Flow deflector for fluid inlet

A flow detector for redirecting a stream of fluid flowing generally parallel to and along an exterior surface of a body into a fluid inlet located on said body at said exterior surface, comprising:

• a wing-airfoil structure having upper and lower, generally parallel surfaces and a planform that commences at a generally pointed forward end and diverges symmetrically rearwardly along laterally opposed leading edges that terminate at a spanwise oriented trailing edge, said wing-airfoil structure supportively mounted at said inlet in outwardly spaced relation to said exterior surface of said body and pitched at a predetermined angle of attack with respect to the stream of fluid so as to interact with the stream to produce counterrotating flow vortices trailing said structure which coact to cause a downwash of the fluid into said inlet at a location rearwardly of a trailing edge of said structure;
• and
• a trailing edge flap affixed to said trailing edge of said structure, said flap projecting rearwardly and downwardly from said structure toward said inlet so as to augment the downwash of flow into said inlet, wherein the spanwise dimension of said flap is selected to be less than the corresponding dimension of said trailing edge of said structure and wherein said flap is centered along said trailing edge of said structure so that said trailing edge of said structure protrudes laterally outwardly by equal amounts beyond the laterally opposed edges of said flap;
• wherein said spanwise dimension of said flap is selected such that the laterally opposed edges thereof are generally in fore-aft alignment with the mid-points of the rearwardly divergent laterally opposed leading edges of said structure.

In an air or water craft in which the body of the craft has a fluid inlet for ingesting some of the fluid through which the craft passes, said inlet being flush with respect to an exterior surface of the body of the craft, said craft being equipped with a door mounted for movement between a closed position flush with the exterior surface of said body and an open position recessed inwardly from the exterior surface of said body to place said inlet in fluid communication with an inlet duct located interiorally of the craft body, the improvement in combination therewith comprising:

• a deflector having a wing-airfoil structure and a supporting pedestal;
• said pedestal being disposed on said body so as to project outwardly through said inlet to support said airfoil structure outwardly from said inlet;
• means for mounting said pedestal on said body for movement of said pedestal and said airfoil structure relative to said body to dispose said structure at a desired angle of attack with respect to a stream of fluid flowing relative to said body;
• and
• said door having an opening therein through which said pedestal projects between said means for mounting said pedestal to said body and said airfoil structure;
• and
• means for moving said door between its opened and closed positions and means for moving said pedestal to position said airfoil structure at said desired angle of attack.