Method of regulating air pressure in anti-icing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060454-B2
Application number	US-201916567665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2019
Priority date	Jul 6, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

An anti-icing system of a nacelle inlet of an engine of an aircraft includes first and second direct acting valves and first and second control valve assemblies fluidly connected to the nacelle inlet. The first direct acting valve includes a first inlet, outlet, valve chamber, and piston. The first piston is positioned in the first direct acting valve. The first control valve assembly is fluidly connected to the first valve. The second direct acting valve includes a second inlet, outlet, valve chamber, and piston. The second piston is positioned in the second direct acting valve. The second direct acting valve is fluidly connected to the first direct acting valve in a series configuration. The second control valve assembly is fluidly connected to the second valve chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of regulating air pressure in an anti-icing system of a nacelle inlet of an engine of an aircraft, the method comprising:
flowing air into a valve assembly comprising:
a first direct acting valve comprising:
a first valve chamber;
a first internal valve body; and
a first piston slidably engaged with the first internal valve body;

a first control valve assembly with a first solenoid valve and fluidly connected to the first valve chamber of the first direct acting valve;
a second direct acting valve comprising:
a second valve chamber;
a second internal valve body; and
a second piston slidably engaged with the second internal valve body, wherein the second direct acting valve is fluidly connected to the first direct acting valve in a series configuration;

a second control valve assembly with a second solenoid valve and fluidly connected to the second valve chamber of the second direct acting valve; and

controlling a heat flux of the nacelle inlet of the engine of the aircraft, wherein controlling the heat flux of the nacelle inlet of the engine of the aircraft comprises:
adjusting at least one of the first control valve assembly and the second control valve assembly in response to the temperature of the air in an outlet of the second direct acting valve by controlling an amount of electric current fed into at least one of the first solenoid valve in the first control valve assembly and the second solenoid valve in the second control valve assembly;
adjusting a rate of flow of air released into an ambient environment external to the valve assembly out of the at least one of the first control valve assembly and the second control valve assembly;
moving at least one of the first direct acting valve and the second direct acting valve by adjusting a pressure of air in at least one of the first valve chamber of the first direct acting valve and the second valve chamber of the second direct acting valve;
adjusting a rate of flow of the air out of the valve assembly by adjusting a rate of flow of air past the at least one of the first piston and the second piston;
controlling a pressure of air flowing out of the outlet of the second direct acting valve in response to the adjusted rate of flow of air out of the valve assembly;
transporting the air from the outlet of the valve assembly to the nacelle inlet of the engine of the aircraft; and
passing air through at least one of a first throat formed between a first lip element on the first piston and the first internal valve body of the first direct acting valve and a second throat formed between a second lip element on the second piston and the second internal valve body of the second direct acting valve, the at least one of the first lip element and second lip element including a first axial face extending at an angle θ LIP between a first plane extending in an axial direction and the first axial face, at least one of the first internal valve body and the second internal valve body including a second axial face extending at an angle θ VB between a second plane extending in an axial direction and the second axial face, wherein an expansion angle θ EXP equivalent to the difference between angle θ LIP and angle θ VB comprises an angle from 15° to 60°.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
energizing the at least one of the first solenoid valve in the first control valve assembly and the second solenoid valve in the second control valve assembly by feeding an electric current through the at least one of the first solenoid valve in the first control valve assembly and the second solenoid valve in the second control valve assembly;
increasing the rate of flow of the air released into an ambient environment external to the valve assembly out of the at least one of the first control valve assembly and the second control valve assembly by opening the at least one of the first solenoid valve in the first control valve assembly and the second solenoid valve in the second control valve assembly in response to the electric current;
decreasing the pressure of air in at least one of the first valve chamber of the first direct acting valve and the second valve chamber of the second direct acting valve by decreasing the pressure of air in the at least one of the first control valve assembly and the second control valve assembly in response to the increased rate of flow of air released into an ambient environment external to the valve assembly out of the at least one of the first control valve assembly and the second control valve assembly;
moving the at least one of the first piston of the first direct acting valve and the second piston of the second direct acting valve from an open position into a closed position such that the closed position allows a lesser amount of air to flow past the at least one of the first piston and second piston than the open position by decreasing an effective area between the first internal valve body and the first piston or between the second internal valve body and the second piston;
reducing the rate of flow of air past the at least one of the first piston and the second piston in response to decreasing the effective area between the first internal valve body and the first piston or between the second internal valve body and the second piston; and
reducing the pressure of air flowing out of the outlet of the second direct acting valve in response to reducing the rate of flow of air past the at least one of the first piston and the second piston.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
de-energizing the at least one of the first solenoid valve in the first control valve assembly and the second solenoid valve in the second control valve assembly by decreasing an electric current through the at least one of the first solenoid valve in the first control valve assembly and the second solenoid valve in the second control valve assembly;
decreasing the rate of flow of the air released into an ambient environment external to the valve assembly out of the at least one of the first control valve assembly and the second control valve assembly by closing the at least one of the first solenoid valve in the first control valve assembly and the second solenoid valve in the second control valve assembly in response to the electric current;
increasing the pressure of air in at least one of the first valve chamber of the first direct acting valve and the second valve chamber of the second direct acting valve by increasing the pressure of air in the at least one of the first control valve assembly and the second control valve assembly in response to the decreased rate of flow of air released into an ambient environment external to the valve assembly out of the at least one of the first control valve assembly and the second control valve assembly;
moving the at least one of the first piston of the first direct acting valve and the second piston of the second direct acting valve from an open position into a closed position such that the closed position allows a greater amount of air to flow past the at least one of the first piston and second piston than the open position by increasing an effective area between the first internal valve body and the first piston or between the second internal valve body and the second piston;
increasing the rate of flow of air past the at least one of the first piston and the second piston in response to increasing the effective area between the first internal valve body and the first piston or between the second internal valve body and the second piston; and
increasing the pressure of air flowing out of the outlet of the second direct acting valve in response to increasing the rate of flow of air past the at least one of the first piston and the second piston.

4. The method of clai

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp
• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

• Goodman Robert
• Zheng Zhijun
• Greenberg Michael D

Classifications

• B64D2033/0233

  comprising de-icing means · CPC title

• F02C7/047 Primary

  Heating to prevent icing · CPC title

• B64D2033/0286

  for turbofan engines · CPC title

• F02C9/16

  Control of working fluid flow (F02C9/48 takes precedence; control of air-intake flow F02C7/057) · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title