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EP-4737843-A2 - AIRCRAFT HEAT EXCHANGERS AND PLATES

EP4737843A2EP 4737843 A2EP4737843 A2EP 4737843A2EP-4737843-A2

Abstract

A heat exchanger plate 44 for provides heat transfer between a first flow 910 along a first flowpath 900 and a second flow 912 along a second flowpath 902. The heat exchanger plate 44 comprised a body 52 having: a first face 62 and a second face 64 opposite the first face 62; a leading edge 54 along the second flowpath 902 and a trailing edge 56 along the second flowpath 902; a proximal edge 60 having at least one inlet port 22 along the first flowpath 900 and at least one outlet port 24 along the first flowpath 900; and at least one passageway along the first flowpath 900. Along a proximal portion 302, the first face 62 and the second face 64 converge at a first angle. Along a distal portion 304, the first face 62 and the second face 64 converge at a second angle less than the first angle.

Inventors

  • Bergman, Russell J.
  • BLICKENSTAFF, William D.
  • WIEDENHOEFER, James F.
  • Virkler, Scott D.
  • LILES, JASON D.

Assignees

  • RTX Corporation

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20201231

Claims (7)

  1. A heat exchanger plate (300) for providing heat transfer between a first flow (910) along a first flowpath (900) and a second flow (912) along a second flowpath (902), the heat exchanger plate (300) comprising a body (52), wherein the body (52) optionally comprises a cast substrate, and the body (52) having: a first face (62) and a second face (64) opposite the first face (62); a leading edge (54) along the second flowpath (902) and a trailing edge (56) along the second flowpath (902); a proximal edge (60) having at least one inlet port (46) along the first flowpath (900) and at least one outlet port (48) along the first flowpath (900); and at least one passageway along the first flowpath (900), wherein: along a proximal portion (302), the first face (62) and the second face (64) converge at a first angle; and along a distal portion (304), the first face (62) and the second face (64) converge at a second angle less than the first angle.
  2. The heat exchanger plate (300) of claim 11 wherein: along the proximal portion (302), the body (52) has integral fins (350); and along the distal portion (304), the plate (300) has sheetmetal fins secured to the body (52).
  3. The heat exchanger plate (300) of claim 1 or 2 wherein: the first angle is at least 0.25° greater than the second angle.
  4. The heat exchanger plate of any preceding claim wherein: the second angle is 0.0°.
  5. The heat exchanger plate of any preceding claim wherein: the proximal portion (302) extends for a height of at least 8% of a height from the proximal edge (60).
  6. The heat exchanger plate (300) of any preceding claim wherein: along the proximal portion (302), the plate (300) has a plurality of walls (160) at a progressively increasing spacing from proximal to distal.
  7. The heat exchanger plate (300) of any preceding claim wherein: along the distal portion (304), the plate (300) has a plurality of walls (160) at a constant spacing.

Description

BACKGROUND The disclosure relates to gas turbine engine heat exchangers. More particularly, the disclosure relates to air-to-air heat exchangers. Examples of gas turbine engine heat exchangers are found in: United States Patent Application Publication 20190170445A1 (the '445 publication), McCaffrey, June 6, 2019, "HIGH TEMPERATURE PLATE FIN HEAT EXCHANGER"; United States Patent Application Publication 20190170455A1 (the '455 publication), McCaffrey, June 6, 2019, "HEAT EXCHANGER BELL MOUTH INLET"; and United States Patent Application Publication 20190212074A1 (the '074 publication), Lockwood et al., July 11, 2019, "METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A CURVED HEAT EXCHANGER USING WEDGE SHAPED SEGMENTS", the disclosures of which three publications are incorporated by reference in their entireties herein as if set forth at length. An exemplary positioning of such a heat exchanger provides for the transfer of thermal energy from a flow (heat donor flow) diverted from an engine core flow to a bypass flow (heat recipient flow). For example, air is often diverted from the compressor for purposes such as cooling. However, the act of compression heats the air and reduces its cooling effectiveness. Accordingly, the diverted air may be cooled in the heat exchanger to render it more suitable for cooling or other purposes. One particular example draws the heat donor airflow from a diffuser case downstream of the last compressor stage upstream of the combustor. This donor flow transfers heat to a recipient flow which is a portion of the bypass flow. To this end, the heat exchanger may be positioned within a fan duct or other bypass duct. The cooled donor flow is then returned to the engine core (e.g., radially inward through struts) to pass radially inward of the gas path and then be passed rearward for turbine section cooling including the cooling of turbine blades and vanes. The heat exchanger may conform to the bypass duct. The bypass duct is generally annular. Thus, the heat exchanger may occupy a sector of the annulus up to the full annulus. Other heat exchangers may carry different fluids and be in different locations. For example, instead of rejecting heat to an air flow in a bypass duct, other heat exchangers may absorb heat from a core flow (e.g., as in recuperator use). Among further uses for heat exchangers in aircraft are power and thermal management systems (PTMS) also known as integrated power packages (IPP). One example is disclosed in United States Patent Application publication 20100170262A1, Kaslusky et al., July 8, 2010, "AIRCRAFT POWER AND THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH ELECTRIC CO-GENERATION". Another example is disclosed in United States Patent Application publication 20160362999A1, Ho, December 15, 2016, "EFFICIENT POWER AND THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE AIRCRAFT". Another example is disclosed in United States Patent Application publication 20160177828A1, Snyder et al., June 23, 2016, "STAGED HEAT EXCHANGERS FOR MULTI-BYPASS STREAM GAS TURBINE ENGINES". United States Patent 10,100,740 (the '740 patent, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein as if set forth at length), to Thomas, October 16, 2018, "Curved plate/fin heater exchanger", shows attachment of a square wave form fin array to the side of a heat exchanger plate body. For plates in a radial array, the wave amplitude progressively increases to accommodate a similar increase in inter-plate spacing. SUMMARY One aspect of the invention involves a heat exchanger for providing heat transfer between a first flow along a first flowpath and a second flow along an arcuate second flowpath. The heat exchanger has: an inlet manifold having at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port; an outlet manifold having at least one outlet port and at least one inlet port; and at least one plate bank. The at least one plate bank has a plurality of plates, each plate comprising a body mounted to the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold and having: at least one inlet port along the first flowpath and at least one outlet port along the first flowpath; a first face and a second face opposite the first face; a leading edge along the second flowpath and a trailing edge along the second flowpath; an inner diameter edge; and an outer diameter edge, a thickness of the body between the first face and second face tapering along a first region in an inward radial direction from the outer diameter edge to the inner diameter edge. The plate bank includes fin arrays between adjacent said plates spanning between the first face in the first region of one said plate and the second face in the first region of the other said plate, the fin arrays each formed by a wave form sheet metal piece having essentially uniform wave amplitude. Optionally, for each plate of the plurality of plates the at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port are along one of the inner diameter edge and the outer diameter edge. Optionally, for each