GB2522080A - Low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler - Google Patents

Low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2522080A
GB2522080A GB1402417.8A GB201402417A GB2522080A GB 2522080 A GB2522080 A GB 2522080A GB 201402417 A GB201402417 A GB 201402417A GB 2522080 A GB2522080 A GB 2522080A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
fuel tank
aircraft
aircraft according
intake
air
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB1402417.8A
Other versions
GB2522080B (en
GB201402417D0 (en
Inventor
Stephen Desmond Lewis
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Individual
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Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of GB201402417D0 publication Critical patent/GB201402417D0/en
Publication of GB2522080A publication Critical patent/GB2522080A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2522080B publication Critical patent/GB2522080B/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
    • B64D37/00—Arrangements in connection with fuel supply for power plant
    • B64D37/02—Tanks
    • B64D37/04—Arrangement thereof in or on aircraft
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
    • B64D33/00—Arrangements in aircraft of power plant parts or auxiliaries not otherwise provided for
    • B64D33/02—Arrangements in aircraft of power plant parts or auxiliaries not otherwise provided for of combustion air intakes
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
    • B64D33/00—Arrangements in aircraft of power plant parts or auxiliaries not otherwise provided for
    • B64D33/02—Arrangements in aircraft of power plant parts or auxiliaries not otherwise provided for of combustion air intakes
    • B64D2033/024—Arrangements in aircraft of power plant parts or auxiliaries not otherwise provided for of combustion air intakes comprising cooling means
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
    • Y02T90/00—Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02T90/40—Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

An aircraft 1 has an air-breathing engine 2 positioned at the rear of the aircraft with its intake 3 receiving air after it has flowed over the aircrafts fuel tank 4. There may be two or more intakes and the fuel tank may form part of the aircrafts outer skin or in thermal communication with an outer skin. The fuel tank may be uninsulated or only uninsulated in the areas leading to the intakes. The fuel may be bio diesel or kerosene or liquid hydrogen. Preferably the engine is a gas turbojet and an electric generator 5 or a hybrid rocket 6. Furthermore the fuselage and ram/scramjets 7 are positioned in the airflow at 90 degree separations to each other.

Description

Low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler This invention relates to cooling intake air of air breathing engines on high speed aircraft using as little weight as possible.
High speed air breathing aircraft engines may perform better with a cooled intake of air, however the heat exchange equipment adds extra complexity, cost and weight to an aircraft which reduces the potential benefits. To overcome this, the present invention proposes an aircraft, said aircraft having at least one air-breathing engine intake positioned aft of at least one fuel tank wherein air passes over said fuel tank before entering said ittake.
When the air passes over the fuel tank the air will lose some energy in heating up the fuel which will result in a cooler air flow which enters the air-breathing engine, therefore no weight or complexity or cost is involved for the cooling acquired due to the fuel tank serving a dual purpose as a heat exchanger and a fuel tank.
Preferably, there are two or more air-breathing engine intakes.
Preferably, said fuel tank is in thermal communication with said aircrafts outer skin.
Preferably, said fuel tank forms part of said aircrafts outer skin.
Preferably, said fuel tank is uninsulated.
Preferably, said fuel tank is uninsulated at areas that are inline with said intake.
Preferably, said fuel tank is insulated at areas that aren't inline with said intake.
Preferably, said fuel is bio diesel or kerosene or liquid hydrogen.
Pn example of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawing: -figure 1 shows a side view of the low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler; and -figure 2 shows a side view of the low weight aircraft engine intake pro-cooler; and -figure 3 shows a side view of the low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler; and -figure 4 shows a rear end view of the low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler; and -figure 5 shows a side view of the low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler; and -figure 6 shows a side view of the low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler; and -figure 7 shows a side view of the low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler; and -figure 8 shows a rear end view of the low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler; and -figure 9 shows a rear end view of the low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler accdrding to the invention.
An aircraft 1 has an air-breathing engine 2 positioned at the rear of the aircraft with its intake 3 receiving air after it has flowed over the aircrafts fuel tank 4. There may be two or more intakes and the fuel tank may form part of the aircrafts outer skin or in thermal communication with an outer skin. The fuel tank may be uninsulated or only uninsulated in the areas leading to the intakes. The fuel may be bio diesel or kerosene or liguid hydrogen.
In the figures a combined cycle arrangement is shown wherein a gas turbine/turbojet and an electrical generator 5 and a liquid or solid or hybrid rocket 6 are positioned behind the fuel tank out of the air flow inline with the fuselage and ram/scrantjets 7 are positioned in the airflow at 90 degree separations to each other but rotated 45 degrees to the gas turbine/turbojet intakes for clear air, the intakes themselves have 90 degrees: separation to each other.
The engines are positioned at the rear of the aircraft, with the fuel tank in the centre and any payload or passengers 8 at the front to keep a steady centre of gravity as the fuel is consumed. As the air flows over the aircrafts surfaces this will also aid in slowing the airflow which will aid in the gas turbine/turbojets operation.
With cutaways figure 1 shows the gas turbine/turbojets and electrical generators, figure 2 shows the ram/scramjets and figure 3 shows the rocket.
Figure 5 shows a version with a combined cycle gas turbine 9 and rocket engine, figures and 8 shows a low profile intake that encompasses the whole aircrafts outer skin. Figures 7 and 9 show a low profile intake that only encompasses the lower half of the aircrafts fuselage, which may be more beneficial for a climbing trajectory.
With the engines positioned at the rear of the aircraft passengers, fuel tanks and important systems can be positioned outside of the danger zones of the gas turbine/turbojets safeguarding them in the event of a catastrophic engine failure involving high speed projectiles.
As the fuel heats up it will boil off keeping its temperature low and supplying pressure for the engines.
The angle of the intake will naturally form an intake ramp for shock creation at supersonic speeds.
Due to the engines being tucked behind in the slipstream of the fuselage they will have a lower drag signature, giving a lower overall drag footprint, enabling a larger payload or less fuel or higher attainable speeds.
Storage of small amounts of fuel, perhaps kerosene or biodiesel if not liquid hydrogen, can be used to help cool parts of the aircraft during re-entry if returning from space, and then consumed in the engines allowing for a go-around instead of landing deadstick. 1k

Claims (7)

  1. Claims 1 An aircraft, said aircraft having at least one air-breathing engine intake positioned aft of at least one fuel tank wherein air passes over said fuel tank before entering said intake.
  2. 2 An aircraft according to claim 1, wherein there are two or more air-breathing engine intakes.
  3. 3 An aircraft according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said fuel tank is in thermal communication with said aircrafts outer skin.
  4. 4 An aircraft according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said fuel tank forms part of said aircrafts outer skin.
  5. An aircraft according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said fuel tank is uninsulated.
  6. 6 An aircraft according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said fuel tank is uninsulated at areas that are inline with said intake.
  7. 7 An aircraft according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said fuel tank is insulated at areas that aren't inline with said intake.S An aircraft according to any of the preceding claims, wherein fuel is bio diesel or kerosene or liquid hydrogen.Amendments to the claims have been made as follows Claims 1 An aircraft, said aircraft having at least cne air-breathing engine intake positioned aft of at ieast one fuel tank wherein air passes over said fuel tank before entering said intake to cool said air.2 An aircraft according to claim 1, wherein there are two or more air-breathing engine intakes.3 An aircraft according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said fuel tank is in thermal communication with said aircrafts outer skin.4 An aircraft according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said fuel tank forms part of said aircrafts outer skin.An aircraft according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said fuel tank is uninsuiated.6 An aircraft according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said fuel tank is uninsulated at areas that are inline with said intake.7 An aircraft according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said fuel tank is insulated at areas that aren't inline with said intake.0 6 An aircraft according to any of the preceding claims, wherein fuel is hio diesel or kerosene or liquid hydrogen. (Si (Si
GB1402417.8A 2014-01-11 2014-02-12 Reduced weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler Active GB2522080B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB1400497.2A GB201400497D0 (en) 2014-01-11 2014-01-11 Low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB201402417D0 GB201402417D0 (en) 2014-03-26
GB2522080A true GB2522080A (en) 2015-07-15
GB2522080B GB2522080B (en) 2017-06-28

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GBGB1400497.2A Ceased GB201400497D0 (en) 2014-01-11 2014-01-11 Low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler
GB1402417.8A Active GB2522080B (en) 2014-01-11 2014-02-12 Reduced weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler

Family Applications Before (1)

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GBGB1400497.2A Ceased GB201400497D0 (en) 2014-01-11 2014-01-11 Low weight aircraft engine intake pre-cooler

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3524526A1 (en) * 2018-02-13 2019-08-14 Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. Fuselage embedded fuel tank
US20220411092A1 (en) * 2021-06-28 2022-12-29 Airbus Operations Gmbh Fuselage section of an aircraft, aircraft fuselage, and aircraft

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB849212A (en) * 1956-03-01 1960-09-21 Power Jets Res & Dev Ltd Supersonic aircraft
GB2238080A (en) * 1987-05-26 1991-05-22 Rolls Royce Plc Propulsion system for an aerospace vehicle
GB2274881A (en) * 1993-02-05 1994-08-10 Europ Propulsion Jet propulsion engine

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB849212A (en) * 1956-03-01 1960-09-21 Power Jets Res & Dev Ltd Supersonic aircraft
GB2238080A (en) * 1987-05-26 1991-05-22 Rolls Royce Plc Propulsion system for an aerospace vehicle
GB2274881A (en) * 1993-02-05 1994-08-10 Europ Propulsion Jet propulsion engine

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3524526A1 (en) * 2018-02-13 2019-08-14 Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. Fuselage embedded fuel tank
US20220411092A1 (en) * 2021-06-28 2022-12-29 Airbus Operations Gmbh Fuselage section of an aircraft, aircraft fuselage, and aircraft
EP4112478A1 (en) * 2021-06-28 2023-01-04 Airbus Operations GmbH Fuselage section of an aircraft, aircraft fuselage, and aircraft

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2522080B (en) 2017-06-28
GB201402417D0 (en) 2014-03-26
GB201400497D0 (en) 2014-02-26

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Effective date: 20170705