Bellows synthetic jet
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsSteven Griffin, Edward A. Whalen, Shawn Haar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for generating a synthetic jet is described. The device can include a flap, an actuator coupled to the flap and a chamber including an aperture. The flap forms a portion of the chamber. The flap is configured to oscillate in a flapping motion such that fluid is alternately drawn into the chamber via the aperture and expelled from the chamber via the aperture to form the synthetic jet. In some embodiments, multiple flaps can be used on a device to generate the synthetic jet.
Claims20
A device for generating a synthetic jet comprising,
- a flap wherein the flap is hinged on one end to allow the flap to rotate about a hinge as part of a flapping motion;
- an actuator coupled to flap configured to cause the flapping motion;
- a chamber including an aperture wherein a portion of the chamber is formed from the flap wherein the flap is configured such that the flapping motion alternatively causes a fluid to be drawn into the chamber via the aperture and expelled from the chamber via the aperture such that the synthetic jet is emitted from the aperture.
A device for generating a synthetic jet comprising:
- a first flap wherein the first flap is hinged on one end to allow the flap to rotate about a first hinge as part of a first flapping motion;
- a first actuator coupled to the first flap configured to cause the first flapping motion;
- a second flap wherein the second flap is hinged one end to allow the second flap to rotate about a second hinge as part of a second flapping motion;
- a second actuator coupled to the second flap configured to cause the second flapping motion;
- a chamber including an aperture where a first portion of the chamber is formed from the first flap and a second portion of the chamber is formed from the second flap wherein, when driven at a sufficient rate, the first flapping motion and the second flapping motion cause a synthetic jet to be emitted from the aperture.
A method of generating a synthetic jet comprising:
- forming a chamber including an aperture wherein a portion of the chamber is formed from a first hinged flap;
- coupling the first hinged flap to a first actuator;
- and
- driving the first hinged flap using the actuator such the first hinged flap moves with a flapping motion alternatively causing a fluid to be drawn into the chamber via the aperture and expelled from the chamber via the aperture such that the synthetic jet is emitted from the aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.