Externally driven flow control actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9346536-B2
Application number	US-201213652891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2012
Priority date	Oct 16, 2012
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing a flow of a fluid. The fluid is received at an input port of a structure. The fluid is sent through a chamber in communication with the input port. The fluid is caused to flow from the chamber and out of an output port in a direction that changes with a frequency based on an application of pressure pulses in the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus that comprises a structure that comprises:
an input port directly connected to an opening through a first planar member;
a single output port; and
a chamber within the structure, such that the chamber comprises an indentation in the first planar member that aligns with an indentation in a second planar member, the first planar member connected to the second planar member such that the connection forms the chamber and the chamber comprises:
a first section directly connected to a second section at a rectangular shaped portion of the second section, such that the first section comprises a width less than a diameter of the opening through the first planar member such that the width reduces, along a direction of flow of a fluid from the opening through the first planar member to the second section, until the first section connects to the second section;
a first side of the second section and a second side of the second section configured to diverge, along a direction of flow of the fluid from the rectangular shaped portion of the second section to the single output port, from each other and an axis that extends centrally through the chamber, until the first side and second side substantially parallel each other until the first side and the second side turn substantially 180 degrees away from each other and then return substantially parallel to each other before the first side and second side converge, along the direction of flow of the fluid from the rectangular shaped portion of the second section to the single output port, toward each other, and the axis that extends centrally through the chamber, until the first side and second side directly connect to the single output port, such that the chamber is configured to channel the fluid from the input port to the single output port of the structure, such that the opening through the first planar member connects to the first section and comprises a central axis of the opening through a depth of the first planar member and substantially perpendicular to the axis that extends centrally through the chamber;
a first opening in the rectangular shaped portion of the second section; and
a second opening in the rectangular shaped portion of the second section, such that the first opening and the second opening are configured to receive pressure pulses through a first actuator and a second actuator respectively, such that each actuator extends from the first planar member with a respective central axis of each actuator being substantially parallel to the central axis of the opening through the first planar member, and each actuator configured to inject an energy level into the flow of the fluid from the rectangular shaped portion of the second section to the single output port, such that the energy level that each actuator injects remains less than 5% of an energy level of the fluid flow as it exits the single output port, such that a pressure magnitude of a pulse, of the pressure pulses, injected by each actuator, multiplied by a duration of the pulse injected by each actuator determines the energy level injected into the flow of the fluid from the rectangular shaped portion of the second section to the single output port.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a pressure source in communication with the first opening and the second opening, wherein the pressure source is configured to generate the pressure pulses.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the pressure source is selected from at least one of a pressurized fluid source, an acoustic system, a laser system, a spark generation unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure pulses applied to one of the first opening and the second opening are configured to cause a change in a direction of flow of the fluid out of the single output port.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the change in the direction of the flow of the fluid out of the single output port is a sweeping motion of the fluid between a first side of the single output port and a second side of the single output port.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first opening is located on a first side of the single output port and the second opening is located on a second side of the single output port and wherein a first pressure pulse in the pressure pulses applied to the first opening is configured to cause a flow of the fluid occurring on the first side of the single output port to change direction to the second side of the single output port and a second pressure pulse in the pressure pulses applied to the second opening is configured to cause the flow of the fluid occurring on the second side of the single output port to change direction to the first side of the single output port.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a frequency of the change in the direction of the flow of the fluid out of the single output port is based on a frequency of the pressure pulses applied to the first opening and the second opening.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the chamber further comprises:
the first section configured to receive the fluid from the input port and cause the fluid to flow at a desired rate when exiting the first section; and
the second section in communication with the first section and configured to cause the fluid to move between the first side and the second side in the second section in response to the pressure pulses being applied to the first opening and the second opening, wherein the second section is in communication with the single output port and wherein the single output port is configured to cause the fluid flowing between the first side and second side in the second section to sweep with a frequency between a first side of the single output port and a second side of the single output port.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first opening is located on the first side of the second section and the second opening is located on the second side of the second section.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first opening is located opposite to the second opening about the axis that extends centrally though the chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the structure is comprised of a material selected from one of a metal, a plastic, steel, aluminum, titanium, and polycarbonate.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is selected from one of air, a liquid fuel, and a gas fuel.

13. A fluid flow control system comprising:
a plurality of flow control actuators, wherein each of the plurality of flow control actuators comprises a structure that comprises:
an input port directly connected to an opening through a first planar member;
a single output port; and
a chamber within the structure;

the first planar member connected to a second planar member such that the connection forms the chamber and the chamber comprises:
a first section directly connected to a second section at a rectangular shaped portion of the second section, such that the first section comprises a width less than a diameter of the opening through the first planar member such that the width reduces, along a direction of flow of a fluid from the opening through the first planar member to the second section, until the first section connects to the second section;
a first side of the second section and a second side of the second section configured to diverge, along a direction of flow of the fluid from the rectangular shaped portion of the second section to the single output port, from each other and an axis that extends centrally through the chamber, until the first side and second side substantially parallel each other until the first side and

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Raghu Surya

Classifications

• B64C2230/18

  by using small jets that make the fluid flow oscillate · CPC title

• F15D1/12

  by influencing the boundary layer · CPC title

• B64C2230/04

  by actively generating fluid flow · CPC title

• B64C2230/06

  by explicitly adjusting fluid flow, e.g. by using valves, variable aperture or slot areas, variable pump action or variable fluid pressure · CPC title

• B64C21/04 Primary

  for blowing · CPC title