Integrated aerodynamic flow control system with air source
AssigneeAdvanced Fluidics LLC
InventorSurya Raghu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aerodynamic flow control system includes a plurality of actuator units integrated at predetermined locations along a span of an aerodynamic surface of a vehicle to provide aerodynamic active air flow control, wherein each of the plurality of actuator units includes an electrically powered compressor to compress air; a transitional component to receive the compressed air from the compressor and provide two streams of the compressed air; and a fluidic oscillator having two inlet ports that receive the two streams of the compressed air, and an exit port that discharges a single oscillating flow of air at a predetermined velocity.
Claims20
An aerodynamic flow control system comprising:
- a plurality of actuator units integrated at predetermined locations along a span of an aerodynamic surface of a vehicle to provide aerodynamic active air flow control, wherein each of the plurality of actuator units comprises:
- an electrically powered compressor to compress air;
- a transitional component to receive the compressed air from the compressor and provide two streams of the compressed air;
- and
- a fluidic oscillator comprising two inlet ports that receive the two streams of the compressed air, and an exit port that discharges a single oscillating flow of air at a predetermined velocity,
- wherein the transitional component comprises a flexible material, and wherein the transitional component is configured to orient the single oscillating flow of air in relation to a flow of air external to an actuator unit.
An aerodynamic flow control system comprising:
- a plurality of actuator units integrated at predetermined locations along a span of an aerodynamic surface of a vehicle to provide aerodynamic active air flow control, wherein each of the plurality of actuator units comprises:
- an electrically powered compressor to compress air;
- a transitional component to receive the compressed air from the compressor and provide two streams of the compressed air;
- and
- a fluidic oscillator comprising two inlet ports that receive the two streams of the compressed air, and an exit port that discharges a single oscillating flow of air at a predetermined velocity,
- wherein the transitional component comprises a flexible material, and wherein the transitional component is configured to orient the single oscillating flow of air in relation to a flow of air external to an actuator unit;
- a sensor attached to each of the plurality of actuator units to capture air flow data related to the actuator unit;
- and
- a processor operatively connected to each sensor and each of the plurality of actuator units to compare the air flow data to a predetermined air flow threshold, and control an operation of the plurality of actuator units based on the comparison.
A method comprising:
- integrating a plurality of actuator units at predetermined locations along a span of an aerodynamic surface of a vehicle to provide aerodynamic active air flow control;
- compressing air using a separate electrically powered compressor for each actuator unit;
- transforming, by each actuator unit, the compressed air into two streams of compressed air using a transitional component;
- and
- discharging, by each actuator unit, the two streams of compressed air as a single oscillating flow of air at a predetermined velocity, wherein the single oscillating flow of air is either in-plane or perpendicular to a plane defined by fluid flow through any one of the plurality of actuator units,
- wherein the transitional component comprises a flexible material, and wherein the transitional component is configured to orient the single oscillating flow of air in relation to a flow of air external to an actuator unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.