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US 8,783,624 B2Granted
Laminar flow panel
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsHenry J. Koppelman, Paul S. Gregg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aerodynamic body operable to both promote laminar flow and satisfy structural requirements is disclosed. A perforated panel skin comprises an inner surface and an outer surface of the aerodynamic body. At least one hollow member is coupled to the inner surface and is operable to suction air from the outer surface and through the perforated panel skin. The at least one hollow member is oriented in a substantially chord-wise direction relative to an airflow over the aerodynamic body.
Claims20
An aerodynamic body, comprising:
- a perforated panel skin of the aerodynamic body, the perforated panel skin comprising an inner surface and an outer surface;
- and
- at least one hollow member coupled to the inner surface and operable to stiffen the perforated panel skin and passively suction air from the outer surface and through the perforated panel skin to provide suctioned air and direct the suctioned air to a passive aft-facing vent directly vented to an interior of the aerodynamic body, the at least one hollow member comprising a corrugated wave shape with ridges thereof detached from the perforated panel skin and the passive aft-facing vent at one end and oriented in a substantially chord-wise direction relative to an airflow over the aerodynamic body, the passive aft-facing vent directly vented to the interior of the aerodynamic body outside the at least one hollow member.
A method for providing laminar flow over an aerodynamic body, the method comprising:
- stiffening an inner surface of a perforated panel skin of the aerodynamic body with at least one hollow member coupled to the inner surface, the at least one hollow member comprising a corrugated wave shape with ridges thereof detached from the perforated panel skin and a passive aft-facing vent at one end, the inner surface comprising an upper inner surface and a lower inner surface;
- orienting the at least one hollow member in a substantially chord-wise direction relative to an airflow over the aerodynamic body;
- passively suctioning the airflow entering the perforated panel skin through an outer surface of the perforated panel skin to the passive aft-facing vent directly vented to an interior of the aerodynamic body, the interior of the aerodynamic body surrounded and shared by the upper inner surface and the lower inner surface of the aerodynamic body, and the airflow exits from the one end directly to the interior of the aerodynamic body;
- and
- drawing the airflow through the at least one hollow member and out of the passive aft-facing vent.
2 more elements
A method for forming a corrugation-stiffened structure for a leading edge of an aerodynamic body:
- orienting a first piece of at least one hollow member in a substantially chord-wise direction relative to an airflow over the leading edge, the first piece comprising a corrugated wave shape;
- bonding the first piece at nodes of the first piece to a first inner surface of a perforated panel skin with ridges of the first piece detached from the perforated panel;
- stiffening the first inner surface with the first piece;
- orienting a second piece of the at least one hollow member in the substantially chord-wise direction relative to the airflow over the leading edge, the first piece comprising a corrugated wave shape;
- bonding the second piece at nodes of the second piece to a second inner surface of the perforated panel skin with ridges of the second piece detached from the perforated panel skin;
- stiffening the second inner surface with the second piece;
- coupling the first piece to the second piece via a corrugated strap, the corrugated strap detached from an area of the inner surface near a tip of the leading edge, thereby providing no attachment to the perforated panel skin of the leading edge;
- and
- configuring a first passive aft-facing vent directly vented to an interior of the aerodynamic body at one end of the first piece and a second passive aft-facing vent directly vented to the interior of the aerodynamic body at one end of the second piece to passively suctioning air from an outer surface of the perforated panel skin through the perforated panel skin to the interior of the aerodynamic body such that the air flows along the first piece and the second piece respectively and out of the first passive aft-facing vent and the second passive aft-facing vent respectively.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.