Strut shrink using accumulator as energy source
AssigneeGoodrich Corporation
InventorsWilliam E. Luce, Adam J. Ditzler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for enabling aircraft shock strut shrink are provided. The system may comprise a shock strut comprising a shrink piston, an accumulator comprising a gas piston and a hydraulic chamber, wherein the gas piston is configured to apply gas pressure to the hydraulic chamber, and a first valve in fluid communication with the accumulator. The system may further comprise a second valve, wherein the second valve is in fluid communication with a vent, the pneumatic cylinder, and the gas piston, wherein the first valve is in fluid communication with the hydraulic chamber and the shrink piston.
Claims20
A system for enabling shock strut shrink, comprising:
- a shock strut comprising a shrink piston;
- an accumulator comprising a gas piston, a pneumatic cylinder, and a hydraulic chamber in fluid communication with the shrink piston, wherein the gas piston is configured to apply gas pressure to the hydraulic chamber;
- and
- a first valve in fluid communication with the accumulator.
A method for shrinking a shock strut, comprising:
- pressurizing an accumulator comprising a pneumatic cylinder, a gas piston, and a hydraulic chamber in fluid communication with a shock strut;
- transitioning the shock strut from an unshrunk state to a shrunk state in response to the pressurizing the accumulator;
- depressurizing the accumulator;
- and
- transitioning the shock strut from the shrunk state to the unshrunk state in response to the depressurizing the accumulator.
An article of manufacture including a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- receiving, by the processor, a first command signal and receiving, by the processor, a first landing gear parameter from a sensor in electronic communication with the processor wherein the first landing gear parameter comprises measured characteristics of a landing gear comprising a shock strut comprising a shrink piston;
- controlling, by the processor, a pneumatic pump in fluid communication with an accumulator comprising a pneumatic cylinder, a gas piston, and a hydraulic chamber, in response to the first command signal and the first landing gear parameter;
- and
- controlling, by the processor, a first valve in fluid communication with the hydraulic chamber and a shrink port of the shrink piston, wherein the gas piston is configured to apply gas pressure to the hydraulic chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.