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

Abstract

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.