Session: 19-05: Design, control, and testing.

Submission Number: 176700

An Optimal Design of Heat Pipe Cooling Guide Vane Turbo-Electric Generator Based on a Coupled Solution Method 

The turbo-electric generator is a crucial power source for flight missions with long-endurance and heavy-payload. The use of a heat-pipe cooling guide vane (HPCGV) electric motor in the turbo-electric generator can reduce the weight of the thermal management system and increase the aircraft's effective payload. Therefore, the parametric analysis of this new configuration, which informs engineering design, is of considerable research significance.

This paper proposes a coupled solution method for the HPCGV turbo-electric generator. First, a loss calculation model and a thermal resistance network for the HPCGV electric motor are established. Second, a component-level model of an aviation turboshaft engine is developed. Furthermore, considering the impact of motor heat dissipation on the inlet airflow temperature of the engine, a coupled system of off-design balance equations for the turbo-electric generator is formulated, incorporating both motor thermal balance and engine component airflow balance. Finally, an optimization design of the HPCGV turbo-electric generator is conducted based on key operating points from the NASA X57 flight profile, aiming to minimize system weight and fuel consumption. The results show that compared to the conventional configuration, the new configuration reduces system weight by 20% and the fuel consumption rate by 7%. The coupled solution method proposed in this paper can be used for the fast performance evaluation and optimal design of HPCGV turbo-electric generator, providing an efficient analysis tool for aviation power system manufacturers.

Keywords: turbo-electric, thermal management, heat pipe cooling guide vane, electric motor, off-design calculation, optimal design

Presenting Author: Xuankai Qiang School of Vehicle and Mobility/ State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Green Vehicle and Mobility, Tsinghua University

Presenting Author Biography: Ph.D. candidate in Energy and Power Engineering, specializing in the optimization design of turbo-electric hybrid propulsion system
Turbo ePower Group, School of Vehicle and Mobility, State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Green Vehicle and Mobility, Tsinghua University

Authors:

Xuankai Qiang School of Vehicle and Mobility/ State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Green Vehicle and Mobility, Tsinghua University
Hongsheng Jiang School of Vehicle and Mobility, Tsinghua University
Yuping Qian School of Vehicle and Mobility/ State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Green Vehicle and Mobility, Tsinghua University
Yangjun Zhang School of Vehicle and Mobility/ State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Green Vehicle and Mobility, Tsinghua University
Weilin Zhuge School of Vehicle and Mobility/ State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Green Vehicle and Mobility, Tsinghua University