Air inlet barrier filter for a helicopter
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorsMichel Labrecque, Kevin Nguyen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A helicopter has an air inlet barrier filter (IBF) system including a guide rail extending axially along one side of a nacelle housing a helicopter engine. A filter panel is slidable along the guide rail for movement between a filtered position in which the filter panel covers an air inlet of the nacelle and an unfiltered position in which the filter panel uncovers a total surface area of the air inlet to provide for a fully unobstructed air flow to the engine.
Claims18
A helicopter comprising:
- a nacelle having an air inlet;
- a turboshaft engine mounted inside the nacelle, the turboshaft engine having a compressor mounted for rotation about an axis, and an air inlet duct in fluid communication with the air inlet of the nacelle for directing ambient air to the compressor;
- and
- an air inlet barrier filter system including:
- a guide rail mounted to the nacelle and extending axially along one side of the nacelle;
- a first filter panel mounted for axial translation along the guide rail, the first filter panel moveable between a first axial position in which the first filter panel covers the air inlet and a second axial position in which the first filter panel uncovers a total surface area of the air inlet;
- and
- an actuator operatively connected to the first filter panel for axially moving the first filter panel between the first axial position and the second axial position,
- wherein the air inlet barrier filter system further comprises a carrier mounted to the first filter panel, the carrier in riding engagement with the guide rail;
- and
- wherein the guide rail defines a roller channel, and wherein the carrier includes track rollers movable inside the roller channel.
An air inlet barrier filter system for protecting an engine of a helicopter from airborne contaminants, the air inlet barrier filter system comprising:
- an air inlet defined in a side-facing wall of a nacelle of the helicopter, the nacelle housing the engine;
- a first barrier filter panel including a frame and a filter material removably mounted to the frame;
- track rollers mounted to the frame;
- a guide rail mounted to the nacelle, the guide rail defining a first track channel along a fore-aft direction of the helicopter, the track rollers in riding engagement with the first track channel to allow for linear movement of the first barrier filter panel along the guide rail between a first position in which the first barrier filter panel covers the air inlet of the nacelle and a second position in which the first barrier filter panel lies outside of an outer boundary of the air inlet;
- and
- an actuator configured for translating the first barrier filter panel along the guide rail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.