IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,127,566
Granted Patent B2
US 9,127,566 · App. 13/437,296 · Granted Sep 8, 2015

Turbomachine thermal management

Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu (Glastonbury, CT); Simon Pickford (Amston, CT); William K. Ackermann (East Hartford, CT); Nathan Snape (Tolland, CT)
Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
F01D25/12F02C7/047F02C7/18F02C7/32F05D2260/213Y02T50/675
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,127,566
App. No.
13/437,296
Granted
Sep 8, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example turbomachine assembly includes, among other things, a nose cone of a turbomachine, and a pump at least partially within an interior of the nose cone. The pump is selectively rotated by a motor to communicate air to the interior.

Claims (20)

1. A turbomachine assembly, comprising:

a nose cone of a turbomachine;

a pump at least partially within an interior of the nose cone, the pump selectively driven by a motor to communicate air to the interior; and

a geared architecture rotatably linking a fan to a shaft, the geared architecture causing the fan to rotate at a different speed than the shaft,

wherein an inlet to a low pressure compressor of the turbomachine is downstream from the fan relative to a general direction of flow through the turbomachine.

2. The turbomachine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pump communicates air through an aperture provided by a leading edge of the nose cone relative to a direction of flow through the turbomachine.

3. The turbomachine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the nose cone establishes a portion of a radially inner boundary of flow entering a fan section of the turbomachine.

4. The turbomachine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pump is selectively rotated by the motor or a shaft directly driven by a turbine of the turbomachine.

5. The turbomachine assembly of claim 4 , including a clutch that is selectively moved between an engaged position and a disengaged position to rotate the pump using the motor or the shaft.

6. The turbomachine assembly of claim 5 , wherein the clutch is a ratchet clutch.

7. The turbomachine assembly of claim 5 , wherein the clutch is in an engaged position when rotating the pump using the shaft.

8. The turbomachine assembly of claim 5 , wherein the shaft directly drives the pump at a 1 to 1 ratio when the clutch is in the engaged position.

9. The turbomachine assembly of claim 1 , including a heat exchanger that receives air communicated to the interior by the pump.

10. The turbomachine assembly of claim 9 , wherein the heat exchanger is forward a fan blade section of the turbomachine relative to a direction of flow through the turbomachine.

11. The turbomachine assembly of claim 9 , wherein air communicated to the interior by the pump carries thermal energy from the heat exchanger.

12. The turbomachine assembly of claim 1 , wherein air that has moved to the interior adds thermal energy to the nose cone.

13. The turbomachine assembly of claim 1 , wherein air that has moved to the interior buffers a seal.

14. A turbomachine assembly, comprising:

a nose cone of a turbomachine; and

a pump at least partially within an interior of the nose cone, the pump selectively driven by a motor to communicate air to the interior, wherein the turbomachine has a bypass flowpath, and air that has moved through to the interior is communicated from an inner diameter of the core flowpath to an outer diameter of the core flowpath.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE AND REMOVE PATENT APPLICATION NUMBER 11886281 AND ADD PATENT APPLICATION NUMBER 14846874. TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 054062 FRAME: 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF ADDRESS. Recorded Mar 4, 2021
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055659/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 4, 2020
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054062/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 2, 2012
From: SUCIU, GABRIEL L.; PICKFORD, SIMON; ACKERMANN, WILLIAM K.; SNAPE, NATHAN
To: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027971/0588 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130259638A1 · Oct 3, 2013