Cooling system
A thermal management system for a gas turbine engine and/or an aircraft is provided including a thermal transport bus having a heat exchange fluid flowing therethrough. The thermal management system also includes a plurality of heat source exchangers and at least one heat sink exchanger. The plurality of heat source exchangers and the at least one heat sink exchanger are in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus. The plurality of heat source exchangers are arranged along the thermal transport bus and configured to transfer heat from one or more accessory systems to the heat exchange fluid, and the at least one heat sink exchanger is located downstream of the plurality of heat source exchangers and configured to remove heat from the heat exchange fluid.
1. A thermal management system for incorporation at least partially into at least one of a gas turbine engine or an aircraft, the thermal management system comprising:
a thermal transport bus having a heat exchange fluid flowing therethrough;
a plurality of heat source exchangers in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus, the plurality of heat source exchangers arranged along the thermal transport bus;
at least one heat sink exchanger permanently or selectively in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus at a location downstream of the plurality of heat source exchangers; and
a compressor in fluid communication with the heat exchange fluid at a location upstream of the at least one heat sink exchanger for compressing the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus.
2. The thermal management system of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of heat source exchangers are configured to transfer heat from an accessory system of the gas turbine engine to the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus, and
wherein the at least one heat sink exchanger is configured to remove heat from the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus.
3. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat sink exchanger includes a plurality of individual heat sink exchangers.
4. The thermal management system of claim 3 ,
wherein the plurality of heat sink exchangers are selectively in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus, and
wherein the thermal transport bus includes a plurality of bypass lines for selectively bypassing each heat sink exchanger in the plurality of heat sink exchangers.
5. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat sink exchanger includes at least one air to heat exchange fluid heat exchanger or fuel to heat exchange fluid heat exchanger.
6. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heat source exchangers includes at least two of an environmental control system precooler, a main lubrication system heat exchanger, a generator lubrication system heat exchanger, an electronics cooling system heat exchanger, a compressor cooling air system heat exchanger, or an active clearance control system heat exchanger.
7. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heat source exchangers includes at least one air to heat exchange fluid heat exchanger and at least one liquid to heat exchange fluid heat exchanger.
8. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange fluid is an incompressible fluid.
9. The thermal management system of claim 1 , further comprising
a de-icing module in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus at a location downstream of the plurality of heat source exchangers.
10. The thermal management system of claim 9 , wherein the de-icing module utilizes heat from the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus to warm components of an aircraft susceptible to icing.
11. The thermal management system of claim 1 , further comprising
an expansion device in fluid communication with the heat exchange fluid at a location downstream of the at least one heat sink exchanger for expanding the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus.
12. The thermal management system of claim 1 , further comprising
a fuel chiller in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus at a location upstream of the plurality of heat source exchangers.
13. The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of bypass lines selectively bypass each heat sink exchanger in the plurality of heat sink exchangers based on an operating condition of the gas turbine engine or the aircraft.
14. The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of bypass lines selectively bypass each heat sink exchanger in the plurality of heat sink exchangers based on a temperature of the heat exchange fluid.
15. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat sink exchanger comprises a plurality of heat sink exchangers in series, each of the plurality of heat sink exchangers being permanently or selectively in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus downstream of the plurality of heat source exchangers.
16. The thermal management system of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of heat sink exchangers includes a corresponding bypass line for selectively bypassing the each of the plurality of heat sink exchangers.