Shaping a Fluid Cavity of a Flow Control Actuator for Creation of Desired Waveform Characteristics
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorEdward A. Whalen
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods provide for a flow control actuator having a fluid cavity that is shaped to create periodic waveforms within the resulting resonant actuating flow with predetermined characteristics for actuating a high-speed fluid flow. According to various embodiments, a flow control actuator includes a power source for exciting the actuator fluid at a resonant frequency and a cavity shaped according to resonant macrosonic synthesis principles to maximize the exit velocity of the actuating flow at an orifice of the actuator.
Claims20
A flow control actuator for augmenting an external fluid flow, the actuator comprising:
- a power source operative to excite fluid within the actuator to create an actuating flow;
- a cavity configured to contain the fluid within the actuator and shaped to create a predetermined waveform in the actuating flow when excited by the power source to a resonant frequency;
- and
- an orifice positioned at an end of the actuator between the external fluid flow and the cavity such that the actuating flow comprising the predetermined waveform issues from the orifice to the external fluid flow at the resonant frequency when excited by the power source.
A method of augmenting a fluid flow with a flow control actuator, the method comprising:
- exciting an actuator fluid within the flow control actuator to a resonant frequency to create an actuating flow using a power source and an actuator cavity shaped to produce a predetermined waveform in the actuating flow when the actuator fluid is excited by the power source to the resonant frequency;
- and
- exposing the actuating flow to the fluid flow to alter the fluid flow.
A method for controlling a fluid flow with a flow control actuator, the method comprising:
- shaping a cavity of the flow control actuator according to characteristics of an actuator fluid and a desired waveform utilizing resonant macrosonic synthesis principles such that exciting the actuator fluid within the cavity to a resonant frequency with a power source will create the desired waveform in an actuating flow of the actuator fluid;
- configuring the power source to excite the actuator fluid within the cavity;
- and
- providing an orifice at one end of the cavity in contact with the fluid flow to be controlled such that the actuating flow issues from the cavity to interact with the fluid flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.