Aviation bypass valve including a shape memory alloy material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9890868-B2
Application number	US-201314143233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2013
Priority date	Sep 20, 2013
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

An aviation bypass valve for use in a heat exchanger apparatus, including a shape memory alloy material. The heat exchanger apparatus further including an air-cooled oil cooler disposed in a bypass fan duct of an aircraft engine. The heat exchanger apparatus including a bypass valve in fluid communication with the air cooled oil cooler. The bypass valve including a valve body, a piston disposed in the valve body and moveable therein and an actuation component. The actuation component including a shape memory alloy. The actuation component responsive to a change in at least one of a thermal condition and a pressure exerted thereon so as to move the piston, thereby opening and closing the bypass valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bypass valve comprising:
a valve body;
a piston disposed in the valve body, and moveable therein to open and close the valve; and
an actuation component, wherein the actuation component is at least one of a shape memory alloy (SMA) spring or a linear SMA component, the actuation component responsive to a change in at least one of a thermal condition and a pressure exerted thereon so as to move the piston, thereby opening and closing the bypass valve, and wherein the actuation component is in direct fluid communication with a fluid having a flow velocity when the bypass valve is in a closed position.

2. The bypass valve of claim 1 , wherein the actuation component is configured to move the piston to a closed position in response to a predetermined temperature exerted thereon.

3. The bypass valve of claim 2 , wherein the actuation component is configured to move the piston to an open position in response to a predetermined temperature exerted thereon.

4. The bypass valve of claim 1 , wherein the actuation component is a linearly configured shape memory alloy component and a single shape memory alloy spring.

5. The bypass valve of claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve is configured for use in an aerospace application.

6. The bypass valve of claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve is configured for use in an oil cooling system of an aircraft engine.

7. The bypass valve of claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve is configured to provide a bypass for at least a portion of a hot engine oil from an engine directed toward a surface cooler and direct it back to the engine prior to reaching the surface cooler.

8. A heat exchanger apparatus for use in an oil cooling system of an aircraft engine comprising:
an air-cooled oil cooler disposed in a bypass fan duct of the aircraft engine; and
a bypass valve, in fluid communication with the air-cooled oil cooler, the bypass valve comprising:
a valve body;
a piston disposed in the valve body, and moveable therein to open and close the valve; and

an actuation component, wherein the actuation component is at least one of a shape memory alloy (SMA) spring or a linear SMA component, the actuation component responsive to a change in at least one of a thermal condition and a pressure exerted thereon so as to move the piston, thereby opening and closing the bypass valve, and wherein the actuation component is in direct fluid communication with a fluid having a flow velocity when the bypass valve is in a closed position.

9. The heat exchanger apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the actuation component is configured to move the piston to a closed position in response to a predetermined temperature exerted thereon and to an open position in response to a predetermined temperature exerted thereon.

10. The heat exchanger apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the shape memory alloy is comprised of a nickel-titanium alloy.

11. The heat exchanger apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the heat exchanger apparatus is configured for use in an oil cooling system of an aircraft engine.

12. The heat exchanger apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the bypass valve is configured to provide a bypass for at least a portion of a hot engine oil directed toward the air-cooled oil cooler and direct it back to the engine prior to reaching the air-cooled oil cooler.

13. An engine comprising:
a core engine; and
a heat exchanger apparatus comprising:
an air-cooled oil cooler disposed in a bypass fan duct of an aircraft engine; and
a bypass valve, in fluid communication with the air-cooled oil cooler, the bypass valve comprising:
a valve body;
a piston disposed in the valve body, and moveable therein to open and close the valve; and

an actuation component, wherein the actuation component is at least one of a single shape memory alloy (SMA) spring or a linear SMA component, the actuation component responsive to a change in at least one of a thermal condition and a pressure exerted thereon so as to move the piston, thereby opening and closing the bypass valve, and wherein the actuation component is in direct fluid communication with a fluid having a flow velocity when the bypass valve is in a closed position.

14. The engine of claim 13 , wherein the bypass valve is configured for use in an oil cooling system of an aircraft engine.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Diaz Carlos Enrique
• Gerstler William Dwight
• Storage Michael Ralph

Classifications

• F03G7/06145

  Springs · CPC title

• F01D25/125 Primary

  of bearings · CPC title

• F05D2300/505

  Shape memory behaviour · CPC title

• F03G7/065

  using a shape memory element · CPC title

• F16K31/002 Primary

  actuated by temperature variation (thermo-electric F16K31/025) · CPC title