Propellers with Integrated Thermal Management for Electrified Aircraft

Electrified aircraft offer advantages in operating cost maintenance, energy economy, noise, and emissions, and with the increased heat dissipation demands due to modern avionics, thermal management is more critical than ever. Fuel has been the traditional heat sink for aircraft, but its heat sink capacity has been stressed by increased heat dissipation loads. For electrified aircraft, this heat sink may not exist, or may not be accessible where waste heat is generated. Therefore, alternate heat sink concepts using ambient air have been considered, including liquid cooling on the outer mold line (OML) or via heat exchangers with ducted air. Direct OML cooling is preferred, as it does not add drag, but OML cooling complicates the thermal sizing, since its performance is dependent on location, speed, altitude, and angle-of-attack. This is tractable, but the biggest issue lies with the mismatch between heat load and cooling performance. Thus, it would be desirable to augment the heat dissipation capacity at takeoff. One means of accomplishing this is to make use of the propellers/propulsors on the aircraft, which are adjacent to a major heat source: the electric motors. Their distribution also provides cooling access at multiple points on the aircraft, reducing the need to transport waste heat or cooling fluids. Micro Cooling Concepts has a history in creating ultra-thin high-performance heat transfer structures and will leverage this experience to develop blade-integrated cooling concepts that are constructed of aluminum or titanium alloys.The program will consist of integrated cooling design studies, cooling loop interface development, and prototype test article fabrication and characterization in support of the development of a -scale prototype of the SUSAN aircraft concept. This effort supports the NASA goal ofreducing the mass and increasing the efficiency of heat acquisition and rejection componentsand advancing technologies for more electric aircraft. Thermal management critical due to increased heat dissipation demands from modern avionics Traditional heat sink (fuel) may not exist or be accessible for electrified aircraft Alternate heat sink concepts with air: Outer mold line cooling or HXs in ducts Direct OML cooling preferred (no drag increase) but complicates thermal sizing Mismatch between heat load and cooling performance - Desirable to augment heat dissipation capacity at takeoff Solution: Use propellers/propulsors - Near the electric motors (major heat source) Propeller/propulsor distribution provides cooling access at multiple points on aircraft, reducing need to transport waste heat/cooling fluids Micro Cooling Concepts will leverage experience creating ultra-thin high-performance heat transfer structures to develop cooling integrated into propeller/propulsor blades Target SUSAN quarter-scale prototype aircraft propulsors for Phase II Technical Objectives Primary Objective: Demonstrate integrated propeller/propulsor blade cooling has significant impact on heat dissipation capability of electrified aircraft thermal management systems Supports NASA goal of reducing mass and increasing efficiency of heat acquisition and rejection components (per 2020 NASA Technology Taxonomy, TX14.2.1 & TX14.2.3) Generate and validate blade internal and external heat transfer predictions Refine and experimentally verify rotating seal and fluid routing viability Demonstrate fabricability of cooled SUSAN rotor blisk   Work Plan Propulsor Blade Design (Thermal/Fluid/Structural Analysis, Internal/External Heat Transfer Tests) Rotating Seal Demonstration (Design, Fab, Test, Update) Blisk Fabrication (Design, Fab Trials, Full-Scale Fab, Design Update) Alternate Component Designs (Additional Cooling of Hub/Spinner/Shroud/Outlet Vanes)   Deliverables Final Report

Technology applicable to any NASA program where heat exchangers are required, and where weight has a significant impact on system performance. Examples include: Convergent Aeronautics Solutions (CAS) Advanced Air Transportation Technology (AATT) Electric Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT) Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Ultra-Efficient Commercial Vehicles Transition to Low-Carbon Propulsion Lightweight, compact, conformal heat exchangers have uses across a wide range of applications. Impact cannot be overstated as applicability to military and commercial sectors is vast. Energy / Transportation / Space

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