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US 11,260,974 B2Granted
Aircraft aerosol dispensing method, apparatus, and system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorNathan D. Hiller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method, system and apparatus are provided for generating and dispersing plumes of reflective aerosols. Methods include: supplying fuel to an engine of an aircraft for combustion; supplying an additive to the fuel, where the additive includes at least one of a reflective aerosol or a precursor thereof; combusting the fuel and the additive to the fuel in the engine; and generating, in the exhaust from the engine, a plume of reflective aerosol, where the reflective aerosol reflects sunlight.
Claims20
A system for communicating a message from an aircraft comprising:
- a plurality of valves;
- at least one tank in fluid communication with each of the plurality of valves, wherein contents of the tank comprise at least one of a reflective aerosol or a precursor of a reflective aerosol;
- a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle is associated with a corresponding valve, and wherein the plurality of nozzles are distributed along a span of a wing of the aircraft;
- a controller configured to control each of the plurality of valves wherein the controller is configured to actuate the plurality of valves to generate, from the contents of the tank received at each nozzle, a plume of reflective aerosol to be suspended in air to form a plurality of plumes of reflective aerosol;
- and
- a light source configured to project indicia on the plurality of plumes of reflective aerosol.
3 more elements
A system comprising:
- a plurality of valves within an aircraft;
- at least one tank in fluid communication with the plurality of valves and containing at least one of a reflective aerosol or a precursor of a reflective aerosol;
- a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle is associated with a corresponding valve, and wherein the plurality of nozzles are distributed along a span of a wing of the aircraft;
- and
- a controller configured to control each of the plurality of valves, wherein the controller is configured to actuate the plurality of valves to generate, from the at least one of the reflective aerosol or the precursor of the reflective aerosol received at each nozzle, a cloud burst or plume to be suspended in air for formation of a plurality of cloud bursts or plumes of reflective aerosol that reflects sunlight.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- supplying fuel to an engine of an aircraft for combustion in the engine of the aircraft;
- supplying an additive to the fuel, wherein the additive comprises at least one of a reflective aerosol or a precursor of a reflective aerosol;
- combusting the fuel and the additive to the fuel in the engine;
- and
- generating, in exhaust from the engine, a plume of reflective aerosol, wherein the reflective aerosol reflects sunlight.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.