Aircraft heat exchanger panel attachment

Abstract

A heat exchanger for providing thermal energy transfer between a first flow along a first flowpath and a second flow along a second flowpath has at least one plate bank having a plurality of plates, each plate having: 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; a proximal edge having at least one inlet port along the first flowpath and at least one outlet port along the first flowpath; and at least one passageway along the first flowpath. An inlet manifold has a first face to which the plurality of plates are mounted along their respective proximal edges. An inlet plenum has at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port. An outlet plenum has at least one outlet port and at least one inlet port. The first flowpath passes from the at least one inlet port of the inlet plenum, through the at least one passageway of each of the plurality of plates, and through the at least one outlet port of the outlet plenum. For each plate, the manifold first face has a respective associated slot capturing a portion of the plate along the proximal edge thereof to prevent extraction of the plate normal to the manifold first face.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger for providing thermal energy transfer between a first flow along a first flowpath and a second flow along a second flowpath, the heat exchanger comprising: at least one plate bank comprising a plurality of plates, each plate having: 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; a proximal edge having at least one inlet port along the first flowpath and at least one outlet port along the first flowpath; and at least one passageway along the first flowpath; and a manifold having: a first face to which the plurality of plates are mounted along their respective proximal edges; an inlet plenum having at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port; and an outlet plenum having at least one outlet port and at least one inlet port, the first flowpath passing from the at least one inlet port of the inlet plenum, through the at least one passageway of each of the plurality of plates, and through the at least one outlet port of the outlet plenum, wherein: for each plate, the manifold first face has a respective associated slot capturing a portion of the plate along the proximal edge thereof to prevent extraction of the plate normal to the manifold first face; each plate has a mounting ear having an aperture; and a respective threaded fastener extends through the aperture.

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein: said captured portion of the plate is a dovetail having tapering shoulders and a base.

3. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein for each plate: the proximal edge extends from a first end to a second end; the apertured mounting ear is at the second end; and at the first end, the plate lacks an apertured mounting ear.

4. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein: each slot has a closed first end and an open second end; and the fastener is proximate the second end.

5. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein: the aperture is an open slot.

6. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein: the fastener has a head flush or subflush to the manifold first face adjacent the slot.

7. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein: each slot has a closed first end and an open second end.

8. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein: each slot has a base; each slot base has a first groove and a second groove; a first seal in the first groove seals the associated plate inlet port to a respective said inlet plenum outlet port; and a second seal in the second groove seals the associated plate outlet port to a respective said outlet plenum inlet port.

9. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein, for each plate of the plurality of plates, the at least one passageway comprises: an inlet plenum extending from the at least one inlet port of the plate; an outlet plenum extending to the at least one outlet port of the plate; and a plurality of legs fluidically in parallel between the inlet plenum and the outlet plenum.

10. The heat exchanger of claim 9 wherein: the inlet plenum is adjacent the trailing edge; and the outlet plenum is adjacent the leading edge.

11. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein: in the at least one plate bank, the plates are parallel to each other.

12. The heat exchanger of claim 1 wherein each plate further comprises: an external fin array.

13. The heat exchanger of claim 1 further comprising: respective external fin arrays connecting adjacent said plates.

14. A gas turbine engine including the heat exchanger of claim 1.

15. A heat exchanger for providing thermal energy transfer between a first flow along a first flowpath and a second flow along a second flowpath, the heat exchanger comprising: at least one plate bank comprising a plurality of plates, each plate having: 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; a proximal edge having at least one inlet port along the first flowpath and at least one outlet port along the first flowpath; and at least one passageway along the first flowpath; and a manifold having: a first face to which the plurality of plates are mounted along their respective proximal edges; an inlet plenum having at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port; and an outlet plenum having at least one outlet port and at least one inlet port, the first flowpath passing from the at least one inlet port of the inlet plenum, through the at least one passageway of each of the plurality of plates, and through the at least one outlet port of the outlet plenum, wherein: for each plate, the manifold first face has a respective associated slot capturing a portion of the plate along the proximal edge thereof to prevent extraction of the plate normal to the manifold first face; and said captured portion of the plate is a dovetail having tapering shoulders and a base.

16. The heat exchanger of claim 15 wherein: along each said slot is a respective associated said inlet plenum outlet port and outlet plenum inlet port.

17. The heat exchanger of claim 15 wherein: each slot has a closed first end and an open second end.

18. The heat exchanger of claim 15 wherein: each slot has a base; each slot base has a first groove and a second groove; a first seal in the first groove seals the associated plate inlet port to a respective said inlet plenum outlet port; and a second seal in the second groove seals the associated plate outlet port to a respective said outlet plenum inlet port.

19. The heat exchanger of claim 15 wherein, for each plate of the plurality of plates, the at least one passageway comprises: an inlet plenum extending from the at least one inlet port of the plate; an outlet plenum extending to the at least one outlet port of the plate; and a plurality of legs fluidically in parallel between the inlet plenum and the outlet plenum.

20. The heat exchanger of claim 19 wherein: the inlet plenum is adjacent the trailing edge; and the outlet plenum is adjacent the leading edge.

21. A gas turbine engine including the heat exchanger of claim 15.

22. A method for assembling the heat exchanger of claim 15 the method comprising, for each said plate: sliding the dovetail into the respective associated slot.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein, for each said plate: the dovetail extends from a first end to a second end; the apertured mounting ear is at the second end; and during sliding the portion of the plate along the proximal edge thereof into the respective associated slot, respective surfaces of the plate and manifold interface in a wedge-like fashion to hold the plate firmly engaged to a base of the manifold slot.

24. A method for assembling the heat exchanger of claim 1 the method comprising, for each said plate: sliding the portion of the plate along the proximal edge thereof into the respective associated slot; and installing and tightening the respective associated fastener.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein, for each said plate: the proximal edge extends from a first end to a second end; the apertured mounting ear is at the second end; and during sliding the portion of the plate along the proximal edge thereof into the respective associated slot, respective surfaces of the plate and manifold interface in a wedge-like fashion to hold the plate firmly engaged to a base of the manifold slot.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a view of a heat exchanger.

(2) FIGS. 1A and 1B are enlarged views of inter-panel spaces of the heat exchanger of FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 1C shows an alternate enlarged view of an inter-panel space.

(4) FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of a panel portion of the heat exchanger of FIG. 1 with lateral end walls cut away.

(5) FIG. 3 is a cutaway plan view of the heat exchanger of FIG. 1.

(6) FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the heat exchanger taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

(7) FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of a plate rail end portion of the heat exchanger of FIG. 4.

(8) FIG. 5 is a view of a plate of the heat exchanger.

(9) FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a section of the heat exchanger taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

(10) FIG. 6A is an enlarged view of a plate-to-manifold junction of the heat exchanger of FIG. 6.

(11) FIG. 7 is a cutaway view of the manifold of the heat exchanger section of FIG. 2.

(12) FIG. 8 is a plan view of the manifold section of FIG. 7.

(13) FIG. 9 is a cutaway view of the manifold along line 9-9 of FIG. 4 with lateral end walls cut away.

(14) FIG. 9A is an enlarged view of an end portion of the manifold of FIG. 9.

(15) FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a gas turbine engine including the heat exchanger of FIG. 1.

(16) Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(17) FIG. 1 shows a gas turbine engine heat exchanger 20 providing heat exchange between a first flowpath 900 and a second flowpath 902 (FIG. 2) and thus between their respective first and second fluid flows 910 and 912. In the exemplary embodiment, the flowpaths 900, 902 are gas flowpaths passing respective gas flows 910, 912. In the illustrated example, the first flow 910 enters and exits the heat exchanger 20 as a single piped flow and exits as a single piped flow 910; whereas the flow 912 is a flow through a duct. For example, the flow 912 may be sector portion of an axial annular flow surrounding a central longitudinal axis (centerline) 10 of the heat exchanger and associated engine (FIG. 10). There may be multiple such heat exchangers occupying the full annulus of an annular duct or one or more such heat exchangers occupying only a portion of the annulus.

(18) Other connections are also possible. For example, a configuration with a single first flow inlet and branched first flow outlets is shown in copending International Patent Application No. PCT/US2020/067289 (the '289 application), filed Dec. 29, 2020 and entitled “Aircraft Heat Exchanger Assembly”, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety as if set forth at length.

(19) The heat exchanger 20 (FIG. 1) has an inlet 22 and outlet 24 for the first flow. The exemplary inlet and outlet are, respectively, ports of an inlet manifold 26 (FIG. 2) and an outlet manifold 28 (discussed below bounding an inlet plenum 920 and an outlet plenum 922 respectively) that form respective portions of a combined manifold 29. Exemplary manifolds are metallic (e.g., nickel-based superalloy). The inlet manifold and outlet manifold may each have a respective fitting 30, 32 providing the associated port 22, 24. The manifold 29 has a first face 33 (FIG. 1) along the second flowpath 902 and an opposite second face 34. The manifold 29 has a leading/upstream end 35 (FIG. 3) and a trailing/downstream end 36. The manifold 29 has lateral edges/ends 37 and 38. As is discussed further below, the inlet manifold and outlet manifold are coupled to heat exchanger plates of one or more exemplary plate banks 40.

(20) Each plate bank 40 (FIG. 1) comprises an array of plates 44 (discussed further below) mounted to the manifold first face 33. In the exemplary embodiment, the first face is generally flat (as opposed to curved) and the plates are parallel to each other. In a first alternative example (not shown), the first face 33 is concave between the lateral ends 37, 38 and the plates converge away from the first face (e.g., as may be appropriate with the plates extending axially and radially toward the axis of an annular duct. In a second alternative example, the first face 33 is convex between the lateral ends and the plates diverge away from the first face (e.g., as may be appropriate with the plates extending axially and radially out from the axis of an annular duct).

(21) Each plate 44 (FIG. 4) has an inlet port 46 and an outlet port 48. Exemplary ports 46, 48 are mated to ports in the first face 33 of the manifold (a respective outlet port of the inlet manifold and plum and inlet port of the outlet manifold and plenum). Each plate has one or more internal passageways 49 between the ports 46 and 48.

(22) Each plate 44 comprises a body or substrate 52 (e.g., cast or additively manufactured alloy such as nickel-based superalloy) having a leading edge 54, a trailing edge 56, a proximal edge 58, a distal edge 60, a first face 62 (FIG. 1) and a second face 64.

(23) As is discussed below, one or both faces 62, 64 may bear fin arrays 70 (FIGS. 1A and 1B). The fins are separately formed (e.g., of folded sheetmetal—e.g., nickel-based superalloy) and secured (e.g., brazing, welding, diffusion bonding, and the like) to adjacent substrate(s) (generally see the '740 patent). As is discussed further below, exemplary fins are initially formed as square wave corrugations 72 of even height/amplitude whose troughs 73 or peaks 74 are secured to the associated face 62, 64. The corrugation has legs 75, 76 and extends from a first sectional end 77 to a second section end 78. Along the direction of the individual corrugations (streamwise of the ultimate second flow 912) the corrugation has a first end near the plate substrate upstream edge and a second end near the plate substrate downstream edge. FIG. 1 shows the panels having an overall height H.sub.1 and an exposed height H.sub.2 (which ignores the height of any inlet or outlet fitting portion embedded/received in or adjacent to the manifold). The terminal faces of the terminal plates in the array (the two outer faces at respective ends of the array) may bear fins (not shown) mated to a shroud (not shown) as in the '289 application.

(24) FIG. 1C shows an alternate plate where adjacent faces of adjacent plates have separate fin arrays. These may be cut from a wave such as via electrodischarge machining (EDM). For example, wire EDM fins are shown in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/137,946 (the '946 application), filed Dec. 30, 2020, and entitled “Aircraft Heat Exchanger Finned Plate Manufacture”, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety as if set forth at length. In particular this facilitates plate arrays where adjacent faces are not parallel (e.g., when mounted radially to the convex OD surface of a manifold). Also see copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/124,790 (the '790 application), filed Dec. 17, 2020, and entitled “Aircraft Heat Exchangers and Plates”, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety as if set forth at length. The '790 application also discussed resonance behavior benefits of the face convergence.

(25) The proximal edge 58 of each plate is formed along a proximal rail structure (rail or mounting rail) 100 (FIG. 5). The rail structure forms a thickened portion that mounts in a complementary slot (discussed below) to prevent extraction of the plate normal to the rail. The rail structure 100 extends from a first end 102 to a second end 104. As is discussed further below, the exemplary second end 104 has an apertured mounting ear 110. The exemplary aperture 112 is an open-end slot between the proximal edge 58 and an outboard surface 114 of the ear.

(26) In transverse section, the rail 100 has a pair of tapering shoulder surfaces 120, 122 (FIG. 6A). The shoulder surfaces extend to parallel side surfaces 124, 126 which, in turn, merge with a base (base surface) formed by the proximal edge 58. As is discussed further below, the exemplary rail effectively is a dovetail rail received in a dovetail slot 140 (FIG. 7). Each slot 140 has an open distal end or mouth 142 at the face 33. Each slot 140 has tapering shoulder surfaces 144, 146 complementary to the rail shoulder surfaces 120, 122. Each slot has side/lateral surfaces 148, 150 complementary to the rail surfaces 124, 126. Each slot has a base surface 152 complementary to the rail base surface or proximal edge 58 and facing and sealed thereto as discussed below. Exemplary slots are machined such as by shaped end mill either fully (machined into a flat surface) or partially (machined from a cast slot precursor such as a right channel).

(27) In each slot, there are a pair of ports 160, 162 (FIGS. 8 and 9). The port 160 is an outlet port from the inlet manifold/plenum 26/920 and the port 162 is an inlet port to the outlet manifold/plenum 28/922. These are respectively in adjacent communication and sealed with the associated plate inlet port 46 and outlet port 48 to pass an associated branch of the first flow 910 and first flowpath 900. For sealing, about each port 160, 162 (FIGS. 8 and 9) the slot base 152 includes a groove 170 (FIG. 9A) accommodating respective seal 172. Exemplary grooves 170 and seals 172 have a rounded-corner rectangular footprint. Exemplary seals 172 are self-energized metallic rings (e.g., C-seals) or solid elastomeric rings depending upon operating temperature environment.

(28) The exemplary slot 140 has a closed first end 154 (FIG. 7) and an open second end 156. In assembly, the respective individual plates may be installed by sliding their respective rail into the associated slot 140 until the rail is stopped at the slot first end 154. FIG. 4 shows a protruding first end section 200 of the rail 100. In the FIG. 4A sectional view, the portion 200 has an arcuate transition 202 from the trailing edge 56 to an angled or beveled shoulder 206. The shoulder 206 extends therefrom to an end face 208 essentially normal to the main portion of the proximal edge 58. Along the first end portion of the proximal edge 58, there may be a slightly angled ramping transition 210 to aid insertion of the rail 100 into the slot 140. The closed first end of the slot has surfaces 222, 226, and 228 generally complementary to the surfaces 202, 206, and 208 respectively but without need for any angled surface complementary to the ramping surface 210. Upon installation, surfaces 206 and 226 will interface in a wedge-like fashion to hold the plate firmly engaged to the manifold slot base 152 near the rail first end 102.

(29) Once the rail has been slid into place, the rail may be secured against extraction via a fastener 240 (FIG. 1). The exemplary fastener also holds the plate firmly engaged to the manifold slot base at the associated second end 104 of the rail. An exemplary fastener 240 is a threaded fastener having a shaft/shank extending through the mounting ear 110 and into the manifold 29. The exemplary fastener 110 is a bolt (e.g., hex-head) whose shaft 242 is received in a threaded bore 244 (FIG. 7) of the manifold. Thus, after sliding installation of each plate, the associated fastener 240 may be installed and tightened to hold the plate in place. The exemplary installation leaves the bolt head subflush (recessed) to or only slightly proud of the surface 33. Alternatively, a rounded hex head may help to alleviate turbulent flow.

(30) FIG. 10 schematically shows a gas turbine engine 800 as a turbofan engine having a centerline or central longitudinal axis 10 and extending from an upstream end at an inlet 802 to a downstream end at an outlet 804. The exemplary engine schematically includes a core flowpath 950 passing a core flow 952 and a bypass flowpath 954 passing a bypass flow 956. The core flow and bypass flow are initially formed by respective portions of a combined inlet airflow 958 divided at a splitter 870.

(31) A core case or other structure 820 divides the core flowpath from the bypass flowpath. The bypass flowpath is, in turn, surrounded by an outer case 822 which, depending upon implementation, may be a fan case. From upstream to downstream, the engine includes a fan section 830 having one or more fan blade stages, a compressor 832 having one or more sections each having one or more blade stages, a combustor 834 (e.g., annular, can-type, or reverse flow), and a turbine 836 again having one or more sections each having one or more blade stages. For example, many so-called two-spool engines have two compressor sections and two turbine sections with each turbine section driving a respective associated compressor section and a lower pressure downstream turbine section also driving the fan (optionally via a gear reduction). Yet other arrangements are possible.

(32) FIG. 10 shows the heat exchanger 20 positioned in the bypass flowpath so that a portion of the bypass flowpath 954 becomes the second flowpath 902 and a portion of the bypass flow 956 becomes the second airflow 912.

(33) The exemplary first airflow 910 is drawn as a compressed bleed flow from a diffuser case 850 between the compressor 832 and combustor 834 and returned radially inwardly back through the core flowpath 950 via struts 860. Thus, the flowpath 900 is a bleed flowpath branching from the core flowpath.

(34) The use of “first”, “second”, and the like in the following claims is for differentiation within the claim only and does not necessarily indicate relative or absolute importance or temporal order. Similarly, the identification in a claim of one element as “first” (or the like) does not preclude such “first” element from identifying an element that is referred to as “second” (or the like) in another claim or in the description.

(35) One or more embodiments have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, when applied to an existing baseline configuration, details of such baseline may influence details of particular implementations. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.