Compact Thermal Energy Recovery System for Fighter Aircraft

We propose an innovative system for recovering waste heat from fighter aircraft. The system will tap the large quantities of available heat from the engine or airframe and use a Rankine cycle to generate useful power for the aircraft electrical systems. The innovative aspect of this power conversion system is to use Creare's advanced heat exchanger and turbomachinery component technology to minimize the size and weight of the energy recovery system. Creare has developed very compact, high flux heat exchangers which can be used to gather heat from the structures as well as to boil and condense the working fluid. Creare has also developed turbomachinery for aerospace applications in which advanced fabrication techniques enable small size and high efficiency, and non-contact bearings give simplicity and high reliability. By integrating these advanced technology components, we will develop a lightweight, small volume, power conversion system for the fighter aircraft.