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US 10,093,412 B2Granted
Pneumatic taxi system
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsDonald Jeffrey Christensen, Steve Able, Daniel C. Birchak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pneumatic taxi system of an aircraft with a rotary non-turbine air motor for driving a wheel, of an aircraft landing gear, with compressed air.
Claims8
A pneumatic taxi system of an aircraft, comprising:
- a bleed air duct that runs from an auxiliary power unit to a starter of an aircraft engine, and to a wheel actuator of a landing gear,
- the wheel actuator including;
- a rotary non-turbine air motor for driving at least one wheel of the aircraft landing gear, with a compressed air supply, wherein the air motor includes a main rotor and a supplementary rotor, the air motor configured to be disposed to a side of the at least one wheel, within a region defined by a circumference of the at least one wheel, when the landing gear is extended and in contact with a taxiing surface;
- a first valve disposed between the bleed air duct and the air motor to start and stop the compressed air supply to the air motor;
- wherein
- the main rotor is configured to drive the wheel.
3 more elements
A pneumatic taxi system, comprising:
- a rotary non-turbine air motor for driving at least one wheel of an aircraft landing gear, with compressed air, wherein the air motor includes a rotor driven by direct coupling to a belt-wheel mechanism, and the air motor includes a supplementary rotor, the air motor is configured to be disposed between a side surface of the at least one wheel and a side surface of an adjacent wheel of the landing gear, the side surfaces being perpendicular to wheel surfaces that contact a taxiing surface;
- a directional control valve for changing the direction of rotation of the air motor and thus the direction of taxiing of the aircraft;
- a second valve configured to start and/or stop air flow to the air motor;
- and
- a brake to slow or stop taxiing of the aircraft.
2 more elements
A method of taxiing an aircraft having an auxiliary power unit, comprising:
- providing compressed air from the auxiliary power unit via a bleed air duct to an engine starter and to a non-turbine air motor;
- providing the air motor at a wheel of the aircraft wherein the air motor includes a main rotor and a supplementary rotor, wherein the supplementary rotor is configured to operate only during a suction phase and a compression phase, the air motor being configured to be disposed to a side of the wheel, within a region defined by a circumference of the wheel, when the aircraft is taxiing;
- starting and stopping a supply of compressed air from the bleed air duct to the air motor by operation of a first valve;
- driving the wheel with the main rotor via a direct coupling;
- and
- controlling an amount and direction of rotation of the air motor by operation of a second valve.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.