Pipe structure, aircraft, and method for giving robustness to leak detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016238181-A1
Application number	US-201615004545-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 22, 2016
Priority date	Feb 18, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides a pipe structure including a pipe that is disposed along an approximately horizontal direction, and has a plurality of ducts through which a gaseous body having a higher temperature than a temperature of a surrounding atmosphere continuously flows, and a plurality of couplings each connecting the ducts together; and a cover covering an outer periphery of the pipe. The cover defines a plurality of vents from which the gaseous body leaking from the pipe flows out of the cover at an interval in a length direction of the pipe. As the plurality of vents, the cover includes at least first vents located corresponding to the couplings. Respective positions of the first vents are substantially set within a range from a two o'clock position to a ten o'clock position through a six o'clock position in a cross sectional surface of the cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A pipe structure comprising:
a pipe that is disposed along an approximately horizontal direction, and has a plurality of ducts through which a gaseous body having a higher temperature than a temperature of a surrounding atmosphere continuously flows, and a plurality of couplings each connecting the ducts together; and a cover that covers an outer periphery of the pipe, wherein the cover defines a plurality of vents from which the gaseous body leaking from the pipe flows out of the cover at an interval in a length direction of the pipe, and as the plurality of vents, the cover comprises at least first vents that are located corresponding to the plurality of couplings, respective positions of the first vents are substantially set within a range from a two o'clock position to a ten o'clock position through a six o'clock position in a cross sectional surface of the cover.

2 . The pipe structure according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a leak sensor that detects a leak of the gaseous body, wherein the leak sensor has a sensitive section that passes a position corresponding to each of the plurality of vents and is sensitive to a temperature or a concentration of a gaseous body outside the cover, and a detection section that detects the leak by using a state of the sensitive section.

3 . The pipe structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein as the plurality of vents, the cover further comprises second vents that are the vents other than the first vents, and respective positions of the second vents are substantially set to a twelve o'clock position or its vicinity in the cross sectional surface of the cover.

4 . The pipe structure according to claim 2 ,
wherein as the plurality of vents, the cover further comprises second vents that are the vents other than the first vents, and respective positions of the second vents are substantially set to a twelve o'clock position or its vicinity in the cross sectional surface of the cover.

5 . The pipe structure according to claim 2 ,
wherein as the plurality of vents, the cover further comprises second vents that are the vents other than the first vents, and the leak sensor is disposed so as to be erected up along a circumferential direction of the cover at positions corresponding to the second vents.

6 . The pipe structure according to claim 2 ,
further comprising a roof that is located in a vicinity of at least one of the first vents, the roof is configured to restrict a rise of a gaseous body wherein the roof is disposed above the at least one first vent at an interval from the cover that defines the first vents, and the sensitive section is disposed below the roof.

7 . The pipe structure according to claim 6 ,
wherein the roof is supported on the cover by a support portion that links the roof and the cover.

8 . The pipe structure according to claim 6 ,
wherein the roof is supported on the sensitive section by a clip that holds the sensitive section.

9 . The pipe structure according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a wind protection wall that is located in a vicinity of at least one of the first vents, the wind protection wall is configured to block a flow of a gaseous body outside the cover that affects a flow of the gaseous body flowing out from the at least one first vent.

10 . The pipe structure according to claim 3 ,
further comprising a wind protection wall that is located in a vicinity of at least one of the second vents, the wind protection wall is configured to block a flow of a gaseous body outside the cover that affects a flow of the gaseous body flowing out from the at least one second vent.

11 . The pipe structure according to claim 1 ,
the respective positions of the first vents are substantially set within a range from a three o'clock position to a nine o'clock position through a six o'clock position in the cross sectional surface of the cover.

12 . The pipe structure according to claim 3 ,
the respective positions of the first vents are substantially set within a range from a three o'clock position to a nine o'clock position through a six o'clock position in the cross sectional surface of the cover.

13 . The pipe structure according to claim 1 ,
the respective positions of the first vents are substantially set to a three o'clock position or a nine o'clock position in the cross sectional surface of the cover.

14 . The pipe structure according to claim 3 ,
the respective positions of the first vents are substantially set to a three o'clock position or a nine o'clock position in the cross sectional surface of the cover.

15 . The pipe structure according to claim 4 ,
the respective positions of the first vents are substantially set to a three o'clock position or a nine o'clock position in the cross sectional surface of the cover.

16 . An aircraft comprising the pipe structure according to claim 1 .

17 . The aircraft according to claim 16 ,
wherein the gaseous body is bleed air from an engine or an auxiliary power unit that is a power source of the aircraft.

18 . A method for giving robustness to leak detection, comprising:
defining a plurality of vents in a cover that covers an outer periphery of a pipe disposed along an approximately horizontal direction at an interval in a length direction of the pipe; causing a gaseous body leaking from the pipe and having a higher temperature than a temperature of an atmosphere around the pipe to flow out of the cover from the vents; and detecting a leak of the gaseous body by using a temperature or a concentration of the gaseous body at positions corresponding to the vents, wherein respective positions of at least first vents corresponding to a plurality of couplings constituting the pipe out of the plurality of vents are substantially set within a range from a two o'clock position to a ten o'clock position through a six o'clock position in a cross sectional surface of the cover.

19 . The method for giving robustness to leak detection according to claim 18 ,
wherein the pipe is mounted on an aircraft, and the gaseous body is bleed air from an engine or an auxiliary power unit that is a power source of the aircraft.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp

Inventors

• Suzuta Tadahiko
• Yamamoto Hiroyuki
• Takao Kei
• Maeda Ichiro

Classifications

• F16L55/168 Primary

  from outside the pipe (specially adapted for bends, branch units, branching pipes, or the like F16L55/179) · CPC title

• G01M3/22

  for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves; {for welds; for containers, e.g. radiators} · CPC title

• G01M3/18

  for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves; {for welds; for containers, e.g. radiators} · CPC title

• G01M3/002

  by using thermal means · CPC title

• F17D5/06

  using electric or acoustic means · CPC title