Flow control system, flow control method, and aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11214359-B2
Application number	US-201816223964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2018
Priority date	Mar 27, 2018
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A flow control system includes a movable wing attachable to a wing of an aircraft, and a plasma actuator mountable on a surface of the movable wing. The flow control system is configured to control air flow around the wing by having the changing of the steering angle of the movable wing work in conjunction with the operation of the plasma actuator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flow control system, comprising:
a movable wing attachable to a wing of an aircraft, and
a plasma actuator mountable on a surface of the movable wing, wherein
the flow control system is configured to control air flow around the wing by changing a steering angle of the movable wing in conjunction with operating the plasma actuator,
the flow control system further comprising an orientation change detector device configured to detect or predict a change in orientation of the aircraft,
wherein at least the plasma actuator is configured to operate under a condition responding to the detected or predicted change in orientation of the aircraft, and
wherein the orientation change detector device is configured to detect or predict the change in the orientation of the aircraft, based on at least one of a position of another aircraft flying in a vicinity of the aircraft or information for specifying an area to be detoured by the aircraft.

2. The flow control system of claim 1 , wherein
the movable wing comprises a plurality of movable wings attached to one stationary wing, each of the movable wings having the plasma actuator mounted thereon.

3. The flow control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the movable wing comprises a plurality of movable wings attached to one stationary wing, each of the movable wings having the plasma actuator mounted thereon, and
the flow control system further comprises:
a controller configured to control the steering angle of each of the movable wings and operating conditions of each of the plasma actuators in accordance with a desired orientation of the aircraft.

4. The flow control system of claim 1 , wherein the orientation change detector device is configured to predict the orientation of the aircraft after a predetermined period of time based on the position of the aircraft and the position of the another aircraft flying in the vicinity of the aircraft.

5. The flow control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the orientation change detector device is configured to predict the change in the orientation of the aircraft, and
the flow control system further comprises:
a controller configured to predict an orientation deviation from a target value of the orientation of the aircraft based on the predicted orientation change of the aircraft, and operate the plasma actuator under a condition for canceling the predicted deviation.

6. The flow control system of claim 1 , wherein
the orientation change detector is configured to predict the change in the orientation of the aircraft,
the flow control system further comprises:
a controller configured to determine whether the orientation of the aircraft after the predicted change in the orientation of the aircraft is suitable, and, in a case of the orientation of the aircraft after the change being determined to be unsuitable, operate the plasma actuator under a condition for causing the orientation of the aircraft to be suitable after the change.

7. The flow control system according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that the orientation of the aircraft after the change in the orientation of the aircraft is unsuitable in a case of a determination being made that the orientation of the aircraft has a predetermined level or higher level of risk of colliding with an object to be avoided by the aircraft or entering an area to be avoided by the aircraft.

8. An aircraft comprising the flow control system according to claim 1 .

9. The flow control system of claim 1 , wherein
the information for specifying the area to be detoured by the aircraft includes at least one of an information of airspace with a high probability of cumulonium clouds occurring, an information of airspace with cumulonium clouds being present, an information of airspace in which hail, rain, or snow falls, an information of airspace in which volcanic ash is scattered, or an information of airspace with a high probability of flocks of bird occurring.

10. A flow control method for controlling air flow around a wing of an aircraft that includes a plasma actuator mountable on a surface of a movable wing comprising:
detecting or predicting the change in an orientation of the aircraft based on at least one of position of another aircraft flying in a vicinity of the aircraft or information for specifying an area to be detoured by the aircraft, and
operating the plasma actuator under a condition responding to the detected or predicted change in orientation of the aircraft.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Kikuchi Maki
• Kato Hiroki
• Kono Mitsuru
• Yoshida Kentaro
• Nakazato Nobuyuki

Classifications

• H05H1/2439

  Surface discharges, e.g. air flow control · CPC title

• F15D1/0075

  comprising electromagnetic or electrostatic means for influencing the state of the fluid, e.g. for ionising the fluid or for generating a plasma · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title

• B64C23/005 Primary

  by other means not covered by groups B64C23/02 - B64C23/08, e.g. by electric charges, magnetic panels, piezoelectric elements, static charges or ultrasounds · CPC title

• G05D1/106

  Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones · CPC title