FIELD

This relates to aircraft engines and, more particularly, to using bleed air from an aircraft engine to condition a fluid.

BACKGROUND

Turbofan gas turbine engines generally include a bypass air duct that directs a bypass air flow drawn by a fan. The bypass air duct surrounds an engine core including a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section. An opening in a wall of the bypass air duct communicates with a bleed pipe such that bleed air may be directed from the bypass air duct to a heat exchanger or pre-cooler via the bleed pipe. The pre-cooler can use the bypass air to cool a supply fluid such as pressurized air to an environmental control system or an ice control system of an aircraft for example. Such pre-coolers are typically sized to accommodate a maximum expected load and are housed in a pylon of an aircraft. The size of the pre-cooler can partially dictate a required size of the pylon.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect, there is provided a system for conditioning a fluid using bleed air from a bypass duct of a turbofan engine. The system comprises:a heat exchanger configured to facilitate heat transfer between a flow of bleed air from the bypass duct of the turbofan engine and the fluid; anda fluid-driven fluid propeller configured to drive the bleed air through the heat exchanger.

According to another aspect, there is provided a system for conditioning supply air for an environmental control system of an aircraft. The system comprises:a turbofan gas turbine engine having a bypass duct;a heat exchanger configured to facilitate heat transfer between a flow of bleed air from the bypass duct and the supply air; anda fluid-driven fluid propeller configured to drive the bleed air through the heat exchanger and be driven by pressurized air received from a compressor section of the turbofan gas turbine engine.

According to another aspect, there is provided a method for conditioning a fluid using a flow of bleed air from a bypass duct of a turbofan engine. The method comprises:at a heat transfer location, transferring heat between the fluid and the flow of bleed air from the bypass duct of the turbofan engine; andusing a fluid-driven fluid propeller disposed in a bleed air duct to drive the flow of bleed air through the heat transfer location.

Other features will become apparent from the drawings in conjunction with the following description.

