US-12618337-B1 - Aircraft powerplant with ventilated cable conduit

US12618337B1US 12618337 B1US12618337 B1US 12618337B1US-12618337-B1

Abstract

An assembly is provided for an aircraft powerplant. This assembly includes an electric machine, an electric machine controller, an electric cable, a conduit and an air circuit. The electric machine controller is configured to control operation of the electric machine. The electric cable electrically couples the electric machine controller to the electric machine. The conduit extends longitudinally from a first end of the conduit to a second end of the conduit. The electric cable extends longitudinally through a bore of the conduit. The air circuit is configured to cool the electric cable within the conduit using a flow of air. The air circuit includes the bore of the conduit.

Inventors

Thomas E. Clark
Murat Yazici
Jung Muk Choe

Assignees

RTX CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20250228

Claims (19)

1 . An assembly for an aircraft powerplant, comprising: a compressor section; a combustor section; a turbine section; an inner case, the inner case radially outboard of at least one of the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section; an electric machine located radially outboard of and mounted with the inner case; an electric machine controller configured to control operation of the electric machine; an electric cable electrically coupling the electric machine controller to the electric machine; a conduit extending longitudinally from a first end of the conduit to a second end of the conduit, the electric cable extending longitudinally through a bore of the conduit; and an air circuit configured to cool the electric cable within the conduit using a flow of air, the air circuit comprising the bore of the conduit.
2 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a first air source; the air circuit configured to direct the flow of air from the first air source into the bore of the conduit.
3 . The assembly of claim 2 , further comprising: a combustor and a core flowpath extending through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section; the first air source comprising the core flowpath, and an inlet into the air circuit disposed along the core flowpath upstream of the combustor.
4 . The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the inlet into the air circuit is disposed along the core flowpath in the compressor section.
5 . The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the air circuit further comprises a flow regulator between the core flowpath and the bore of the conduit, and the flow regulator comprises, a valve or a valve system.
6 . The assembly of claim 2 , further comprising: a combustor; and a bypass flowpath bypassing the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section; the first air source comprising the bypass flowpath, and an inlet into the air circuit disposed along the bypass flowpath.
7 . The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the air circuit further comprises a flow regulator between the bypass flowpath and the bore of the conduit, and the flow regulator comprises a valve or a valve system.
8 . The assembly of claim 2 , further comprising: a second air source; the air circuit configured to direct the flow of air from the first air source into the bore of the conduit during a first mode; and the air circuit configured to direct the flow of air from the second air source into the bore of the conduit during a second mode.
9 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a support structure disposed within the bore of the conduit; the support structure supporting the electric cable within the bore of the conduit.
10 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a bulkhead disposed within and extending laterally across the bore of the conduit; the bulkhead comprising a cable aperture and an airflow port; the cable aperture and the airflow port each projecting longitudinally through the bulkhead; and the electric cable seated in the cable aperture.
11 . The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the airflow port is next to the cable aperture; a distance between the cable aperture and the airflow port is between twenty percent and one hundred percent of a width of the cable aperture.
12 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a second electric cable extending longitudinally through the bore of the conduit; the second electric cable laterally spaced from the electric cable by an air gap within the bore of the conduit; and a distance between the second electric cable and the electric cable across the air gap is between twenty percent and two hundred percent of a width of the electric cable.
13 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second electric cable extending longitudinally through the bore of the conduit, the second electric cable further electrically coupling the electric machine controller to the electric machine.
14 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a second electric machine; a second electric machine controller configured to control operation of the second electric machine; and a second electric cable electrically coupling the second electric machine controller to the second electric machine, the second electric cable extending longitudinally through the bore of the conduit.
15 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a rotating structure comprising a bladed rotor; the electric machine operatively coupled to the rotating structure; and the inner case radially outboard of the rotating structure.
16 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an outer case spaced radially outboard from and extending circumferentially about the inner case, the electric machine controller mounted with the outer case.
17 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a vane structure; the conduit extending through an interior of the vane structure.
18 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: a housing structure comprising an internal compartment that is radially outboard of the inner case; the electric machine controller disposed within the internal compartment; and the air circuit configured to direct the flow of air out of the conduit into the internal compartment.
19 . An assembly for an aircraft powerplant, comprising: a compressor section; a combustor section; a turbine section; an engine case radially outboard of and housing the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section; an electric device mounted with and radially outboard of the engine case, the electric device comprising an electric machine; an electric cable electrically coupled to the electric device; a conduit extending longitudinally from a first end of the conduit to a second end of the conduit, the electric cable extending longitudinally through a bore of the conduit to the electric device; and an air circuit comprising the bore of the conduit, the air circuit configured to selectively direct air received from a first air source and/or a second air source into the bore of the conduit to cool the electric cable within the conduit.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 1. Technical Field This disclosure relates generally to an aircraft and, more particularly, to an air system for a powerplant of the aircraft. 2. Background Information An aircraft powerplant includes various components which utilize air cooling during aircraft powerplant operation. Various air cooling systems and methods are known in the art. While these known air cooling systems and methods have various benefits, there is still room in the art for improvement. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an assembly is provided for an aircraft powerplant. This assembly includes an electric machine, an electric machine controller, an electric cable, a conduit and an air circuit. The electric machine controller is configured to control operation of the electric machine. The electric cable electrically couples the electric machine controller to the electric machine. The conduit extends longitudinally from a first end of the conduit to a second end of the conduit. The electric cable extends longitudinally through a bore of the conduit. The air circuit is configured to cool the electric cable within the conduit using a flow of air. The air circuit includes the bore of the conduit. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, another assembly is provided for an aircraft powerplant. This assembly includes an electric device, an electric cable, a conduit and an air circuit. The electric device is configured as or otherwise includes an electric machine or an electric controller. The electric cable is electrically coupled to the electric device. The conduit extends longitudinally from a first end of the conduit to a second end of the conduit. The electric cable extends longitudinally through a bore of the conduit to the electric device. The air circuit includes the bore of the conduit. The air circuit is configured to selectively direct air received from a first air source and/or a second air source into the bore of the conduit to cool the electric cable within the conduit. According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, another assembly is provided for an aircraft powerplant. This assembly includes a conduit, a plurality of electric cables, a bulkhead and an air circuit. The conduit extends longitudinally from a first end of the conduit to a second end of the conduit. The electric cables extend longitudinally through a bore of the conduit. The bulkhead is disposed within the bore of the conduit and extends laterally across the bore of the conduit. The bulkhead includes a plurality of cable apertures and a plurality of airflow apertures. Each of the electric cables is seated in and extends longitudinally through a respective one of the cable apertures. Each of the airflow apertures fluidly couples a first section of the bore of the conduit to a first side of the bulkhead to a second section of the bore of the conduit to a second side of the bulkhead. The air circuit is configured to cool the electric cables within the conduit using a flow of air. The air circuit includes the bore of the conduit. The assembly may also include a first air source. The air circuit may be configured to direct the flow of air from the first air source into the bore of the conduit. The assembly may also include a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section and a core flowpath. The combustor section may include a combustor. The core flowpath may extend through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section. The first air source may include the core flowpath. An inlet into the air circuit may be disposed along the core flowpath upstream of the combustor. The inlet into the air circuit may be disposed along the core flowpath in the compressor section. The air circuit may also include a flow regulator between the core flowpath and the bore of the conduit. The assembly may include a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section and a bypass flowpath. The combustor section may include a combustor. The bypass flowpath may bypass the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section. The first air source may include the bypass flowpath. The inlet into the air circuit may be disposed along the bypass flowpath. The air circuit may also include a flow regulator between the bypass flowpath and the bore of the conduit. The assembly may also include a second air source. The air circuit may be configured to direct the flow of air from the first air source into the bore of the conduit during a first mode. The air circuit may be configured to direct the flow of air from the second air source into the bore of the conduit during a second mode. The assembly may also include a first air source, a second air source and a flow regulator. The flow regulator may be configured to direct the flow of air from at least (or only) the first air source into the bore of the conduit during a first mode. The flow regulator ma