Thermally controlled active flow control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10086927-B2
Application number	US-201615131393-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2016
Priority date	Apr 18, 2016
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A method and apparatus are presented. An active flow control system comprises a flow control valve, a manifold, and a temperature control system. The flow control valve is configured to control a flow of air into the manifold. The manifold is operatively connected to a number of actuators. The temperature control system is configured to heat at least a portion of the flow of air.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An active flow control system comprising:
a flow control valve configured to control a flow of air into a manifold;
the manifold operatively connected to a number of actuators;
a temperature control system configured to heat at least a portion of the flow of air; and
ductwork connected to a heater and running from the heater into a portion of the manifold, the ductwork extending inside the manifold to each of the number of actuators.

2. The active flow control system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control system comprises:
a heater configured to heat at least the portion of the flow of air to form a heated portion.

3. The active flow control system of claim 2 , wherein the temperature control system further comprises:
a proportioning valve to direct the at least the portion of the flow of air towards the heater.

4. The active flow control system of claim 2 , wherein the temperature control system further comprises:
ductwork extending through a portion of the manifold, wherein the ductwork directs the heated portion towards the number of actuators.

5. The active flow control system of claim 4 , wherein the temperature control system further comprises:
a space between the ductwork and the manifold configured to insulate surrounding structures.

6. The active flow control system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an auxiliary power unit configured to provide the flow of air to the manifold.

7. The active flow control system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a flow proportioning valve configured to direct a portion of the flow of air to the heater.

8. The active flow control system of claim 7 , wherein the heater is configured to heat the portion of the flow of air received from the flow proportioning valve portion.

9. A method comprising:
controlling a flow of air into a manifold operatively connected to a number of actuators of an active flow control system;
heating at least a portion of the flow of air using a temperature control system to form a heated portion; and
directing the heated portion towards the number of actuators;
wherein ductwork connected to a heater runs from the heater into a portion of the manifold, the ductwork extending inside the manifold to each of the number of actuators.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein heating the at least the portion of the flow of air using the temperature control system comprises:
routing the at least the portion of the flow of air towards a heater of the temperature control system using a proportioning valve of the temperature control system.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein directing the heated portion towards the number of actuators comprises:
routing the heated portion using ductwork of the temperature control system, wherein the ductwork extends through a portion of the manifold, and wherein the ductwork directs the heated portion towards the number of actuators.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein directing the heated portion towards the number of actuators further comprises:
directing a remainder of the flow of air through the manifold around the ductwork.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein heating the at least the portion of the flow of air using the temperature control system to form the heated portion decreases a mass flow through the number of actuators.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
configuring an auxiliary power unit to provide the flow of air to the manifold.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
configuring a flow proportioning valve to direct a portion of the flow of air to the heater.

16. A method comprising:
providing active flow control having a desired momentum using an active flow control system having a number of actuators; and
decreasing a mass flow through the number of actuators while maintaining the desired momentum from the number of actuators;
wherein ductwork connected to a heater runs from the heater into a portion of a manifold, the ductwork extending inside the manifold to each of the number of actuators.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein decreasing the mass flow comprises:
heating at least a portion of a flow of air in the active flow control system using a temperature control system.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the heating of the at least the portion of the flow of air comprises:
routing the at least the portion of the flow of air towards a heater of the temperature control system using a proportioning valve of the temperature control system.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
configuring an auxiliary power unit to provide a flow of air to the manifold.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
configuring a flow proportioning valve to direct a portion of the flow of air to the heater.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Shmilovich Arvin
• Whalen Edward Andrew

Classifications

• F15B21/12 Primary

  Fluid oscillators or pulse generators · CPC title

• B64C21/04 Primary

  for blowing · CPC title

• Y02T50/166

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y10T137/87265

  Dividing into parallel flow paths with recombining · CPC title

• B64D2033/0213

  specially adapted for auxiliary power units (APU's) · CPC title