IP Library Granted Patent US 12,291,337
Granted Patent B2
US 12,291,337 · App. 17/675,138 · Granted May 6, 2025

Aircraft hybrid cooling system

Inventor: Alan F. Retersdorf (Avon, CT)
Assignee: RTX Corporation
B64D13/06F02C9/18F02K3/00F25B9/004F25B25/005B64D2013/0618B64D2013/0644B64D2013/0648B64D2013/0674
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,291,337
App. No.
17/675,138
Granted
May 6, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An environmental control system (ECS) for use with a gas turbine engine has an air cycle system (ACS) and a vapor cycle system (VCS). The VCS has along a vapor compression flowpath: a VCS compressor; a heat donor leg of a VCS condenser; an expansion device; and a heat receiving leg of a VCS evaporator. The ACS has along a bleed flowpath: a bleed air inlet; a primary heat exchanger; an ACS compressor; a secondary heat exchanger; a turbine coupled to the ACS compressor to drive the ACS compressor; a heat donor leg of the VCS evaporator; a water collector; and a heat receiving leg of the VCS condenser.

Claims (111)

1. An environmental control system (ECS) for use with a gas turbine engine, the ECS comprising:

an air cycle system (ACS); and

a vapor cycle system (VCS),

wherein:

the VCS comprises along a vapor compression flowpath:

a VCS compressor;

a heat donor leg of a VCS condenser;

an expansion device; and

a heat receiving leg of a VCS evaporator; and

the ACS comprises along a bleed flowpath:

a bleed air inlet;

a primary heat exchanger;

an ACS compressor;

a secondary heat exchanger;

a first turbine coupled to the ACS compressor to drive the ACS compressor;

a heat donor leg of the VCS evaporator;

a water collector;

a heat receiving leg of the VCS condenser; and

a second turbine; and

the VCS compressor is a motor-driven compressor; and

the bleed flowpath passes downstream from the heat receiving leg of the VCS condenser to the second turbine.

2. The environmental control system of claim 1 further comprising:

a valve positioned to bypass the turbine to pass a portion of flow along the bleed flowpath from the secondary heat exchanger around the first turbine to the heat donor leg of the VCS evaporator.

3. The environmental control system of claim 1 wherein:

the bleed flowpath passes sequentially from the heat donor leg of the VCS evaporator to the water collector and then to the heat receiving leg of the VCS condenser.

4. The environmental control system of claim 3 wherein:

the water collector is a can-type collector.

5. The environmental control system of claim 1 wherein:

the first turbine is downstream of the secondary heat exchanger and upstream of the heat donor leg of the VCS evaporator along the bleed flowpath.

6. The environmental control system of claim 5 wherein:

the heat donor leg of the VCS evaporator;

the water collector; and

the heat receiving leg of the VCS condenser are downstream of the first turbine and upstream of the second turbine along the bleed flowpath.

7. The environmental control system of claim 5 further comprising:

a heat transfer liquid flowpath;

a cooling load on the heat transfer liquid flowpath; and

at least one liquid load heat exchanger thermally coupling the bleed flowpath and heat transfer liquid flowpath.

8. The environmental control system of claim 7 wherein:

the at least one liquid load heat exchanger comprises:

a first liquid load heat exchanger downstream of the first turbine and upstream of the second turbine along the bleed flowpath; and

a second liquid load heat exchanger downstream the second turbine along the bleed flowpath.

9. The environmental control system of claim 1 further comprising:

a ram air flowpath passing through the primary heat exchanger and the secondary heat exchanger, wherein the VCS lacks direct heat exchange with the ram flowpath.

10. The environmental control system of claim 1 wherein:

the ACS lacks a condensing/reheating loop.

11. The environmental control system of claim 1 included within an aircraft, the aircraft further comprising:

an engine having a compressor bleed port along the bleed flowpath.

12. The environmental control system included within the aircraft of claim 11 , the aircraft further comprising:

a ram air flowpath passing through the primary heat exchanger and the secondary heat exchanger.

13. The environmental control system included within the aircraft of claim 12 wherein the environmental control system further comprises:

a heat transfer liquid flowpath;

a cooling load on the heat transfer liquid flowpath, the cooling load comprising at least one radar transmit/receive module; and

at least one liquid load heat exchanger thermally coupling the bleed flowpath and heat transfer liquid flowpath.

14. A method for using the environmental control system of claim 1 , the method comprising:

running a gas turbine engine;

directing bleed air along the bleed flowpath from the gas turbine engine; and

the bleed air driving the first turbine and second turbine to drive the ACS compressor.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

bypassing the first turbine to control an inlet temperature to the heat donor leg of the VCS evaporator.

16. An environmental control system (ECS) for use with a gas turbine engine, the ECS comprising:

an air cycle system (ACS); and

a vapor cycle system (VCS),

wherein:

the VCS comprises along a vapor compression flowpath:

a VCS compressor;

a heat donor leg of a VCS condenser;

an expansion device; and

a heat receiving leg of a VCS evaporator;

the ACS comprises along a bleed flowpath:

a bleed air inlet;

a primary heat exchanger;

an ACS compressor;

a secondary heat exchanger;

a first turbine coupled to the ACS compressor to drive the ACS compressor;

a heat donor leg of the VCS evaporator;

a water collector;

a heat receiving leg of the VCS condenser; and

a second turbine,

the first turbine is downstream of the secondary heat exchanger and upstream of the heat donor leg of the VCS evaporator along the bleed flowpath; and

the heat donor leg of the VCS evaporator, the water collector, and the heat receiving leg of the VCS condenser are downstream of the first turbine and upstream of the second turbine along the bleed flowpath.

17. The environmental control system of claim 16 and included within an aircraft, the aircraft further comprising:

an engine having a compressor bleed port along the bleed flowpath.

18. An environmental control system (ECS) for use with a gas turbine engine, the ECS comprising:

an air cycle system (ACS); and

a vapor cycle system (VCS),

wherein:

the VCS comprises along a vapor compression flowpath:

a VCS compressor;

a heat donor leg of a VCS condenser;

an expansion device; and

a heat receiving leg of a VCS evaporator;

the ACS comprises along a bleed flowpath:

a bleed air inlet;

a primary heat exchanger;

an ACS compressor;

a secondary heat exchanger;

a first turbine coupled to the ACS compressor to drive the ACS compressor;

a heat donor leg of the VCS evaporator;

a water collector;

a heat receiving leg of the VCS condenser; and

a second turbine;

the first turbine is downstream of the secondary heat exchanger and upstream of the heat donor leg of the VCS evaporator along the bleed flowpath

the ECS further comprises:

a heat transfer liquid flowpath;

a cooling load on the heat transfer liquid flowpath; and

at least one liquid load heat exchanger thermally coupling the bleed flowpath and heat transfer liquid flowpath; and

the at least one liquid load heat exchanger comprises:

a first liquid load heat exchanger downstream of the first turbine and upstream of the second turbine along the bleed flowpath; and

a second liquid load heat exchanger downstream the second turbine along the bleed flowpath.

19. The environmental control system of claim 18 and included within an aircraft, the aircraft further comprising:

an engine having a compressor bleed port along the bleed flowpath.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 27, 2023
From: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RTX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064402/0837 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 18, 2022
From: RETERSDORF, ALAN F.
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059046/0266 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230264818A1 · Aug 24, 2023
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