IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,585,291
Granted Patent B2
US 11,585,291 · App. 17/018,795 · Granted Feb 21, 2023

Tail cone ejector for power cable cooling system in a gas turbine engine

Inventors: Marc J. Muldoon (East Hartford, CT); Jonathan Rheaume (East Hartford, CT); Stephen H. Taylor (East Hartford, CT)
Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
F02K1/36F02C7/18F01D15/10F02C7/32F02K1/38F05D2220/32F05D2220/76F05D2260/201
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,585,291
App. No.
17/018,795
Granted
Feb 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An ejector assembly for a cooling system of a gas turbine engine may comprise: a tail cone having a tail cone outlet in fluid communication with a cooling air flow of the cooling system; an ejector body defining a mixing section, a constant area section, and a diffuser section; and a nozzle section in fluid communication with an exhaust air flow of the gas turbine engine, the ejector assembly configured to entrain the cooling air flow via the exhaust air flow.

Claims (27)

1. A gas turbine engine, comprising:

an ejector assembly comprising:

a tail cone having a tail cone outlet in fluid communication with a cooling air flow of a cooling system, and

an ejector body defining a mixing section, a constant area section downstream of the mixing section, and a diffuser section downstream of the constant area section,

wherein a nozzle section of the ejector assembly is defined by the tail cone and the ejector body, the nozzle section being in fluid communication with a portion of a core airflow of the gas turbine engine and defining a choked flow area radially between the tail cone and the ejector body, the ejector assembly configured to entrain the cooling air flow via the portion of the core airflow,

an electric motor disposed in the tail cone;

a conduit in fluid communication with the electric motor;

a plurality of conductive cables extending through the conduit and coupled to the electric motor; and

a primary nozzle disposed radially outward from the ejector assembly, the primary nozzle defining an exhaust outlet upstream of the ejector body for a remainder of the core airflow of the gas turbine engine.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the ejector body further comprises a scoop defining an inlet to the nozzle section.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein a throat of the nozzle section is disposed forward of the tail cone outlet.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the cooling air flow is from an external air source disposed radially outward from a bypass air flow path of the gas turbine engine.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the cooling air flow is configured to cool the plurality of conductive cables.

6. A cooling system of a gas turbine engine, the cooling system comprising:

a tail cone having a tail cone outlet;

an electric motor disposed in the tail cone;

a conduit;

a plurality of cables extending from the electric motor, the plurality of cables disposed at least partially in the conduit;

a cooling source in fluid communication with the conduit, the cooling source configured to flow a cooling air flow through the conduit to cool the plurality of cables; and

an ejector body coupled to the tail cone and defining a mixing section, a constant area section downstream of the mixing section, and a diffuser section downstream of the constant area section, the ejector body configured to entrain the cooling air flow through the tail cone outlet via a portion of a core airflow of the gas turbine engine,

wherein a nozzle section is defined by the tail cone and the ejector body, the nozzle section being in fluid communication with the portion of the core airflow and defining a choked flow area radially between the tail cone and the ejector body; and

a primary nozzle disposed radially outward from the ejector body, the primary nozzle defining an exhaust outlet upstream of the ejector body for a remainder of the core airflow of the gas turbine engine.

7. The cooling system of claim 6 , wherein the cooling source includes an electric fan.

8. The cooling system of claim 7 , wherein the conduit is in fluid communication with the electric fan.

9. The cooling system of claim 6 , wherein the tail cone comprises a scoop configured to divert the portion of core airflow configured to entrain the cooling air flow.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a cooling source in fluid communication with the conduit.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the cooling source is configured to flow the cooling air flow through the conduit to cool the plurality of conductive cables.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 27, 2023
From: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RTX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064714/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 11, 2020
From: MULDOON, MARC J; RHEAUME, JONATHAN; TAYLOR, STEPHEN H
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053750/0592 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220082052A1 · Mar 17, 2022
Cited By (2)
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