Flow body for an aircraft for passive boundary layer suction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10472052-B2
Application number	US-201715413836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

An aircraft flow body includes a flow surface exposed to an airstream during flight, at least one structural component attached to an interior of the flow surface, at least one perforated area having a plurality of openings extending through the flow surface, a manifold positioned interior to the flow surface in fluid communication with the openings and upstream of the at least one structural component, and at least one suction duct having a first end in communication with the manifold and a second end placed exterior to the flow surface downstream of the structural component. The at least one suction duct includes a suction opening facing away from the first end and adapted for inducing a suction force into the at least one suction duct when the flow surface is exposed to the airstream during flight, thereby inducing a flow of air from through the openings to the suction opening.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flow body of an aircraft, comprising:
a flow surface exposed to an airstream during flight of the aircraft;
at least one structural component attached to an interior of the flow surface;
at least one perforated area comprising a plurality of openings extending through the flow surface;
a manifold positioned interior to the flow surface in fluid communication with the openings and upstream of the at least one structural component; and
at least one suction duct having a first end and a second end, the first end in fluid communication with the manifold and the second end placed exterior to the flow surface downstream of the at least one structural component, the at least one suction duct running on an exterior side of the flow surface,
wherein the at least one suction duct comprises a suction opening facing away from the first end, and
wherein the suction opening is adapted for inducing a suction force into the at least one suction duct when the flow surface is exposed to an airstream during flight, thereby inducing a flow of air from through the openings to the suction opening.

2. The flow body of claim 1 , further comprising a leading edge facing into the airflow during flight, wherein the at least one perforated area is created as a section of the flow surface extending over the leading edge.

3. The flow body of claim 2 , wherein the manifold is located between the leading edge of the flow body and a front spar as the at least one structural component of the flow body.

4. The flow body of claim 1 ,
wherein a certain pressure field on the flow surface is produced, the pressure field comprising at least one region having a local pressure lower than upstream of the at least one structural component, and
wherein the suction opening is located directly upstream of the at least one region of lower pressure.

5. The flow body of claim 1 , wherein the at least one suction duct comprises a bifurcated arrangement of two suction ducts.

6. The flow body of claim 5 ,
wherein the manifold extends substantially parallel to the at least one structural component, and
wherein the two suction ducts each comprise a bent section between the first end and a section, which is fully placed on the exterior side of the flow surface.

7. The flow body of claim 6 , wherein the cross-sectional surface area of the bent section exceeds the cross-sectional surface area of the suction opening.

8. The flow body of claim 1 , wherein the at least one suction duct comprises a cross section, which is crescent-shaped.

9. The flow body of claim 1 , wherein the at least one suction duct continuously tapers off from a cutout in the flow body, through which the at least one suction duct extends from an interior to an exterior side, to the suction opening.

10. The flow body of claim 1 , wherein the manifold comprises at least one inlet extending into a space formed between the leading edge and the at least one structural component.

11. The flow body of claim 1 , further comprising a flow control means adapted for reducing the air flow between the manifold and the at least one suction duct selectively.

12. The flow body of claim 1 , wherein the flow body is configured as a vertical tailplane or a horizontal tailplane, wherein the perforated area is arranged in the region of a leading edge of the flow body.

13. The flow body of claim 1 , wherein a space between the perforated area and the at least one structural component is at least partially closed interior of the flow body so as to form a plenum chamber.

14. An aircraft having a fuselage and a flow body comprising:
a flow surface exposed to an airstream during flight of the aircraft;
at least one structural component attached to an interior of the flow surface;
at least one perforated area comprising a plurality of openings extending through the flow surface;
a manifold positioned interior to the flow surface in fluid communication with the openings and upstream of the at least one structural component; and
at least one suction duct having a first end and a second end, the first end in fluid communication with the manifold and the second end placed exterior to the flow surface downstream of the at least one structural component, the at least one suction duct running on an exterior side of the flow surface,
wherein the at least one suction duct comprises a suction opening facing away from the first end,
wherein the suction opening is adapted for inducing a suction force into the at least one suction duct when the flow surface is exposed to an airstream during flight, thereby inducing a flow of air from through the openings to the suction opening.

15. The aircraft of claim 14 , wherein the flow body is a vertical tailplane.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Heller Gerd

Classifications

• B64C5/06 Primary

  Fins (B64C5/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B64C5/02

  Tailplanes · CPC title

• B64C21/02

  by use of slot, ducts, porous areas or the like · CPC title

• B64C2230/04

  by actively generating fluid flow · CPC title

• B64C21/06 Primary

  for sucking (BLI propulsion B64C21/01) · CPC title