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US 10,081,429 B2Granted
Air diffuser systems, methods, and apparatuses
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorMatthew George Trudeau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Aircraft, air conditioning systems, and air diffusers that may be used to create a quiet, comfortable environment within an aircraft cabin are disclosed. For example, an aircraft cabin air diffuser, which may be used in an air conditioning system and/or an aircraft, may include an inlet section, a neck section downstream of the inlet section, an outlet section downstream of the neck section, and a flow controller within the neck section. The flow controller may be a passive pressure controller (configured to affect air flow through the passive pressure controller in response to an air pressure differential across the passive pressure controller) and/or a vortex inducer (configured to create a vortex of air downstream of the vortex inducer).
Claims20
An aircraft cabin air diffuser comprising:
- an inlet section with an open interior;
- a neck section with an open interior, downstream of the inlet section;
- an outlet section with an open interior, wherein the outlet section is downstream of the neck section;
- and
- a flow controller within the open interior of the neck section;
- wherein the neck section includes a neck upstream end downstream of the inlet section and a neck downstream end downstream of the neck upstream end;
- wherein an interior of the neck section at the neck upstream end has an upstream lateral width;
- wherein the interior of the neck section at the neck downstream end has a downstream lateral width that is larger than the upstream lateral width;
- wherein the flow controller is positioned between the inlet section and the neck upstream end;
- wherein the flow controller is a passive pressure controller configured to affect air flow through the passive pressure controller in response to an air pressure differential across the passive pressure controller, and further wherein the passive pressure controller is configured to be actuated by air velocity through the passive pressure controller, wherein the passive pressure controller includes one or more vanes that define one or more flow channels, and wherein the one or more vanes are configured to decrease an open area of the one or more flow channels in response to an increase in an air pressure differential from the inlet section to the outlet section.
7 more elements
An aircraft cabin air diffuser comprising:
- an inlet section with an open interior;
- a neck section with an open interior, downstream of the inlet section;
- an outlet section with an open interior, wherein the outlet section is downstream of the neck section;
- and
- a flow controller within the open interior of the neck section;
- wherein the neck section includes a neck upstream end downstream of the inlet section and a neck downstream end downstream of the neck upstream end;
- wherein an interior of the neck section at the neck upstream end has an upstream lateral width;
- wherein the interior of the neck section at the neck downstream end has a downstream lateral width that is larger than the upstream lateral width;
- wherein the flow controller is positioned between the inlet section and the neck upstream end;
- wherein the flow controller is a passive pressure controller configured to affect air flow through the passive pressure controller in response to an air pressure differential across the passive pressure controller, wherein the passive pressure controller is configured to be actuated by air velocity through the passive pressure controller, wherein the passive pressure controller includes one or more vanes that define one or more flow channels, and wherein the one or more vanes are biased to maintain the one or more flow channels in an open state in the absence of an air pressure differential between the inlet section and the outlet section.
7 more elements
An aircraft cabin air diffuser comprising:
- an inlet section with an open interior;
- a neck section with an open interior, downstream of the inlet section;
- an outlet section with an open interior, wherein the outlet section is downstream of the neck section;
- and
- a flow controller within the open interior of the neck section;
- wherein the neck section includes a neck upstream end downstream of the inlet section and a neck downstream end downstream of the neck upstream end;
- wherein an interior of the neck section at the neck upstream end has an upstream lateral width;
- wherein the interior of the neck section at the neck downstream end has a downstream lateral width that is larger than the upstream lateral width;
- wherein the flow controller is positioned between the inlet section and the neck upstream end;
- wherein the flow controller is a passive pressure controller configured to affect air flow through the passive pressure controller in response to an air pressure differential across the passive pressure controller, wherein the passive pressure controller has an upstream end and a downstream end, wherein the passive pressure controller includes at least one vane configured to elastically deform in response to an air pressure differential, from the upstream end of the passive pressure controller to the downstream end of the passive pressure controller, of 2-10 kPa.
7 more elements
An aircraft cabin air diffuser comprising:
- an inlet section with an open interior;
- a neck section with an open interior, downstream of the inlet section;
- an outlet section with an open interior, wherein the outlet section is downstream of the neck section;
- and
- a flow controller within the open interior of the neck section;
- wherein the neck section includes a neck upstream end downstream of the inlet section and a neck downstream end downstream of the neck upstream end;
- wherein an interior of the neck section at the neck upstream end has an upstream lateral width;
- wherein the interior of the neck section at the neck downstream end has a downstream lateral width that is larger than the upstream lateral width;
- wherein the flow controller is positioned between the inlet section and the neck upstream end;
- and wherein the flow controller is a passive pressure controller configured to affect air flow through the passive pressure controller in response to an air pressure differential across the passive pressure controller;
- and
- wherein the air diffuser is configured to generate a speech interference level of less than 50 decibels (dB) when air flows through the inlet section to the outlet section at a rate of greater than 700 g/min.
9 more elements
An aircraft comprising:
- a plurality of aircraft cabin air diffusers, wherein each of the plurality of aircraft cabin air diffusers includes:
- (i) an inlet section with an open interior;
- (ii) a neck section with an open interior, downstream of the inlet section;
- (iii) an outlet section with an open interior, wherein the outlet section is downstream of the neck section;
- and
- (iv) a flow controller within the open interior of the neck section;
- wherein the neck section includes a neck upstream end downstream of the inlet section and a neck downstream end downstream of the neck upstream end;
- wherein an interior of the neck section at the neck upstream end has an upstream lateral width;
- wherein the interior of the neck section at the neck downstream end has a downstream lateral width that is larger than the upstream lateral width;
- wherein the flow controller is positioned between the inlet section and the neck upstream end;
- and wherein the flow controller is a passive pressure controller configured to affect air flow through the passive pressure controller in response to an air pressure differential across the passive pressure controller;
- and
- wherein each of the plurality of air diffusers is configured to flow air at a rate of greater than 700 g/min with a speech interference level less than 50 dB.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.