Patent ID: 7334411

Claim:
A method for assembling a gas turbine engine including a compressor and a combustor, said method comprising: fabricating a heat exchanger assembly that includes at least one heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger includes: a first manifold including an inlet and an outlet, a first quantity of heat exchanger elements coupled in flow communication with the manifold inlet; a second quantity of heat exchanger elements coupled in flow communication with the manifold outlet, each of the first and second quantities of heat exchanger elements are each aligned substantially perpendicular to a direction of exhaust flow discharged from the gas turbine engine therebetween, and a plurality of channels coupled in flow communication between the first and second quantity of heat exchanger elements to enable compressor discharge air to be channeled from the first quantity of heat exchanger elements to the second quantity of heat exchanger elements; and coupling the inlet of the heat exchanger assembly to the gas turbine engine such that the heat exchanger is positioned substantially concentrically with respect to an axis of rotation of the gas turbine engine, and such that the heat exchanger receives compressor discharge air; and coupling the exhaust of the heat exchanger assembly to the combustor such that the compressor discharge air is channeled from the heat exchanger assembly to the combustor.