초록 ▼

An aircraft may have a heat generating component and an engine, at least one of which generates a heat load, and a thermal management system to cool the heat load. The engine may have a duct and an engine fan configured to draw an inlet air stream into an inlet portion of the duct, where at least a

An aircraft may have a heat generating component and an engine, at least one of which generates a heat load, and a thermal management system to cool the heat load. The engine may have a duct and an engine fan configured to draw an inlet air stream into an inlet portion of the duct, where at least a portion of the inlet air stream may be used as an engine air stream. The thermal management system may include a cooling circuit configured to circulate a fluid through the heat load such that at least a portion of it may be transferred to the fluid, a heat exchanger configured to enable heat transfer between the fluid and a cooling air stream, and a pumping device. The pumping device may be configured to draw the cooling air stream through the heat exchanger and into a portion of the engine air stream.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A thermal management system for an aircraft having an engine and a heat generating component, at least one of which generates a heat load, the engine having an engine fan configured to draw in an engine inlet air stream, at least a portion of which is to be used as an engine air stream downstream

1. A thermal management system for an aircraft having an engine and a heat generating component, at least one of which generates a heat load, the engine having an engine fan configured to draw in an engine inlet air stream, at least a portion of which is to be used as an engine air stream downstream of the engine fan, the thermal management system comprising: a cooling circuit configured to circulate a fluid through the heat load such that at least a portion of the heat load is transferrable to the fluid;a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cooling circuit, the heat exchanger being configured to enable heat transfer between the fluid and a cooling air stream, the heat exchanger being located upstream of the engine fan;a plenum starting at an air outlet side of the heat exchanger; anda pumping device located within the plenum and configured to draw the cooling air stream through the heat exchanger and into a portion of the engine air stream downstream of the engine fan. 2. The thermal management system of claim 1 wherein the engine includes a first dividing plate downstream of the engine fan, the first dividing plate being configured to divide the engine air stream into a core stream and a bypass stream, and wherein the pumping device is configured to deposit the cooling air stream from the heat exchanger into the bypass stream. 3. The thermal management system of claim 1 wherein the engine fan includes a first blade and a second blade, and the engine includes a first dividing plate and a second dividing plate downstream of the engine fan such that the engine air stream is divisible into a core stream, a bypass stream, and a third stream, and wherein the pumping device is configured to deposit the cooling air stream from the heat exchanger to the third stream. 4. The thermal management system of claim 1 wherein the pumping device is a compressor. 5. The thermal management system of claim 1 wherein the pumping device is an ejector. 6. The thermal management system of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger is a tube bundle heat exchanger. 7. The thermal management system of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger is configured such that the cooling air stream is drawn from the inlet air stream. 8. The thermal management system of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of sheets of metal stacked and bonded together, each of the plurality of sheets of metal having at least one through hole aligned with each other such that the cooling air stream is flowable through the plurality of sheets of metal. 9. The thermal management system of claim 8 wherein the holes are positioned at the engine inlet. 10. An aircraft comprising: a heat generating component and an engine, at least one of which generates a heat load, the engine having:a duct having a wall defining an inlet portion with an engine inlet at which an inlet air stream is collectable;an engine fan having at least one fan blade and configured to draw the engine inlet air stream into the duct, at least a portion of the engine inlet air stream being used as an engine air stream downstream of the engine fan; anda thermal management system having:a cooling circuit configured to circulate a fluid, the cooling circuit being in fluid communication with the at least one of a heat generating component and an engine such that at least a portion of the heat load is transferrable to the fluid;a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cooling circuit and located upstream of the at least one fan blade, the heat exchanger being configured to enable heat transfer between the fluid and a cooling air stream drawn from a portion of the engine inlet air stream; anda pumping device configured to draw the cooling air stream through the heat exchanger and to a portion of the engine air stream downstream of the engine fan. 11. The aircraft of claim 10 wherein the engine includes a first dividing plate downstream of the engine fan, the first dividing plate being configured to divide the engine air stream into a core stream and a bypass stream, and wherein the pumping device is configured to deposit the cooling air stream from the heat exchanger into the bypass stream. 12. The aircraft of claim 10 wherein the engine includes a first dividing plate and a second dividing plate downstream of the engine fan, the first dividing plate and the second dividing plate being configured to divide the engine air stream into a core stream, a bypass stream, and a third stream, and wherein the pumping device is configured to deposit the cooling air stream from the heat exchanger into the third stream. 13. The aircraft of claim 10 wherein the pumping device is a compressor. 14. The aircraft of claim 10 wherein the pumping device is an ejector. 15. The aircraft of claim 10 wherein the heat exchanger is integrated into the duct wall such that the cooling air stream is drawn from the inlet air stream. 16. The aircraft of claim 10 wherein the engine further comprises an outer casing around at least the inlet portion of the duct to define a cooling passageway with an annular inlet, the pumping device being configured to draw the cooling air stream through the annular inlet. 17. The aircraft of claim 16 wherein the heat exchanger is disposed within the cooling passageway. 18. The aircraft of claim 10 wherein the duct is configured such that the engine air stream has a smaller flow area where the cooling air stream enters the engine air stream than substantially the remainder of the engine air stream. 19. A method of managing heat loads in an aircraft via an engine and a thermal management system, the method comprising: circulating a fluid through a heat generating component that generates a heat load such that the fluid absorbs at least a portion of the heat load;circulating the fluid through a heat exchanger of the thermal management system;drawing, by an engine fan of the engine, an engine inlet air stream into a duct of the engine, a portion of the engine inlet air stream being used as an engine air stream downstream of the engine fan;drawing, by a pumping device of the thermal management system, a cooling air stream through the heat exchanger upstream of at least one fan blade of the engine fan to enable heat transfer from the fluid to the cooling air stream; anddepositing, by the pumping device, the cooling air stream from the heat exchanger to a portion of the engine air stream. 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the cooling air stream is drawn from the engine inlet air stream.