Avionic exhaust air for cooling engine bay
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsGiuseppe S. Alberti, Adriano Cirioli, Sean Thomas Barrows, Nolan John Birtwell, Michael Alexander, Nicholas Scott Coury
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft includes an airframe defining a first enclosed space, an engine bay disposed within the first enclosed space, and a cooling system. The engine bay includes a firebox defining a second enclosed space and an engine disposed at least partially within the second enclosed space. The cooling system is configured to selectively fluidly couple the first enclosed space with the second enclosed space.
Claims20
An aircraft, comprising:
- an airframe defining a first enclosed space;
- an engine bay disposed within the first enclosed space, the engine bay comprising:
- a firebox defining a second enclosed space;
- and
- an engine disposed at least partially within the second enclosed space;
- and
- a cooling system configured to selectively fluidly couple the first enclosed space with the second enclosed space, wherein the cooling system comprises:
- a valve repositionable between an open position and a closed position;
- a valve actuator coupled to the valve;
- a user interface;
- and
- a fire suppression controller communicably coupled to the valve actuator and the user interface, the fire suppression controller configured to:
- receive an arm command from the user interface;
- transmit a control signal to the valve actuator to move the valve from the open position to the closed position in response to receiving the arm command;
- and
- transmit a notification to the user interface that indicates a position of the valve.
An engine cooling system for an aircraft, comprising:
- a fire resistant bulkhead having a forward wall and a lower wall coupled to the forward wall and angled with respect to the forward wall, the forward wall and the lower wall together defining an at least partially enclosed space sized to receive an engine therein;
- a fluid conduit coupled at a proximal end of the fluid conduit to one of the forward wall or the lower wall and extending away from the at least partially enclosed space to a distal end of the fluid conduit;
- a valve coupled to the proximal end of the fluid conduit proximate the fire resistant bulkhead and configured to control a flow of air through the fluid conduit;
- and
- an air driver coupled to the distal end of the fluid conduit opposite the proximal end.
An engine cooling system for an aircraft, comprising:
- a fireproof valve repositionable between an open position and a closed position;
- a valve actuator coupled to the fireproof valve;
- a user interface;
- and
- a fire suppression controller communicably coupled to the valve actuator and the user interface, the fire suppression controller configured to:
- receive an arm command from the user interface;
- transmit a first signal to the valve actuator to move the fireproof valve from the open position to the closed position in response to receiving the arm command;
- and
- transmit a second signal to the user interface that indicates a position of the fireproof valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.