General Electric Company

The Boeing Company

The Aerospace Corporation

Adon Delgado, Jr

Michael P Moriarty

Brandon Wayne Miller

Daniel Alan Niergarth

Hendrik Pieter Jacobus De Bock

Alan V Von Arx

Christopher Dale Mathias

Todd James Buchholz

Alan Zachary Ullman

Henry Helvajian

Michael J Epstein

Robert Zachary Litwin

Eric Joseph Nemanick

Robert Harold Weisgerber

Nathan J Hoffman

Sherwin Yang

Kathleen M Sevener

Gerard D Pelletier

Randall Gene Leonard

Charles M Jones

Kristine L Ferrone

Scalable radioisotope power tiles that can provide heat, electrical power, or both, are disclosed. Unlike conventional radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) designs, the scalable radioisotope power tiles do not necessarily seek to minimize the RTG surface area. Rather, a planar design may be used to maximize the radiative surface to increase the temperature difference (ΔT) and increase system heat to electricity conversion efficiency where electrical power generation is desired. In addition, such a planar design can be one-sided or two-sided, allowing for flexibility in design. For instance, such power tiles may be deployed in a material like a solar sail, on the surface of a vehicle, in terrestrial systems, etc.

Scalable radioisotope power tiles

A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine and a thermal management system. The thermal management system includes a heat source heat exchanger configured to collect heat from the turbomachine during operation; a heat sink heat exchanger; and a thermal transport bus having a heat exchange fluid configured to flow therethrough at a pressure within an operational pressure range. The thermal management system defines an operational temperature range for the heat exchange fluid, the operational temperature range having a lower temperature limit less than about zero degrees Fahrenheit at a pressure within the operational pressure range and an upper temperature limit of at least about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit at a pressure within the operational pressure range.

Thermal management system

An electrical power system for an aircraft including a turbine engine coupled to the aircraft and providing propulsive thrust and emitting heat during operation to define a high temperature source, a cryogenic fuel system located within the aircraft and providing fuel for the turbine and emitting heat at a lower temperature than the heat from the turbine engine to define a low temperature source and an electrical power generator located on the aircraft and having a thermodynamic generator using the temperature difference to generate electrical power and a method for producing electric power.

System and method for aviation electric power production

A turbine engine assembly including a turbine core and a cryogenic fuel system. The turbine core includes: a compressor section; a combustion section; and a turbine section, which are axially aligned. The a cryogenic fuel system includes: a cryogenic fuel reservoir; a vaporizer heat exchanger; a liquid supply line operably coupling the fuel reservoir to an input of the vaporizer heat exchanger; a gas supply line operably coupling an output of the vaporizer heat exchanger to the combustion section; and a second heat exchanger thermally connecting the liquid supply line and the gas supply line to transfer heat from the gas supply line to the liquid supply line.

Turbine engine assembly and dual fuel aircraft system

A method of managing evaporated cryogenic fuel in a storage tank of a cryogenic fuel system of an aircraft and an aircraft having at least one turbine engine providing propulsive force for the aircraft and a cryogenic fuel system including a passively cooled cryogenic fuel storage tank located within the aircraft, a pressure vent fluidly coupled to the cryogenic fuel storage tank and exhausting evaporated gas from the cryogenic fuel to define a natural gas vent stream, and a catalytic converter fluidly coupled to the pressure vent.

Aircraft and method of managing evaporated cryogenic fuel

Methods and apparatus are provided for a shield to protect a surface from the impact of hyper-velocity projectiles. The apparatus comprises a foam material that is configured to cover the surface to be protected and is attached directly to that surface. A coating material is typically disposed on the outer surface of the foam material and may penetrate the foam material to a predetermined depth. The foam material and the coating material are selected to form a composite having predetermined values of sonic velocity, toughness, and thermal conductivity. The composite of foam material and coating material can be significantly lighter in weight than a metal shield having equivalent protective characteristics.

Lightweight protector against micrometeoroids and orbital debris (MMOD) impact using foam substances

Methods and apparatus are provided for a lightweight heat rejection system suitable for spacecraft applications. The apparatus comprises a manifold configured with an array of heat pipes in thermal contact with a manifold coolant. The heat pipes transfer the coolant heat to associated bumper/radiators external to the manifold. The bumper/radiators are fabricated from a lightweight thermally conductive foam material. The bumper portion protects the heat pipe from space debris and the radiator portion dissipates the heat transferred from the heat pipe through the bumper to the radiator portion. The foam bumper/radiator can be cast over the heat pipe in a relatively simple and economical manufacturing process.

Foam bumper and radiator for a lightweight heat rejection system

A phase-change heat exchanger is provided for thermally conditioning a fluid. The phase-change heat exchanger includes, but is not limited to, conduits configured to convey the fluid through the phase-change heat exchanger and a foam structure in thermal contact with at least one of the conduits. The foam structure has ligaments interconnected to form a three-dimensional reticulated structure of open cells. A phase-change material is contained within the open cells and the phase-change material is configured to receive thermal energy of the fluid from the ligaments of the foam structure.

Phase-change heat exchanger

Systems and methods capable of producing electrical power from solar energy through the use of air cycles without fossil fuel combustion. The system includes a solar receiver, a generator, a compressor, and an expander. The expander is coupled to the generator to drive the generator and coupled to the compressor to drive the compressor. The system uses solar generated heat from the solar receiver to heat compressed air from the compressor. The solar generated heat can be directly transferred from the solar receiver to the compressed air as the compressed air flows through receiver tubes of the solar receiver, or the solar receiver can transfer the solar generated heat to a liquid metal, with the liquid metal transferring thermal energy to the compressed air. The expander receives and expands the heated compressed air to drive the generator to produce electricity, and to drive the compressor to compress air.

Growing community of inventors

West Hills, CA, United States of America

Adon Delgado, Jr