Compressor surge protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10393281-B2
Application number	US-201615334262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2016
Priority date	Oct 25, 2016
Publication date	Aug 27, 2019
Grant date	Aug 27, 2019

Abstract

A pressure relief system is provided and a corresponding method for relieving pressure from a duct routing a gas from a compressor to a load utilizing the same. According to one aspect, a pressure relief assembly, located near the load, and independent of the primary load compressor pressure relief valve, for use with a duct includes a cover, first and second chambers, and a piston. The piston provides a moveable wall between the chambers and is coupled to the cover. As gas from the duct enters the two chambers, the configuration of the chambers provides for a pressure differential that moves the piston and the corresponding cover. This movement transitions the cover from a closed configuration that seals the duct to an open configuration that allows gas within the duct to escape.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure relief assembly for use with a duct having an interior volume defined by a sidewall and a relief aperture defined through the sidewall of the duct, the pressure relief assembly comprising:
a cover configured to seal the relief aperture when positioned in a closed configuration and to expose the relief aperture to an external environment when positioned in an open configuration;
a first chamber at least partially defined by the sidewall and having a first volume fluidly coupled to the interior volume of the duct through a first orifice;
a second chamber at least partially defined by the sidewall and having a second volume fluidly coupled to the interior volume of the duct through a second orifice, the second orifice having a larger area than an area of the first orifice; and
a piston coupled to the cover, positioned between the first chamber and the second chamber and defining a wall of the first chamber and the second chamber, and configured to change the first volume and the second volume in response to a change in pressure in at least the first chamber or the second chamber.

2. The pressure relief assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover slides axially parallel to a central axis of the duct to cover the relief aperture in the closed configuration and to expose the relief aperture in the open configuration.

3. The pressure relief assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover rotates around a central axis of the duct to cover the relief aperture in the closed configuration and to expose the relief aperture in the open configuration.

4. The pressure relief assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the cover moves upward away from the relief aperture to expose the relief aperture in the open configuration and moves downward toward the relief aperture to cover the relief aperture in the closed configuration.

5. The pressure relief assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a spring coupled at a first end to the piston and at a second end to a fixed component of the pressure relief assembly, the spring configured to bias the cover coupled to the piston in the closed configuration.

6. The pressure relief assembly of claim 5 , wherein the fixed component comprises a set screw configured to selectively modify a tension in the spring to adjust a pressure differential between the first chamber and the second chamber sufficient to transition the cover between the closed configuration and the open configuration.

7. The pressure relief assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic safety mechanism coupled to the cover and configured to secure the cover in the closed configuration when de-energized.

8. The pressure relief assembly of claim 7 , wherein the electronic safety mechanism comprises a solenoid motor.

9. The pressure relief assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pressure relief assembly is integrated into the duct, wherein the duct is configured to be positioned within a duct system associated with an auxiliary power unit (APU) of an aircraft such that airflow from the APU to an aircraft engine flows through the duct.

10. The pressure relief assembly of claim 9 , wherein the duct is positioned closer to the aircraft engine than the APU within the duct system.

11. The pressure relief assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second volume is smaller than the first volume when the cover is configured in the closed configuration.

12. A method for providing pressure relief within a duct fluidly coupled to a compressor and a load, the method comprising:
receiving a first portion of a gas from an interior volume of the duct through a first orifice at a first chamber of a pressure relief assembly at least partially defined by a sidewall of the duct;
receiving a second portion of the gas from the interior volume of the duct through a second orifice at a second chamber of the pressure relief assembly at least partially defined by the sidewall of the duct, the second orifice having a larger area than an area of the first orifice;
in response to a pressure differential between the first chamber and the second chamber, moving a piston and decreasing a first volume of the first chamber while increasing a second volume of the second chamber; and
in response to moving the piston, repositioning a cover coupled to the piston to transition from a closed configuration in which the gas is sealed within the duct to an open configuration in which the interior volume of the duct is exposed to an external environment via a relief aperture in the sidewall of the duct to allow the gas to escape from the interior volume of the duct.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein repositioning the cover comprises sliding the cover axially parallel to a central axis of the duct to expose the relief aperture in the open configuration.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein repositioning the cover comprises rotating the cover around a central axis of the duct to expose the relief aperture in the open configuration.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein repositioning the cover comprises raising a portion of the cover upward away from the relief aperture to expose the relief aperture in the open configuration.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
in response to the pressure differential returning to a value in which a biasing spring force overcomes a force associated with the pressure differential, moving the piston to increase the first volume and decrease the second volume; and
in response to moving the piston to increase the first volume and decrease the second volume, repositioning the cover coupled to the piston to transition from the open configuration to the closed configuration.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
removing a portion of a duct system associated with an APU in an aircraft proximate to the load, wherein the load comprises an aircraft engine;
replacing the portion of the duct system with the duct having the pressure relief assembly such that in increase in pressure within the pressurized gas flow proximate to the aircraft engine increases the pressure differential between the first chamber and the second chamber.

18. A pressure relief system for providing pressurized air to an aircraft engine with protection from pressure surges, the system comprising:
an APU relief valve positioned proximate to a load compressor; and
a pressure relief assembly integrated into a sidewall of a duct and positioned downstream of the APU relief valve proximate to a main engine start system associated with the aircraft engine, the pressure relief assembly comprising:
a cover configured to seal a relief aperture defined through a sidewall of the duct when positioned in a closed configuration and to expose the relief aperture to an external environment when positioned in an open configuration;
a first chamber at least partially defined by the sidewall of the duct and having a first volume fluidly coupled to the interior volume of the duct through a first orifice,
a second chamber at least partially defined by the sidewall and having a second volume fluidly coupled to the interior volume of the duct through a second orifice, the second orifice having a larger area than an area of the first orifice; and
a piston coupled to the cover, positioned between the first chamber and the second chamber and defining a wall of the first chamber and the second chamber, and configured to change the first volume and the second volume in response to a change in pressure in at least the first chamber or the second chamber.

19. The pressure re

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Richardson Marcus Karel
• Smith David M

Classifications

• B64D43/00

  Arrangements or adaptations of instruments · CPC title

• F16K31/122

  the fluid acting on a piston (F16K31/143, F16K31/163, F16K31/363, F16K31/383 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16K3/24

  with cylindrical valve members · CPC title

• F16K31/1221

  one side of the piston being spring-loaded · CPC title

• F16K17/04

  spring-loaded · CPC title