and in a second mode in which the second pressure in the fan bypass duct is substantially the same as the first pressure in the other fan bypass duct;
- and
- wherein in the first mode the adaptive heat exchange system routes cooling medium from the fan bypass duct to the other fan bypass duct, and in the second mode the adaptive heat exchange system routes cooling medium from the other fan bypass duct to the other fan bypass duct.
7 more elements
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a first airway carrying a first air stream at a first pressure generated by a first fan;
- a second airway carrying a second air stream at a second pressure generated by a second fan, wherein the first fan receives airflow from the second fan;
- and
- an adaptive heat exchange system operative to cool an object of cooling using air from the first airway and the second airway as a cooling medium;
- wherein the adaptive heat exchange system includes a heat exchanger having a first cooling medium inlet and a second cooling medium inlet;
- wherein the first cooling medium inlet is adapted to receive the cooling medium from one of the first airway and the second airway;
- and wherein the second cooling medium inlet is adapted to receive the cooling medium from the other of the first airway and the second airway.
4 more elements
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a compressor including a core passageway for routing core airflow therethrough, wherein the core airflow is pressurized by first and second fans prior to entering into the compressor;
- a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor;
- a turbine in fluid communication with the combustor;
- a first bypass duct operative to direct air therethrough;
- a second bypass duct disposed radially outward from the first bypass duct and operative to direct air therethrough;
- an adaptive heat exchange system for cooling air from the compressor with air streams generated by the first and/or second fans prior to being discharged into the turbine;
- wherein the adaptive heat exchange system is configured to adapt to first and second modes of operation, wherein in the first mode of operation the adaptive heat exchange system receives air as a cooling medium from the first fan bypass duct and expels the cooling medium into the second fan bypass duct, and in the second mode of operation the adaptive heat exchange system receives air as a cooling medium from the second fan bypass duct and expels the cooling medium into the second fan bypass duct.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.