US 12,331,680 B2
Turbine engine bottoming cycle heat exchanger bypass
Neil J. Terwilliger, Cheshire, CT (US); and Brandon M. Evans, San Antonio, TX (US)
Assigned to RTX CORPORATION, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed by RTX CORPORATION, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed on Dec. 5, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/529,081.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/443,109, filed on Feb. 3, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/443,113, filed on Feb. 3, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0318593 A1, Sep. 26, 2024
Int. Cl. F02C 6/18 (2006.01); F03G 7/06 (2006.01)
CPC F02C 6/18 (2013.01) [F03G 7/0641 (2021.08); F05D 2220/323 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aircraft propulsion system comprising:
a core engine assembly generating an exhaust gas flow;
a bottoming cycle including a bottoming fluid flow expanded through a bottoming turbine;
a first heat exchanger where heat from the exhaust gas flow is transferred to heat the bottoming fluid flow;
a second heat exchanger where heat from a secondary heat source is transferred to heat the bottoming fluid flow, the second heat exchanger disposed upstream of the first heat exchanger such that heat from the secondary heat source preheats the bottoming fluid flow prior to accepting heat from the exhaust gas flow in the first heat exchanger; and
a bypass flow passage where at least a portion of the bottoming fluid flow is routed around the second heat exchanger and into thermal communication with the exhaust gas flow in the first heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger includes a plurality of stages arranged from a forward stage to an aft stage and the bottoming fluid flow communicated through the bypass flow passage is communicated to the aft stage.