Wing cooling system for fuel cell
An aircraft, including a wing having an exterior with an exterior surface, a first power supply structure disposed in the wing, an electric motor electrically connected to the first power supply structure, a first heat exchanger disposed in the wing, where the first heat exchanger is disposed adjacent to, and in thermal contact with, at least a portion of the exterior of the wing, where the first heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat to the exterior surface, and a first coolant pump in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the first power supply structure.
1 . An aircraft, comprising:
a wing having an exterior with an exterior surface;
a first power supply structure disposed in the wing;
an electric motor electrically connected to the first power supply structure;
a first heat exchanger disposed in the wing, wherein the first heat exchanger is disposed adjacent to, and in thermal contact with, at least a portion of the exterior of the wing, wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat to the exterior surface, wherein the first heat exchanger forms a first heat exchanger cavity, and wherein the first power supply structure is at least partially disposed in the first heat exchanger cavity; and
a first coolant pump in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the first power supply structure.
2 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger extends, along an inner surface of the exterior, from an upper side of the wing, around a leading edge of the wing, to a lower side of the wing.
3 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the wing comprises a support structure extending from at least an interior side of the exterior at a lower side of the wing to an interior side of the exterior at an upper side of the wing; and
wherein the first power supply structure and the first heat exchanger are disposed between a leading edge of the wing and the support structure.
4 . The aircraft of claim 3 , further comprising:
a second power supply structure disposed in the wing between the support structure and a trailing edge of the wing;
a second heat exchanger disposed in the wing, wherein the second heat exchanger is disposed adjacent to, and in thermal contact with, at least a portion of the exterior of the wing, wherein the second heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat to the exterior surface; and
a second coolant pump in fluid communication with the second heat exchanger and the second power supply structure.
5 . The aircraft of claim 4 , wherein the first heat exchanger is separate from the second heat exchanger.
6 . The aircraft of claim 4 , wherein the second heat exchanger comprises a first portion disposed at an upper side of the wing, and further comprises a second portion that is disposed at a lower side of the wing, and that is separate from the first portion of the second heat exchanger.
7 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first power supply structure is a fuel cell.
8 . A cooling system structure, comprising:
a first power supply structure;
a first heat exchanger having a first inner portion configured to be disposed adjacent to a first portion of a wing exterior of a wing configured for use in flight of an aircraft, the wing having a wing exterior with an exterior surface, wherein the first inner portion at least partially bounds a first fluid cavity, wherein the first heat exchanger has a shape conforming to an inner surface of the wing exterior and extends from an upper side of the wing, around a leading edge of the wing, to a lower side of the wing, and wherein the first power supply structure is in fluid communication with the first fluid cavity; and
a first coolant pump configured to pump first coolant through the first fluid cavity to the first power supply structure, wherein pumping first coolant through the first fluid cavity causes the first heat exchanger to cool the first coolant.
9 . The cooling system structure of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second power supply structure;
a second heat exchanger having a second inner portion configured to be disposed adjacent to a second portion of the wing exterior, wherein the second inner portion at least partially bounds a second fluid cavity, and wherein the second power supply structure is in fluid communication with the second fluid cavity; and
a second coolant pump configured to pump second coolant through the second fluid cavity to the second power supply structure, wherein pumping second coolant through the second fluid cavity causes the second heat exchanger to cool the second coolant.
10 . The cooling system structure of claim 9 , wherein the first heat exchanger is separate from the second heat exchanger.
11 . The cooling system structure of claim 9 , wherein the second heat exchanger comprises an upper second inner portion configured to be disposed at an inner surface of an upper side of the wing, and further comprises a lower second inner portion that is configured to be disposed at an inner surface of a lower side of the wing, and that is separate from the first inner portion of the second heat exchanger.
12 . The cooling system structure of claim 8 , wherein the first heat exchanger forms a first heat exchanger cavity, and wherein the first power supply structure is configured to be at least partially disposed in the first heat exchanger cavity.
13 . The cooling system structure of claim 11 , wherein the first power supply structure has a prismatic shape and is spaced apart from an interior surface of the first inner portion.
14 . The cooling system structure of claim 8 , further comprising:
input piping connecting the first fluid cavity to a first end of the first power supply structure, wherein the first coolant pump is connected to a second end of the first power supply structure; and
output piping connecting the first fluid cavity the first coolant pump.
15 . A method, comprising:
providing cooling for an aircraft power system of an aircraft by causing a coolant pump to pump coolant along a coolant flow path;
wherein pumping coolant along the coolant flow path comprises:
moving, using the coolant pump, the coolant from a power supply structure to a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is disposed in a wing of the aircraft, and is in thermal contact with an exterior of the wing, and wherein the heat exchanger extends, along an inner surface of the exterior, from an upper side of the wing, around a leading edge of the wing, to a lower side of the wing;
moving the coolant through the heat exchanger, wherein moving the coolant through the heat exchanger cools the coolant and transfers heat in the coolant to the exterior for removal by airflow over the wing; and
moving the coolant, after cooling the coolant, to the power supply structure.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein moving coolant through the heat exchanger comprises moving coolant into the heat exchanger near the leading edge and moving coolant in the heat exchanger toward a trailing edge of the wing along both the upper side and lower side.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the heat exchanger forms a heat exchanger cavity, and wherein the power supply structure is at least partially disposed in the heat exchanger cavity.