Adaptive heat sink for aircraft environmental control system

Abstract

An avionics cooling system includes a first heat exchange system, a second heat exchange system and a vapor cycle system. The second heat exchange system has a heat sink capacity that is generally out of phase with a heat sink capacity of the first heat exchange system. The vapor cycle includes a fluid loop in communication with the first and second heat exchange systems and the fluid loop transfers heat to the first and second heat exchange systems. A method for cooling aircraft components includes selectively directing a fluid having an elevated temperature in a fluid loop of a vapor cycle system to a first heat exchanger to transfer heat from the fluid to a fuel based on a heat sink capacity of the fuel, selectively directing the fluid to a second heat exchanger to transfer heat from the fluid to air based on a heat sink capacity of the air, and cooling aircraft components with the fluid.

1 . An avionics cooling system comprising:
 a first heat exchange system;   a second heat exchange system having a heat sink capacity that is generally out of phase with a heat sink capacity of the first heat exchange system; and   a vapor cycle system having a fluid loop in communication with the first and second heat exchange systems, wherein the fluid loop transfers heat to the first and second heat exchange systems.   
     
     
         2 . The avionics cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchange system transfers heat from the fluid loop to a fuel, and wherein the second heat exchange system transfers heat from the fluid loop to air that provides cooling to an engine bay. 
     
     
         3 . The avionics cooling system of  claim 2 , wherein a component of the second heat exchange system is located in an air scoop duct of the engine bay. 
     
     
         4 . The avionics cooling system of  claim 2 , wherein the second heat exchange system further comprises:
 a fan for directing air through the engine bay.   
     
     
         5 . The avionics cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second heat exchange systems are in parallel. 
     
     
         6 . The avionics cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second heat exchange systems are in series. 
     
     
         7 . The avionics cooling system of  claim 2 , wherein the vapor cycle system comprises:
 a first bypass valve allowing fluid in the fluid loop to bypass the first heat exchange system;   a second bypass valve allowing fluid in the fluid loop to bypass the first heat exchange system; and   a controller for regulating the first and second bypass valves.   
     
     
         8 . The avionics cooling system of  claim 6 , wherein the first and second bypass valves are configured to vary flow of fluid to the first and second heat exchange systems. 
     
     
         9 . The avionics cooling system of  claim 6 , wherein the controller regulates flow through the first bypass valve based on fuel temperature and fuel flow rate, and wherein the controller regulates flow through the second bypass valve based on air temperature, air flow rate, engine temperature and engine throttle setting. 
     
     
         10 . The avionics cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the vapor cycle system is configured to provide cooling to an avionics bay. 
     
     
         11 . The avionics cooling system of  claim 10 , wherein the vapor cycle system is further configured to provide cooling to air supplied to an aircraft. 
     
     
         12 . The avionics cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchange system comprises:
 a bypass valve for allowing fluid to bypass the first heat exchange system.   
     
     
         13 . An aircraft cooling system comprising:
 a fuel heat exchanger for transferring heat to a fuel;   an engine bay heat exchanger for transferring heat to air that provides cooling to an engine bay; and   a vapor cycle system for cooling aircraft components and in communication with the fuel heat exchanger and the engine bay heat exchanger.   
     
     
         14 . The aircraft cooling system of  claim 13 , wherein the vapor cycle system comprises:
 a fluid loop for circulating a fluid to the fuel heat exchanger and to the engine bay heat exchanger, the fluid loop comprising:
 a fuel heat exchanger bypass valve allowing fluid to bypass the fuel heat exchanger; and 
 an engine bay heat exchanger bypass valve allowing fluid to bypass the engine bay heat exchanger; and 
   a controller for regulating fluid flow through the fuel heat exchanger bypass valve and the engine bay heat exchanger bypass valve.   
     
     
         15 . The aircraft cooling system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a fuel bypass valve allowing fuel to bypass the fuel heat exchanger.   
     
     
         16 . The aircraft cooling system of  claim 13 , wherein the engine bay heat exchanger is located within an air scoop duct of the engine bay. 
     
     
         17 . The aircraft cooling system of  claim 13 , wherein the air craft cooling system further comprises:
 a fan for directing air across the engine bay heat exchanger.   
     
     
         18 . The aircraft cooling system of  claim 13 , wherein the fuel heat exchanger and the engine bay heat exchanger communicate with the vapor cycle system in parallel. 
     
     
         19 . The aircraft cooling system of  claim 13 , wherein the fuel heat exchanger and the engine bay heat exchanger communicate with the vapor cycle system in series. 
     
     
         20 . The aircraft cooling system of  claim 14 , wherein the controller regulates flow of the fluid through the fuel heat exchanger bypass valve based on fuel temperature and fuel flow rate, and wherein the controller regulates flow of the fluid through the engine bay heat exchanger bypass valve based on engine bay air temperature, engine bay air flow rate, engine temperature and engine throttle setting. 
     
     
         21 . The aircraft cooling system of  claim 15 , wherein flow of fuel through the fuel bypass valve is regulated based on fuel temperature and fuel flow rate. 
     
     
         22 . A method for cooling aircraft components, the method comprising:
 directing a first fluid having an elevated temperature to a first heat exchanger to transfer heat from the first fluid to a fuel, wherein heat is transferred from the first fluid to the fuel based on a heat sink capacity of the fuel;   selectively directing the first fluid to a second heat exchanger to transfer heat from the first fluid to air, wherein the first fluid is selectively directed to the second heat exchanger based on a heat sink capacity of the air;   transferring heat from a second fluid to the first fluid to cool the second fluid; and   cooling aircraft components with the second fluid.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the first fluid is selectively directed to the first heat exchanger based on fuel temperature and fuel flow rate, and wherein the first fluid is selectively directed to the second heat exchanger based on air temperature, air flow rate, engine temperature and engine throttle setting. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the fuel is selectively directed to the first heat exchanger based on fuel temperature and fuel flow rate, and wherein the first fluid is selectively directed to the second heat exchanger based on air temperature, air flow rate, engine temperature and engine throttle setting.