Leading edge structure for a flow control system of an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12006025-B2
Application number	US-202117796520-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2021
Priority date	Jan 30, 2020
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A leading edge structure (11) for a flow control system of an aircraft (1), including a leading edge panel (13) that surrounds a plenum (17), wherein the leading edge panel (13) has a first side portion (21), a second side portion (27), an inner surface (33) and an outer surface (37), wherein the leading edge panel (13) having micro pores (45) forming a fluid connection between the plenum (17) and the ambient flow (39), wherein a first air inlet/outlet device (49) is arranged in the first side portion (21) and a second air inlet outlet/device (51) is arranged in the second side portion (27), fluidly connected to the plenum (17), and wherein the first air inlet/outlet device (49) comprises a pivotable first door (55) and the second air inlet outlet/device (51) comprises a pivotable second door (61).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A leading edge structure for a flow control system of an aircraft, comprising
a leading edge panel that surrounds a plenum in a curved manner, the plenum extending in a span direction,
wherein the leading edge panel has a first side portion extending from a leading edge point to a first attachment end,
wherein the leading edge panel has a second side portion opposite the first side portion, extending from the leading edge point to a second attachment end,
wherein the leading edge panel comprises an inner surface facing the plenum and an outer surface in contact with an ambient flow, and
wherein the leading edge panel comprises a plurality of micro pores forming a fluid connection between the plenum and the ambient flow,
wherein a first air inlet/outlet device is arranged in the first side portion and a second air inlet outlet/device is arranged in the second side portion of the leading edge panel,
wherein the first air inlet/outlet device and the second air inlet/outlet device are fluidly connected to the plenum, and
wherein the first air inlet/outlet device comprises a first door pivotable by a first hinge about a first hinge axis, and the second air inlet outlet/device comprises a second door pivotable by a second hinge about a second hinge axis,
both the first door and the second door are pivotable between an outlet position, a closed position, and an inlet position.

2. The leading edge structure according to claim 1 , wherein one single actuator is provided for commonly actuating the first door and the second door for common movement between the outlet position, the closed position and the inlet position.

3. The leading edge structure according to claim 2 , wherein the actuator is formed as a linear actuator configured to adjust the distance between its first and second ends.

4. The leading edge structure according to claim 3 , wherein the actuator is connected to the first door and to the second door via a linkage,
wherein the linkage is configured to transfer a linear movement of the actuator into a pivotable movement of the first and second doors between the outlet position, the closed position and the inlet position.

5. The leading edge structure according to claim 4 , wherein the linkage, comprises a first lever mounted to the first door at the first hinge axis in a torque proof manner,
wherein the linkage comprises a second lever mounted to the second door at the second hinge axis in a torque proof manner,
wherein the first lever and the second lever are connected via a link pivotably mounted to the first lever via a third hinge and that is pivotably mounted to the second lever via a fourth hinge.

6. The leading edge structure according to claim 5 , wherein the actuator is pivotably mounted with its first end to the first lever or to the second lever via a fifth hinge, and
wherein the actuator is configured for being pivotably mounted with its second end to a front spar via a sixth hinge.

7. The leading edge structure according to claim 6 , wherein the first lever extends beyond the third hinge, and the third hinge is between the first hinge and the fifth hinge, or
wherein the second lever extends beyond the fourth hinge and the fourth hinge is between the second hinge and the fifth hinge.

8. The leading edge structure according to claim 5 , wherein the actuator is connected to the first lever or to the second lever via an actuation arm,
wherein the actuation arm is mounted to the first lever at the first hinge axis or to the second lever at the second hinge axis in a torque proof manner,
wherein a first end of the actuator is pivotably mounted to the actuator mounted to the actuation arm via a fifth hinge, and
wherein a second end of the actuator is configured for being pivotably mounted to a front spar via a sixth hinge.

9. The leading edge structure according to claim 3 , wherein the actuator is connected to the first door and to the second door via a gear transmission,
wherein the gear transmission is configured to transfer a linear movement of the actuator into a pivotable movement of the first and second doors between the outlet position, the closed position and the inlet position.

10. The leading edge structure according to claim 9 , wherein the gear transmission comprises a first gear connected to the first door in a torque proof manner coaxially with the first hinge axis and,
wherein the gear transmission comprises a second gear connected to the second door in a torque proof manner coaxially with the second hinge axis, and
wherein the first gear and the second gear are connected in a torque transferring manner.

11. The leading edge structure according to claim 10 , wherein the first gear and the second gear are directly engaged.

12. The leading edge structure according to claim 10 , wherein the first gear and the second gear are connected via one or more additional gears.

13. The leading edge structure according to claim 10 , wherein the actuator is connected to the first gear or to the second gear via an actuation lever,
wherein the actuation lever is mounted to the first gear or to the second gear or to one additional gear in a torque proof manner,
wherein the actuator is pivotably mounted with its first end to the actuation lever via a fifth hinge, and
wherein the actuator is configured for being pivotably mounted with its second end to a front spar via a sixth hinge.

14. The leading edge structure according to claim 4 , wherein the linkage or the gear transmission is configured such that the first door and the second door are moved between the outlet position, the closed position and the inlet position in a symmetrical way.

15. The leading edge structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first hinge axis is arranged at a leading edge of the first door, and/or
wherein the second hinge axis is arranged at a leading edge of the second door.

16. The leading edge structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first hinge and the second hinge are mounted to a duct structure while the duct structure is mounted to the leading edge panel or to the front spar.

17. The leading edge structure according to claim 1 , wherein the leading edge panel comprises first and second panel parts arranged next to each other in the span direction, wherein the first panel part includes the micro pores and a second panel part includes the first and second air inlet/outlet devices, and wherein the first and second panel parts are formed either integrally or as two separate parts.

18. The leading edge structure according to claim 1 , wherein two actuators are provided for actuating the first and second doors, such that a first actuator is configured for actuating the first door for movement between the outlet position, the closed position and the inlet position, while the second actuator is configured for actuating the second door for movement between the outlet position, the closed position and the inlet position.

19. A vertical tail plane comprising
a vertical tail plane box having a first lateral panel with a first attachment portion and an opposite second lateral panel with a second attachment portion,
the leading edge structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first attachment end is attached to the first attachment portion, and wherein the second attachment end is attached to the second attachment portion, so that the first side portion of the leading edge panel forms a continuous flow surface with the first lateral panel of the vertical tail plane box, and the second side

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Bertolini Ivano
• Obermaier Martin
• Höft Michael
• Nielsen Frank
• Rajkowski Sergej
• Yap Jeff Wee Hong

Classifications

• B64C21/06

  for sucking (BLI propulsion B64C21/01) · CPC title

• B64C21/08

  adjustable · CPC title

• Y02T50/10

  Drag reduction · CPC title

• B64C21/04 Primary

  for blowing · CPC title