Boundary layer suction system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10481040-B2
Application number	US-201615215768-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2016
Priority date	Jul 21, 2015
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A boundary layer suction system adapted to a surface exposed to the circulation of a fluid. The system comprises a portion of the surface, a bifurcation element for bifurcating a mass of fluid flowing along the front face of the surface, comprising an airfoil-shaped cross-section such that the fluid is bifurcated into a first and a second flow, a slot located on the portion of the surface and downstream of the leading edge of the bifurcation element, the slot communicating the front and the rear faces of the portion of the surface, and an arrangement to provide a pressure difference between the front and the rear faces of the surface around the slot, such that a suction of the boundary layer is performed through the slot by the pressure difference.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A boundary layer suction system configured for being adapted to a surface exposed to the circulation of a fluid, the system comprising:
a portion of said surface having a front and a rear face,
a bifurcation element configured for bifurcating a mass of fluid flowing along the front face of the surface, said bifurcation element comprising an airfoil-shaped cross-section such that the fluid is bifurcated into a first and a second flow, the first flow being movable between the bifurcation element and the surface,
a slot having an opening in the portion of the surface, wherein the opening is located at the portion of the surface downstream of a leading edge of the bifurcation element, the slot providing communication between the front and the rear faces of the portion of the surface, and
means for providing a pressure difference between the front and the rear faces of the surface around the slot such that a suction of the boundary layer is performed through the opening by said pressure difference,
wherein a wall of the bifurcation element extends towards the front face of the surface exposed to the flow and terminates at a downstream portion of the opening of the slot whereby the flow of a mass of fluid is guided through the opening and into the slot.

2. The boundary layer suction system, according to claim 1 , wherein the bifurcation element comprises a rounded leading edge.

3. The boundary layer suction system, according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between the leading edge and the surface is a thickness of the boundary layer to be sucked.

4. The boundary layer suction system, according to claim 1 , wherein the means for providing the pressure difference between the front and the rear faces of the surface around the slot comprises a device for increasing the pressure of the flowing fluid in the front face such that it is greater than the pressure of the fluid in the rear face.

5. The boundary layer suction system, according to claim 1 , wherein the means for providing the pressure difference between the front and the rear faces of the surface around the slot comprises a device for decreasing the pressure of the fluid at the rear face such that the pressure at the rear face is lower than the pressure of the fluid in the front face.

6. A wind tunnel comprising the boundary layer suction system according to claim 1 .

7. The wind tunnel, according to claim 6 , further comprising means for increasing the pressure of the flowing fluid in the wind tunnel such that the pressure in the wind tunnel is greater than the pressure of the fluid at the exterior of the wind tunnel.

8. The wind tunnel, according to claim 7 , wherein the wind tunnel is pressurized.

9. The wind tunnel, according to claim 7 , further comprising a chamber that encloses the section of the wind tunnel comprising the slot, said chamber comprising means for decreasing the pressure of the fluid outside the wind tunnel such that the pressure outside the wind tunnel is lower than the pressure of the fluid in the interior of the wind tunnel.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sl

Inventors

• Diaz Parrilla José Maria
• Jara Rodelgo Álvaro
• Gallego Lorenzo Miguel Ángel
• Hernanz Manrique José Ángel

Classifications

• G01M9/04 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• B64F5/60

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title