Remote hydraulic utility system for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10464663-B2
Application number	US-201615232516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2016
Priority date	Aug 9, 2016
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A remote hydraulic system for an aircraft may provide hydraulic fluid to nose landing gear while being isolated from the main landing gear and other main hydraulic systems of the aircraft. A supply pressure accumulator may be configured to supply hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic load of the nose gear. A pressure sensor may be configured to detect a hydraulic pressure in the supply pressure accumulator. A pump may be in fluid communication with the supply pressure accumulator and configured to switch on in response to the hydraulic pressure below a threshold value. A return pressure accumulator may be configured to store the hydraulic fluid returning from the hydraulic load. The pump may drive fluid from the return pressure accumulator to the supply pressure accumulator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A remote hydraulic system for an aircraft, comprising:
a supply pressure accumulator configured to supply hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic load;
a pressure sensor configured to detect a hydraulic pressure in the supply pressure accumulator;
a pump in fluid communication with the supply pressure accumulator, wherein the pump is configured to switch on in response to the pressure sensor detecting the hydraulic pressure below a threshold value; and
a return pressure accumulator configured to store the hydraulic fluid returning from the hydraulic load, wherein the pump is configured to drive fluid from the return pressure accumulator to the supply pressure accumulator;
wherein the hydraulic system is in fluid communication with a hydraulic component of a nose landing gear of the aircraft;
wherein the hydraulic load comprises a hydraulic actuator configured for at least one of steering, deploying the nose landing gear, retracting the nose landing gear, locking the nose landing gear in position, deploying a nose landing gear door, retracting the nose landing gear door, or locking the nose landing gear door;
wherein the supply pressure accumulator is hydraulically isolated from a hydraulic system used to operate a main landing gear of the aircraft.

2. The remote hydraulic system of claim 1 , further comprising a check valve in fluid communication with the pump and the supply pressure accumulator, wherein the check valve is configured to prevent backflow of the hydraulic fluid.

3. The remote hydraulic system of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure release valve in fluid communication with the return pressure accumulator and the supply pressure accumulator, wherein the pressure release valve is configured to selectively permit the hydraulic fluid to flow from the supply pressure accumulator to the return pressure accumulator.

4. The remote hydraulic system of claim 1 , wherein the pump comprises a unidirectional pump.

5. The remote hydraulic system of claim 1 , wherein the pump is a uniform volume pump.

6. A hydraulic system in fluid communication with hydraulic components of a nose landing gear, comprising:
a supply pressure accumulator configured to supply hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic components of the nose landing gear;
a return pressure accumulator configured to store the hydraulic fluid returning from the hydraulic components of the nose landing gear;
a pump in fluid communication with the supply pressure accumulator and the return pressure accumulator, wherein the pump is configured to drive fluid from the return pressure accumulator to the supply pressure accumulator; and
a switch configured to activate a motor of the pump in response to a pressure of the supply pressure accumulator being below a start pressure threshold, wherein the switch is configured to deactivate the motor of the pump in response to the supply pressure accumulator being above a stop pressure threshold;
wherein the supply pressure accumulator is configured to supply the hydraulic fluid for at least one of steering, deploying the nose landing gear, retracting the nose landing gear, locking the nose landing gear in position, deploying a nose landing gear door, retracting the nose landing gear door, or locking the nose landing gear door;
wherein the supply pressure accumulator is hydraulically isolated from a hydraulic system used to operate a main landing gear.

7. The hydraulic system of claim 6 , further comprising a valve in fluid communication with the pump and the supply pressure accumulator, wherein the valve is configured to prevent backflow of the hydraulic fluid.

8. The hydraulic system of claim 6 , further comprising a pressure release valve in fluid communication with the return pressure accumulator and the supply pressure accumulator, wherein the pressure release valve is configured to selectively permit the hydraulic fluid to flow from the supply pressure accumulator to the return pressure accumulator.

9. The hydraulic system of claim 6 , wherein the pump comprises a unidirectional pump.

10. The hydraulic system of claim 6 , wherein the pump is a uniform volume pump.

11. The hydraulic system of claim 6 , wherein the hydraulic components comprise at least one of a hydraulic actuator.

12. An aircraft, comprising:
a nose landing gear coupled to the aircraft;
a main landing gear coupled to the aircraft; and
a hydraulic system in fluid communication with the nose landing gear and configured to drive at least one of steering the nose landing gear, deploying the nose landing gear, retracting the nose landing gear, locking the nose landing gear in position, translating a nose landing gear door, or locking the nose landing gear door in position,
wherein the hydraulic system is hydraulically isolated from the main landing gear.

13. The aircraft of claim 12 , wherein the hydraulic system comprises:
a supply pressure accumulator configured to supply hydraulic fluid to the nose landing gear; and
a pump configured to charge the supply pressure accumulator in response to a pressure in the supply pressure accumulator being below a threshold value.

14. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the hydraulic system comprises a return pressure accumulator configured to receive the hydraulic fluid returning from a hydraulic component of the nose landing gear.

15. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the hydraulic system further comprises a pressure switch configured to activate a motor of the pump in response to the pressure in the supply pressure accumulator being below the threshold value.

16. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the aircraft comprises a main hydraulic system configured to drive the main landing gear, wherein the main hydraulic system is hydraulically isolated from the hydraulic system.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Luce William E

Classifications

• F15B2211/6651

  Control of the prime mover, e.g. control of the output torque or rotational speed · CPC title

• B64C25/34

  wheeled type, e.g. multi-wheeled bogies · CPC title

• B64C25/22 Primary

  fluid · CPC title

• B64C25/50

  Steerable undercarriages; Shimmy-damping · CPC title

• F15B2211/20515

  Electric motor · CPC title