Hydraulic fluid warming system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10816019-B2
Application number	US-201815969413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2018
Priority date	May 2, 2018
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A hydraulic system (e.g., of an aircraft or other vehicle) includes a pump, a pressure line coupled to the pump and configured to distribute pressurized hydraulic fluid, and a return line configured to return hydraulic fluid to a reservoir. The hydraulic system also includes an auxiliary leakage valve coupled to the pressure line, to the return line, and to an actuator. The auxiliary leakage valve is configured to receive a control signal and, based on the control signal, selectively open a restricted fluid path. The restricted fluid path couples the pressure line to the return line to allow a restricted amount of the hydraulic fluid to flow from the pressure line to the return line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising:
a hydraulic system including hydraulic fluid, a pressure line, and a return line;
a sensor configured to generate data related to a temperature of the hydraulic fluid of the hydraulic system;
an actuator coupled to the hydraulic system;
an auxiliary leakage valve coupled to the actuator, to the pressure line, and to the return line, the auxiliary leakage valve configured to selectively open a restricted fluid path, wherein the restricted fluid path couples the pressure line to the return line to allow a restricted amount of the hydraulic fluid to flow from the pressure line to the return line; and
a controller coupled to the auxiliary leakage valve and configured to, based on data indicating that the aircraft is not airborne and based on a comparison of a temperature value indicated by the data to a threshold, send a control signal to the auxiliary leakage valve, to the actuator, or both, to cause an increase in hydraulic fluid flow from the pressure line to the return line.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic system further comprises:
a reservoir to store the hydraulic fluid; and
a pump configured to pressurize a portion of the hydraulic fluid provided to the pressure line.

3. The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to activate the pump based on a determination that the temperature value indicated by the data is less than the threshold.

4. The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the pump is activated before sending the control signal.

5. The aircraft of claim 4 , wherein the controller determines whether the pump is activated based on a pressure of the hydraulic fluid.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising a second actuator coupled to the hydraulic system, wherein the controller is further configured to cycle the second actuator based on a determination that the temperature value indicated by the data is less than the threshold.

7. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, based on a second comparison of the temperature value to a second threshold, send a second control signal to the auxiliary leakage valve to cause the auxiliary leakage valve to close the restricted fluid path.

8. The aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising a fuel tank, wherein a portion of the pressure line is routed through the fuel tank.

9. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to send the control signal further based on a position of a switch.

10. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the data includes fuel temperature data or ambient temperature data.

11. A method comprising:
receiving, at a controller, data related to a temperature of hydraulic fluid of a hydraulic system;
comparing a value indicated by the data to a threshold; and
based on a determination that an aircraft comprising the hydraulic system is not airborne and based on a result of comparing the value to the threshold, sending a control signal to a device coupled to the hydraulic system, wherein the control signal causes the device to increase hydraulic fluid flow from a pressure line to a return line of the hydraulic system.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the device includes an auxiliary leakage valve, wherein the control signal causes the auxiliary leakage valve to open a restricted fluid path that couples the pressure line of the hydraulic system to the return line of the hydraulic system, and wherein the restricted fluid path allows a restricted amount of the hydraulic fluid to flow from the pressure line to the return line.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the device includes an actuator, and wherein the control signal causes the actuator to cycle to increase flow of the hydraulic fluid from the pressure line to the return line.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data related to the temperature of the hydraulic fluid of the hydraulic system includes ambient temperature data.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data related to the temperature of the hydraulic fluid of the hydraulic system includes fuel temperature data.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data related to the temperature of the hydraulic fluid of the hydraulic system includes hydraulic fluid temperature data.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hydraulic fluid flows through at least one line in a fuel tank.

18. A hydraulic system of an aircraft comprising:
a fuel tank;
a pump;
a pressure line coupled to the pump and configured to distribute pressurized hydraulic fluid;
a return line configured to return hydraulic fluid to a reservoir, wherein a portion of the pressure line, a portion of the return line, or both are routed through the fuel tank;
a controller, wherein the controller receives data related to a temperature of the hydraulic fluid, and wherein the data related to the temperature of the hydraulic fluid includes fuel temperature data from the fuel tank; and
an auxiliary leakage valve coupled to the pressure line, to the return line, and to an actuator, the auxiliary leakage valve configured to:
receive a control signal from the controller, wherein the control signal is based on a comparison of a value indicated by the data to a threshold; and
based on the control signal, selectively open a restricted fluid path, wherein the restricted fluid path couples the pressure line to the return line to allow a restricted amount of the hydraulic fluid to flow from the pressure line to the return line.

19. The hydraulic system of claim 18 , further comprising a sensor. wherein the sensor is configured to provide at least a portion of the data to the controller.

20. The hydraulic system of claim 18 , further comprising the actuator, wherein the actuator is configured to receive the control signal from the controller, and wherein the actuator at least partially cycles based on the control signal to allow hydraulic fluid flow through the actuator.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Uhlman Matthew D
• Hance Barry D
• Guttler Herbert
• Hawk Robert J
• Smith Paul
• Fahey Patrick
• Pifer Ellen A
• Beamis Christopher P
• Abdelmagid Ali
• Mccormick Patrick
• Lesyna Mark W

Classifications

• F15B2211/41563

  being connected to a pressure source and a return line · CPC title

• F15B2211/62

  Cooling or heating means · CPC title

• F15B11/08

  with only one servomotor · CPC title

• F15B2211/50536

  using unloading valves controlling the supply pressure by diverting fluid to the return line · CPC title

• B64C13/40

  using fluid pressure · CPC title