Aircraft hydraulic system with a dual spool valve and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10711809-B2
Application number	US-201815952464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2018
Priority date	Apr 13, 2018
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

A dual spool valve and methods of controlling hydraulic fluid that is moved to a hydraulic actuator of an aircraft. The dual spool valve may include first and second manifolds that each includes a movable spool. Multiple ports are positioned in each of the manifolds. The movable spools are positionable within their respective manifolds to control the movement of the hydraulic fluid that is supplied to and removed from the hydraulic actuator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve to direct hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic actuator in an aircraft, the valve comprising:
a first port to receive hydraulic fluid from a supply line;
a second port to discharge hydraulic fluid to a return line;
first and second valve sections each comprising a manifold, a first line fluidly connected to the first port, a second line fluidly connected to the second port, and a third line fluidly connected to the actuator and with the manifold of the first valve section being spaced away from the manifold of the second valve section;
a first spool positioned in the first manifold and a second spool positioned in the second manifold, each of the first and second spools movable to prevent the flow of hydraulic fluid when aligned with one of the first and second lines;
each of the first and second spools independently positionable within the respective first and second manifolds between a first position aligned with just one of the first and second lines, and a second position aligned with just the other of the first and second lines, and with the first and second spools spaced away from the third lines in each of the first and second positions to allow hydraulic fluid to flow into and out of the actuator.

2. The valve of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second spools comprises a first block and a second block that are spaced apart along a shaft and with the first blocks aligned with one of the first and second lines in the first position and with the second blocks aligned with the other of the first and second lines in the second position and with both the first and second blocks positioned away from the third lines in each of the first and second positions.

3. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the first lines of the first and second valve sections share a first common section and the second lines of the first and second valve sections share a second common section.

4. The valve of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second valve sections is a 3-way valve.

5. An assembly to position a flight control member of an aircraft, the assembly comprising:
a hydraulic actuator operatively connected to the flight control member and comprising a piston, a first chamber on a first side of the piston, and a second chamber on a second side of the piston;
a dual spool valve comprising first and second manifolds that each include a supply port to receive fluid from a supply line, a return port to move fluid to a return line, and an actuator port to move fluid to the actuator; and
a first spool movably positioned in the first manifold and a second spool movably positioned in the second manifold, the first and second spools being independently movable between a first position and a second position;
in the first position, the first and second spools blocking the supply ports to prevent hydraulic fluid from moving from the supply line to the actuator and being away from the return ports to allow hydraulic fluid to move from the actuator to the return line;
in the second position, the first and second spools positioned away from the supply ports to allow hydraulic fluid to move from the supply line to the actuator and blocking the return ports to prevent hydraulic fluid from moving from the actuator to the return line;
the first and second spools being positioned away from the actuator ports in each of the first and second positions to allow hydraulic fluid to flow into and out of the actuator.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first spool is in the first position when the second spool is in the second position.

7. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the actuator port of the first manifold is fluidly connected to the first chamber of the actuator and the actuator port of the second manifold is fluidly connected to the second chamber of the actuator.

8. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second spools comprises a first block and a second block that are spaced apart along a shaft, the first and second blocks sized with one of the first and second blocks extending across one of the return and the supply ports in each of the first and second positions.

9. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the dual spool valve further comprises first lines that extend between the supply line and the supply ports and second lines that extend between the return line and the return ports with the first lines being isolated from the second lines.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first lines share a first common section and the second lines share a second common section.

11. A method of controlling a dual spool valve to control a hydraulic actuator and move a flight control member of an aircraft, the method comprising:
positioning a first spool in a first manifold at a second position and opening a supply port in the first manifold and moving hydraulic fluid from a supply line and into a first chamber of a hydraulic actuator and positioning a second spool in a second manifold at a first position and opening a return port in the second manifold and moving hydraulic fluid from a second chamber of the hydraulic actuator to a return line and moving a piston of the hydraulic actuator in a first direction;
positioning the first spool in the first manifold at a first position and opening a return port in the first manifold and positioning the second spool in the second manifold at the first position and opening the return port in the second manifold and moving hydraulic fluid from the first chamber of the hydraulic actuator through the return port in the first manifold and through the return port in the second manifold and into the second chamber of the hydraulic actuator and moving the piston of the hydraulic actuator in a second direction;
positioning the first spool in the first manifold at the first position and opening the return port in the first manifold and moving hydraulic fluid from the first chamber to the return line and positioning the second spool in the second manifold to a second position and opening a supply port in the second manifold and moving hydraulic fluid from the supply line and into the second chamber of the hydraulic actuator and moving the piston of the hydraulic actuator in the second direction; and
positioning the first spool in the first manifold at the first position and opening the return port in the first manifold and positioning the second spool in the second manifold to the first position and opening the return port in the second manifold and moving hydraulic fluid from the second chamber of the hydraulic actuator through the return port in the second manifold and through the return port in the first manifold and into the first chamber of the hydraulic actuator and moving the piston of the hydraulic actuator in the first direction.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising moving hydraulic fluid through the first manifold when moving hydraulic fluid into and from the first chamber of the hydraulic actuator and moving hydraulic fluid through the second manifold when moving hydraulic fluid into and from the second chamber.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising positioning the first spool in the first manifold at the first position and blocking hydraulic fluid from moving into the first chamber through the supply port of the first manifold.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising positioning the first spool in the first manifold at the second position and blocking hydraulic fluid from moving through the return port of the first manifold.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising positioning the second spool in the second manifold at the first

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Fox Michael Thomas
• Howell Eric Anton
• Roach Jeffrey M

Classifications

• F15B11/17

  using two or more pumps · CPC title

• F15B2211/3057

  having two valves, one for each port of a double-acting output member · CPC title

• F15B2211/20592

  Combinations of pumps for supplying high and low pressure · CPC title

• F15B13/0402 Primary

  for linearly sliding valves, e.g. spool valves · CPC title

• F15B19/00

  Testing; {Calibrating; Fault detection or monitoring; Simulation or modelling of} fluid-pressure systems or apparatus not otherwise provided for · CPC title