US 5,109,672 A · Method and apparatus for cooling and replenishing aircraft hydraulic actuators

Abstract

A system for cooling individual integrated actuator packages (IAPs) positioned throughout the aircraft in a power-by-wire actuation system is disclosed. A low-pressure hydraulic fluid circulates throughout the aircraft to control the temperature of the individual IAPs and to maintain and replenish the hydraulic fluid within the individual IAPs. A thermo-control loop containing low-pressure hydraulic fluid includes a pump, low-pressure hydraulic lines, a heat exchanger, a reservoir and a filter. The entire system provides heat transfer for a high- or low-temperature environment, as may be present on an aircraft. The individual IAPs may be coupled together in series or, alternatively, in parallel, depending upon the design constraints of the system. Compared with distributed hydraulic systems, energy consumption, weight, and cost are significantly reduced by using a low hydraulic pressure for the circulating fluid. Survivability is significantly increased over that provided by a distributed hydraulic system.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A hydraulic control system for an aircraft, comprising:

a plurality of actuator assemblies within said aircraft, each actuator assembly including a hydraulic actuator, a high pressure pump means for providing hydraulic fluid under high pressure to said actuator, and a motor means for driving said pump, each of said actuator assemblies being located generally adjacent an aircraft control effector to be controlled by said actuator assembly;
an electrical power cable coupled to each of said actuator assemblies;
a low-pressure pumping means for forcibly circulating low-pressure hydraulic fluid from said pump to said actuator assemblies under low pressure;
and
a fluid transmission means extending in series between each of said actuator assemblies and said pumping means for providing a series flow of said low-pressure hydraulic fluid to each of said actuator assemblies from one actuator assembly to another actuator assembly.

2 more elements

A hydraulic control system for aircraft, comprising:

a plurality of actuator assemblies within said aircraft, each actuator assembly including a hydraulic actuator, a high-pressure pump means for providing hydraulic fluid under pressure to said actuator, and a motor means for driving said pump, each of said actuator assemblies being located generally adjacent an aircraft control effector to be controlled by said actuator assembly;
a fluid-tight housing enclosing at least a portion of said actuator assembly, said fluid-tight having an inlet and an outlet, said housing being filled with low pressure hydraulic fluid which surrounds said portion of said actuator assemble to maintain the temperature of said actuator assembly within a selected range;
a fluid compensator coupled to the outlet of said housing for controlling the fluid flow out of said housing;
an electrical power cable coupled to each of said actuator assemblies;
a low-pressure pumping means for forcibly circulating low-pressure hydraulic fluid from said pressure pumping means to said actuator assembly portions within said under low pressure;
and
a fluid transmission means coupled from said low pressure pumping means to said inlet of said housing and from said outlet of said housing to a return line for providing said low pressure hydraulic fluid to each of said housings and the portion of said actuator assembly within said housings.

4 more elements

A hydraulic control system for an aircraft, comprising:

a plurality of actuator assemblies within said aircraft, each actuator assembly including a hydraulic actuator, a high-pressure pump means for providing hydraulic fluid under pressure to said actuator, and a motor means for driving said pump, each of said actuator assemblies being located generally adjacent an aircraft control effector to be controlled by said actuator assembly;
an electrical power cable coupled to each of said actuator assemblies;
a low-pressure pumping means for forcibly circulating low-pressure hydraulic fluid from said pump to said actuator assemblies under low pressure;
a temperature sensor means within said actuator assembly for sensing the temperature of said high-pressure hydraulic fluid within said actuator assembly;
a fluid transmission means extending between each of said actuator assemblies and said pumping means for providing low-pressure hydraulic fluid to each of said actuator assemblies;
and
a flow control means coupled between each of said actuator assemblies;
and said pumping means for varying the flow volume of said pressure hydraulic fluid to each respective actuator assembly based on said temperature to maintain said temperature within a selected range.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for cooling and replenishing aircraft hydraulic actuators

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for cooling and replenishing aircraft hydraulic actuators

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20