Patent ID: 7013636

Claim:
A system for reducing the infrared signature of a gas-turbine engine, the system comprising: a gas-turbine engine passage extending between an inlet end and an exhaust end and structured to receive at least one gas therethrough; a fuel source configured to supply a fuel for combustion in the engine passage; at least one combustion device in the engine passage configured to combust the fuel in the engine passage; a nozzle at the exhaust end of the engine passage structured to receive the gas from the engine passage and discharge the gas; and a heat exchanger configured to receive a flow of a fluid and a flow of the fuel before the fuel is combusted, transfer thermal energy from the fluid to the fuel to cool the fluid, and deliver the cooled fluid to the nozzle, thereby cooling the nozzle and reducing the infrared signature of the engine; and further comprising a transducer disposed in the heat exchanger between the flow of the fluid and flow of the fuel, the transducer configured to convert thermal energy from the fluid directly into electricity.