Patents by Inventor Andrew R. Tucker

Andrew R. Tucker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240262487
    Abstract: A thermal protection system is provided for a vehicle moving with velocity through a free stream of air. The system comprises a substrate layer having coolant feed holes through which coolant can pass, and an insulation layer bonded to the substrate layer and covering the coolant feed holes of the substrate layer. The system also comprises a honeycomb layer including (i) a first major surface bonded to the insulation layer, (ii) a second major surface opposite the first major surface and exposed to the free stream of air, and (iii) a cell structure that shifts a thermal boundary interface from between the insulation layer and the first major surface of the honeycomb layer to the second major surface of the honeycomb layer. Surface cooling of the insulation layer and the substrate layer is provided by coolant passing through the coolant feed holes of the substrate layer into the insulation layer as the vehicle moves with velocity through the free stream of air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2023
    Publication date: August 8, 2024
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Andrew R. Tucker, David Conradi
  • Patent number: 11077949
    Abstract: A thermal management system for an aircraft engine. The thermal management system extracts interstage engine bleed air from the engine's compressor and performs three stage cooling of the interstage engine bleed air using two heat exchangers and a vapor cycle system evaporator. The cooled air is then further cooled by expansion through a set of turbines and subsequently used as a heat sink for heat loads on the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Publication number: 20200108937
    Abstract: A thermal management system for an aircraft engine. The thermal management system extracts interstage engine bleed air from the engine's compressor and performs three stage cooling of the interstage engine bleed air using two heat exchangers and a vapor cycle system evaporator. The cooled air is then further cooled by expansion through a set of turbines and subsequently used as a heat sink for heat loads on the aircraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Patent number: 9182175
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for cooling fluid passing through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a hot fluid flowpath and a cold air flowpath. At least a portion of the cold air flowpath has a thermally conductive wall transferring thermal energy from hot fluid flowing through the hot fluid flowpath to cold air flowing through the cold air flowpath. The cold air flowpath includes a separator for separating ice particles from the cold air flowing through the cold air flowpath. The separator includes a passage having a bottom wall, an end wall, and a side wall including a porous wall through which a majority of cold air entering the separator passes. The end wall has an ice particle discharge opening adjacent the bottom wall permitting a minority of the cold air entering the separator to carry ice particles separated from the majority of cold air through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Patent number: 9074829
    Abstract: A heat exchanger including a casing including aluminum nitride impregnated alumina-silica cloth. The heat exchanger includes a hot fluid flowpath positioned inside the casing for carrying a hot fluid from an inlet to an outlet downstream from the inlet. The hot fluid flowpath is formed at least in part by a thermally conductive wall permitting thermal energy to transfer from hot fluid flowing through the hot fluid flowpath. The heat exchanger includes a cold fluid flowpath for carrying a cold fluid from an inlet to an outlet downstream from the inlet. At least a downstream portion of the cold fluid flowpath is formed by the thermally conductive wall permitting thermal energy to transfer from hot fluid flowing through the hot fluid flowpath to the cold fluid. At least a portion of the cold fluid flowpath upstream from the thermally conductive wall is formed by ceramic foam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Patent number: 8720828
    Abstract: Heat exchange systems, devices and methods are provided. A particular heat exchange device includes a housing defining an inlet and an outlet. The heat exchange device also includes at least one ceramic foam member inside the housing. The at least one ceramic foam member defines a plurality of pores. The heat exchange device also includes a plurality of extended plugs that extend from a first side of the housing through the at least one ceramic foam member to a second side of the housing. The first side of the housing is spaced apart from the at least one ceramic foam member by first ends of the plurality of extended plugs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Patent number: 8505616
    Abstract: An exemplary cold plate housing defines an inlet port and an outlet port. A plurality of foam strip assemblies are disposed in the housing. The foam strip assemblies are arranged within the housing so coolant is flowable through a width of the foam strips. Each foam strip assembly includes at least first and second foam strip members each suitably having pore size of no more than around 50 micrometers and porosity of at least around 80 percent, and a first spacer member is interposed between the first and second foam strip members. Each of the foam strip assemblies may include a second spacer member interposed between the first spacer member and one of the first and second foam strip members. The spacer member may include a high thermal conductivity material, such as a metal like copper or aluminum, or a low thermal conductivity material such as a polymer or plastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Publication number: 20130140003
    Abstract: A heat exchanger including a casing including aluminum nitride impregnated alumina-silica cloth. The heat exchanger includes a hot fluid flowpath positioned inside the casing for carrying a hot fluid from an inlet to an outlet downstream from the inlet. The hot fluid flowpath is formed at least in part by a thermally conductive wall permitting thermal energy to transfer from hot fluid flowing through the hot fluid flowpath. The heat exchanger includes a cold fluid flowpath for carrying a cold fluid from an inlet to an outlet downstream from the inlet. At least a downstream portion of the cold fluid flowpath is formed by the thermally conductive wall permitting thermal energy to transfer from hot fluid flowing through the hot fluid flowpath to the cold fluid. At least a portion of the cold fluid flowpath upstream from the thermally conductive wall is formed by ceramic foam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Publication number: 20130140004
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for cooling fluid passing through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a hot fluid flowpath and a cold air flowpath. At least a portion of the cold air flowpath has a thermally conductive wall transferring thermal energy from hot fluid flowing through the hot fluid flowpath to cold air flowing through the cold air flowpath. The cold air flowpath includes a separator for separating ice particles from the cold air flowing through the cold air flowpath. The separator includes a passage having a bottom wall, an end wall, and a side wall including a porous wall through which a majority of cold air entering the separator passes. The end wall has an ice particle discharge opening adjacent the bottom wall permitting a minority of the cold air entering the separator to carry ice particles separated from the majority of cold air through the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Patent number: 8240361
    Abstract: The invention relates to a combined thermal protection and surface temperature control apparatus. In one embodiment, a combined thermal protection and surface temperature control apparatus comprises a porous member having an entrance side, and a separate exit side. One or more coolant entrance channels extend through the entrance side, extend part-way through the porous member, and end within the porous member before reaching the exit side. Conversely, one or more coolant exit channels begin within the porous member, extend through a portion of the porous member, and extend through the exit side. The coolant entrance and exit channels may be parallel and may alternate. The channels may only extend across a portion of the thickness of the porous member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Patent number: 8191616
    Abstract: The invention relates to a combined thermal protection and surface temperature control apparatus. In one embodiment, a combined thermal protection and surface temperature control apparatus comprises a porous member having an entrance side, a separate exit side, and a plurality of thermally conductive plugs disposed in the porous member. One or more coolant entrance channels extend through the entrance side, extend part-way through the porous member, and end within the porous member before reaching the exit side. Conversely, one or more coolant exit channels begin within the porous member, extend through a portion of the porous member, and extend through the exit side. The coolant entrance and exit channels may be parallel and may alternate. The channels may only extend across a portion of the thickness of the porous member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Patent number: 8047550
    Abstract: A seal assembly is configured to seal a tile gap between a pair of tiles. Each of the tiles may include a tile side surface. At least one of the tiles may include a groove which may be formed along a length of the tile side surface. The seal assembly may comprise a gasket assembly including first and second bulb portions which may be interconnected by a web. A spacer rope may be positionable along the web. The gasket assembly may define a folded configuration for mounting within the tile gap when the web is wrapped around the spacer rope such that the second bulb portion is positioned between the spacer rope and the first bulb portion. The second bulb portion may be receivable within the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Publication number: 20110133026
    Abstract: Heat exchange systems, devices and methods are provided. A particular heat exchange device includes a housing defining an inlet and an outlet. The heat exchange device also includes at least one ceramic foam member inside the housing. The at least one ceramic foam member defines a plurality of pores. The heat exchange device also includes a plurality of extended plugs that extend from a first side of the housing through the at least one ceramic foam member to a second side of the housing. The first side of the housing is spaced apart from the at least one ceramic foam member by first ends of the plurality of extended plugs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Patent number: 7905275
    Abstract: An exemplary cold plate housing defines an inlet port and an outlet port. A plurality of foam strips are disposed in the housing. Each foam strip suitably has pore size of no more than around 50 micrometers and porosity of at least around 80 percent. The foam strips are arranged within the housing so coolant is flowable through a width of the foam strips. Pore size may be around 35 micrometers and porosity may be around ninety percent. Foam may be a ceramic foam that includes silica, aluminum oxide, and aluminum borosilicate fibers. A plurality of plenums may be disposed within the housing. In an application, at least one exemplary cold plate is disposed within a heat exchanger housing intermediate a heat exchanger inlet port and a heat exchanger outlet port such that heat exchanger fluid flows directly over both sides of the cold plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Publication number: 20100199583
    Abstract: A seal assembly is configured to seal a tile gap between a pair of tiles. Each of the tiles may include a tile side surface. At least one of the tiles may include a groove which may be formed along a length of the tile side surface. The seal assembly may comprise a gasket assembly including first and second bulb portions which may be interconnected by a web. A spacer rope may be positionable along the web. The gasket assembly may define a folded configuration for mounting within the tile gap when the web is wrapped around the spacer rope such that the second bulb portion is positioned between the spacer rope and the first bulb portion. The second bulb portion may be receivable within the groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Patent number: 7742297
    Abstract: In an exemplary apparatus for cooling an electronic component, a housing defines an inlet port and an exhaust port and a foam member is disposed within the housing. The foam member has a shape that conforms to a shape of at least one surface of an electronic component such that the foam member is receivable thereon in thermal communication. The foam member has a pore size of no more than around 50 micrometers and a porosity of at least around 80 percent. The foam member is arranged within the housing such that coolant is flowable through the foam member. Pore size may be around 35 micrometers and porosity may be around 90 percent. Foam may be a ceramic foam that includes silica, aluminum oxide, and aluminum borosilicate fibers. In an application, at least one exemplary apparatus may be received in thermal communication on an upper case of an electronic chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Publication number: 20100038051
    Abstract: The invention relates to a combined thermal protection and surface temperature control apparatus. In one embodiment, a combined thermal protection and surface temperature control apparatus comprises a porous member having an entrance side, a separate exit side, and a plurality of thermally conductive plugs disposed in the porous member. One or more coolant entrance channels extend through the entrance side, extend part-way through the porous member, and end within the porous member before reaching the exit side. Conversely, one or more coolant exit channels begin within the porous member, extend through a portion of the porous member, and extend through the exit side. The coolant entrance and exit channels may be parallel and may alternate. The channels may only extend across a portion of the thickness of the porous member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Publication number: 20080105402
    Abstract: The invention relates to a combined thermal protection and surface temperature control apparatus. In one embodiment, a combined thermal protection and surface temperature control apparatus comprises a porous member having an entrance side, and a separate exit side. One or more coolant entrance channels extend through the entrance side, extend part-way through the porous member, and end within the porous member before reaching the exit side. Conversely, one or more coolant exit channels begin within the porous member, extend through a portion of the porous member, and extend through the exit side. The coolant entrance and exit channels may be parallel and may alternate. The channels may only extend across a portion of the thickness of the porous member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: THE BOEING CORPORATION
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Publication number: 20070246191
    Abstract: An exemplary cold plate housing defines an inlet port and an outlet port. A plurality of foam strip assemblies are disposed in the housing. The foam strip assemblies are arranged within the housing so coolant is flowable through a width of the foam strips. Each foam strip assembly includes at least first and second foam strip members each suitably having pore size of no more than around 50 micrometers and porosity of at least around 80 percent, and a first spacer member is interposed between the first and second foam strip members. Each of the foam strip assemblies may include a second spacer member interposed between the first spacer member and one of the first and second foam strip members. The spacer member may include a high thermal conductivity material, such as a metal like copper or aluminum, or a low thermal conductivity material such as a polymer or plastic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker
  • Patent number: 7275720
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for thermal protection is provided. A thermal protection apparatus includes a porous layer attached to an inner structural member requiring thermal protection. The porous layer serves as both a cooling air plenum and a transpiring medium. The porous layer may include a low strength ceramic foam layer. Thermal protection may be achieved by flowing cooling air the length of the porous layer. The voids in the porous layer may be sized to less than 50 ?m, producing uniquely efficient thermal protection due to micro-fluidic effects in the air flowing through the layer. A semi-permeable layer may be attached to the outer surface of the porous layer. The semi-permeable layer may prevent erosion of the porous layer and may transform the porous layer into a plenum by making the majority of the cooling air flow the length of the porous layer before exiting through small holes drilled or punched through the semi-permeable layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: William W. Behrens, Andrew R. Tucker, Gayl J. Miller