US 12,331,678 B2
Bottoming cycle for waste heat recovery and engine cooling
Alan Retersdorf, Avon, CT (US); Stephen H. Taylor, East Hartford, CT (US); Nathan A. Snape, Tolland, CT (US); Oliver V. Atassi, Longmeadow, MA (US); and Malcolm P. MacDonald, Bloomfield, CT (US)
Assigned to RTX CORPORATION, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed by RTX CORPORATION, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed on Sep. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/242,699.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/406,029, filed on Sep. 13, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0084731 A1, Mar. 14, 2024
Int. Cl. F02C 7/14 (2006.01); F02C 6/08 (2006.01); F02C 9/18 (2006.01)
CPC F02C 6/08 (2013.01) [F02C 7/14 (2013.01); F02C 9/18 (2013.01); F05D 2220/60 (2013.01); F05D 2260/213 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas turbine engine assembly comprising:
a core engine including a core flow path where a core airflow is compressed in a compressor section, communicated to a combustor section, mixed with fuel and ignited to generate an exhaust gas flow that is expanded through a turbine section, wherein the turbine section is coupled to drive the compressor section through an engine drive shaft;
a tap at a location up stream of the combustor section for drawing a bleed airflow;
a bleed air heat exchanger placing the bleed airflow in thermal communication with an auxiliary flow for heating the bleed airflow, wherein the auxiliary flow comprises a flow at an elevated temperature that is greater than the bleed airflow and is communicated to an environmental control system after the bleed air heat exchanger;
an exhaust heat exchanger configured to transfer thermal energy from the exhaust gas flow into the bleed airflow; and
a first control device configured to control flow of the bleed airflow from the tap to the bleed air heat exchanger and a controller programmed to control operation of the first control device in response to a control input, wherein the control input is indicative of an engine operating condition.