Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T00:21:51.880Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Applying heat pipes to a novel concept aero engine: Part 1 – Design of a heat-pipe heat exchanger for an intercooled aero engine

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2016

R. Camilleri ,
S. Ogaji  and
P. Pilidis
R. Camilleri*
Affiliation:
Department of Power and Propulsion, School of Engineering, Cranfield University Bedford, UK
S. Ogaji*
Affiliation:
Department of Power and Propulsion, School of Engineering, Cranfield University Bedford, UK
P. Pilidis*
Affiliation:
Department of Power and Propulsion, School of Engineering, Cranfield University Bedford, UK
*
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Civil aviation has instilled new perceptions of a smaller world, creating new opportunities for trade, exchange of cultures and travelling for leisure. However, it also brought with it an unforeseen impact on the environment. Aviation currently contributes to about 3·5% of the global warming attributed from human activities. With the forecasted rate of growth, this is expected to rise to about 15% over the next 50 years. Although it is projected that the annual improvements in aircraft fuel efficiency are of the order of 1-2%, it is suggested that the current gas turbine design is fully exploited and further improvements are difficult to achieve. A new generation of aero engine core concepts that can operate at higher thermal efficiencies and lower emissions is required. One possibility of achieving higher core efficiencies is through the use of an inter-cooled (IC) core at high overall pressure ratios (OPR). The concept engine, expected to enter into service around 2020, will make use of a conventional heat exchanger (HEX) for the intercooler. This paper seeks to introduce a heat pipe heat exchanger (HPHEX) as an alternative design of the intercooler. The proposed HPHEX design takes advantage of the convenience of the geometry of miniature heat pipes to provide a reduction in pressure losses and weight when compared to conventional HEX. The HPHEX will be made of a number of stages, each stage being made of a large number of miniature heat pipes in radial configuration, that will extend from the inter-compressor duct to the bypass split, thus eliminating any ducting to and from the intercooler. This design offers up to 32% reduction in hot pressure losses, 34% reduction in cold pressure losses and over 41% reduction in weight.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 115 , Issue 1169 , July 2011 , pp. 393 - 402
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2011 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Birch, N.T. 2020 Vision: the prospects for large civil aircraft propulsion, Aeronaut J, 2000, pp 347–352.Google Scholar
2. Boggia, S. Intercooled Recuperated Aero Engine, 2002, MTU GmbH Report.Google Scholar
3. Canière, H., Willcokx, A., Dick, E. and De PAEPE, M. Raising cycle efficiency by intercooling in air-cooled gas turbines, Appl Therm Eng, 2006, 26, (16), pp 1780–1787.Google Scholar
4. Charles Stark Draper prize, 1991 Winners: Hans von Ohain and Frank Whittle, http://www.draperprize.org/1991.php.Google Scholar
5. da Cunha Alves, M., de Franca Mendes Carneiro, H., Barbosa, J., Travieso, L., Pilidis, P. and Ramsden, K. An insight on inter-cooling and reheat gas turbine cycles, Proc Inst Mech Eng, 2001, Part A, 215, (2), pp 163–171.Google Scholar
6. Horlock, J., Watson, D. and Jones, T. Limitations on gas turbine performance imposed by large turbine cooling flows, ASME J Eng Gas Turbines Power, 2001, 123, (3), pp 487–494.Google Scholar
7. Kang, H. Heat Transfer Characteristics of Heat Pipe Heat Exchangers for Low and Medium Temperature Heat Recovery, 1997, MPhil Thesis, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK.Google Scholar
8. Kays, W.M. and London, A.L. Compact Heat Exchangers, 1998, 3rd ed, Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida, USA.Google Scholar
9. Kyprianidis, K.G., Groenstedt, T., Ogaji, S., Pilidis, P. and Singh, R. Assessment of future aero-engine designs with intercooled and intercooled recuperated cores, ASME J Eng Gas Turbines and Power, January 2011, 133.Google Scholar
10. Kurzke, J. Achieving maximum thermal efficiency with the simple gas turbine cycle, Joachim Kurzke 9th CEAS European Propulsion Forum: Virtual Engine – A Challenge for Integrated Computer Modelling, 15-17 October 2003, Roma, Italy.Google Scholar
11. Kurzke, J. GasTurb, 2007, available at: http://www.gasturb.de Google Scholar
12. Lundbladh, A. and Sjunnesson, A. Heat exchanger weight and efficiency Impact on jet engine transport applications, 16th ISABE Conference, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, 2003-1122.Google Scholar
13. Marx, M. Investigation and Optimisation of Intercooling in an IRA Engine, MSc Thesis, 2007, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK.Google Scholar
14. Metz, B., Davidson, O.R., Bosch, P.R., Dave, R. and Meyer, L.A. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007. Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
15. Papadopoulos, T. and Pilidis, P. Introduction to intercooling in a high bypass jet engine, ASME Turbo Expo 2000, May 2000, Munich, Germany.Google Scholar
16. Penner, J.E., Lister, D.H., Griggs, D.J., Dokken, D.J. and McFarland, M. (Eds), Aviation and the Global Atmosphere, IPCC, 1999, http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/sres/aviation/index.htm Google Scholar
17. Peretz, R. Relation between evaporator and condenser lengths of a finless heat pipe to achieve a maximum heat flow per unit weight, Int J Heat and Fluid Flow, 1982, 3, (3), pp 147, 148.Google Scholar
18. Rolt, A. and Baker, N.J. Intercooled Turbofan Engine Design and Technology Research in the EU, 2009, Rolls Royce Plc ReportGoogle Scholar
19. Saidi, A., Eriksson, D. and Sunden, B. Analysis of some heat exchanger concepts for use of gas turbine intercoolers, Int J of Heat Exchangers, 2002, 3, pp 241–260.Google Scholar
20. Silverstein, C.C. Design and technology of heat pipes for cooling and heat exchange, Hemisphere Pub. Corp, Washington, USA, 1992.Google Scholar
21. Singh, R. Civil Aero Gas Turbines: Technology and Strategy, Cranfield University, UK, 2001.Google Scholar
22. Townsend, J. and Kerrebrock, J. Experimental Evaluation of a Turbine Blade with Potassium Evaporative Cooling, 40th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, 1-14 July 2004, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.Google Scholar
23. Walsh, P. and Fletcher, P. Gas Turbine Performance, 1st ed, 1998, Blackwell Science, UK.Google Scholar
24. Wilcock, R., Young, J. and Horlock, J. The effect of turbine blade cooling on the cycle efficiency of gas turbine power cycles, ASME J Eng Gas Turbines and Power, 2005, 127, (1), pp 109–120.Google Scholar
25. Wilfert, G., Sieber, J., Rolt, A., Baker, N., Touyeras, A. and Colantuoni, S. New Environmental Friendly Aero Engine Core Concepts, 18th ISABE conference, Beijing, China, 2007-1122.Google Scholar
26. Xu, L., Gustafsson, B. and Grönstedt, T. Mission Optimization of an Intercooled Turbofan Engine, ISABE 2007 Proceedings, Paper No. ISABE-2007-1157.Google Scholar
27. Xu, L. and Grönstedt, T. Design and analysis of an intercooled turbofan engine, ASME, J Eng. Gas Turbines and Power, 2010, 132.Google Scholar