Variable pressure air supply

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10450964-B2
Application number	US-201514944363-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Aug 26, 2013
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to engine buffer systems. An engine buffer system may include a low pressure supply line and a high pressure supply line. A continuously variable valve may be coupled to and/or in fluid communication with the low pressure supply line and the high pressure supply line. The continuously variable valve may be adjusted to supply any pressure between a pressure of the low pressure supply line and a pressure of the high pressure supply line to a buffer line.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A buffer system comprising:
a low pressure supply line;
a high pressure supply line, wherein the low pressure supply line and high pressure supply line comprise circular cross-sectional shapes; and
a variable valve in fluid communication with the low pressure supply line and the high pressure supply line, wherein the variable valve comprises a low pressure orifice and a high pressure orifice and the variable valve is configured to translate in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the low pressure supply line and high pressure supply line, and wherein the low pressure orifice and high pressure orifice comprise triangular cross-sectional shapes such that an amount of overlap between the low pressure orifice and the low pressure supply line gradually decreases as the variable valve moves in the first direction and an amount of overlap between the high pressure orifice and the high pressure supply line gradually decreases as the variable valve moves in the second direction.

2. The buffer system of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator configured to translate the variable valve.

3. The buffer system of claim 1 , wherein the variable valve is configured to allow pressurized air from the low pressure supply line and the high pressure supply line to pass through the variable valve simultaneously.

4. The buffer system of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the low pressure orifice and the high pressure orifice is greater than a distance between the low pressure supply line and the high pressure supply line.

5. The buffer system of claim 1 , wherein the low pressure supply line is in fluid communication with at least one of a low pressure compressor and a stage between the low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor.

6. The buffer system of claim 1 , wherein the high pressure supply line is in fluid communication with an intermediate stage of a high pressure compressor.

7. The buffer system of claim 1 , wherein the buffer system is configured to provide pressurized air to an engine bearing compartment.

8. The buffer system of claim 1 , wherein, in response to a desired pressure being between a pressure in the low pressure supply line and a pressure in the high pressure supply line, the variable valve is configured to transmit air from both the low pressure supply line and the high pressure supply line through the variable valve.

9. The buffer system of claim 1 , wherein the variable valve is self-regulating.

10. The buffer system of claim 1 , wherein the variable valve comprises a continuously variable valve.

11. A system for regulating buffer pressure comprising:
a low pressure supply line;
a high pressure supply line, wherein the low pressure supply line and high pressure supply line comprise circular cross-sectional shapes;
a continuously variable valve coupled to the low pressure supply line and the high pressure supply line and configured to translate in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the low pressure supply line and high pressure supply line, the variable valve comprising a low pressure orifice and a high pressure orifice, the low pressure orifice and the high pressure orifice comprising triangular cross-sectional shapes;
a sensor configured to measure an engine operating parameter;
a computer system configured to determine a desired position of the continuously variable valve based on a measurement by the sensor; and
an actuator configured to apply a force to the continuously variable valve in response to an instruction from the computer system, wherein an amount of overlap between the low pressure orifice and the low pressure supply line gradually decreases as the variable valve moves in the first direction and an amount of overlap between the high pressure orifice and the high pressure supply line gradually increases as the variable valve moves in the first direction.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein a distance between the low pressure orifice and the high pressure orifice is greater than a distance between the low pressure supply line and the high pressure supply line.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein in response to the sensor measuring a high engine speed, the computer system is configured to instruct the actuator to move the continuously variable valve to a low pressure mode.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein in response to the sensor measuring an intermediate engine speed, the computer system is configured to instruct the actuator to move the continuously variable valve to a position in between a high pressure mode and a low pressure mode.

15. A method comprising:
measuring an engine operating parameter;
determining, by a computer processor, and in response to the measuring, a desired position of a variable valve;
transmitting an instruction to an actuator to move the variable valve to the desired position; and
applying a force to the variable valve to move the variable valve to the desired position,
wherein the variable valve is in fluid communication with a low pressure supply line and a high pressure supply line, the low pressure supply line and the high pressure supply line comprising circular cross-sectional shapes,
wherein the moving of the variable valve to the desired position comprises selectively translating the variable valve in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the low pressure supply line and high pressure supply line, and wherein a low pressure orifice and high pressure orifice of the variable valve comprise triangular cross-sectional shapes such that an amount of overlap between the low pressure orifice and the low pressure supply line gradually decreases as the variable valve moves in the first direction and an amount of overlap between the high pressure orifice and the high pressure supply line gradually decreases as the variable valve moves in the second direction.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the variable valve comprises a continuously variable valve.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the actuator moves the variable valve to a low pressure mode based on the measured engine operating parameter.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the actuator moves the variable valve to a high pressure mode based on the measured engine operating parameter.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the actuator moves the variable valve to a position in between a high pressure mode and a low pressure mode based on the measured engine operating parameter.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Spagnoletti Anthony

Classifications

• F02C7/18

  the medium being gaseous, e.g. air {(F02C7/125 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F16K11/06

  comprising only sliding valves {, i.e. sliding closure elements} · CPC title

• F05D2260/606

  Bypassing the fluid · CPC title

• F02C9/18 Primary

  by bleeding, bypassing or acting on variable working fluid interconnections between turbines or compressors or their stages {(F02C3/113 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• Y10T137/86815

  Multiple inlet with single outlet · CPC title