The Boeing Company

Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation

Johnston Pump/general Valve, Inc.

Aerojet-general Corporation

Mcdonnell Douglas Corporatin

Kenneth R Williams

Warren Andrew Atkey

Charles J Fiterman

Mark Randall McClaran

Steven Michael Loukusa

Julie Fatemeh Asfia

Casey Ng

John B Allen

Peter D Giacobbi

An energy recovery and storage apparatus especially well adapted for use with flight control surfaces on airborne mobile platforms, such as aircraft. In one form the apparatus includes a ram-like element coupled to a portion of a flight control surface. An accumulator holds a flexible container having a compressible medium contained within the flexible container. The accumulator is in fluid communication with a housing of the ram-like element. When the flight control surface is moved from a deployed to a retracted position, the energy acting on the surface is recovered and stored in the compressible medium as the ram-like element forces fluid from its housing into the accumulator. When the flight control surface is to be deployed again in a subsequent cycle, the stored energy in the compressible medium is used to urge the ram-like element into an extended position, thus assisting in deploying the flight control surface. The various preferred embodiments all enable lower power, smaller and less expensive actuators to be used to control a flight control surface.

Energy recovery apparatus and method

An all electric air conditioning system for an aircraft, wherein the aircraft defines an interior volume having conditioned air at a first pressure. A compressor is provided and is operable to compress supply air to a second pressure. The compressor being operated in response to an electrical drive motor. A passage fluidly couples the compressor and the interior volume of the aircraft. A heat dissipating device, such as a heat exchanger, is positioned in the passage to extract heat energy from the supply air. This arrangement permits conditioning of air within the aircraft without using bleed air from the engines. The use of bleed air results in a significant amount of fuel burn. An optional conditioned air recovery system may be coupled to the interior volume of the fuselage to direct at least a portion of the conditioned air from the interior volume back for further conditioning and use.

Electric air conditioning system for an aircraft

An integrated air conditioning and power unit is provided for use with an aircraft. The system includes an air turbine 42 having air passages connected to an engine 10 of the aircraft for receiving bleed air and/or ram air for driving the air turbine 42. A motor/generator 104 is drivingly connected to the air turbine 42. The motor/generator 104 is capable of drawing electricity from an aircraft primary power system for driving the motor or generating electricity which is delivered to the primary power system 108. An air compressor 54 is drivingly connected to the motor/generator 104 and is provided with an air passage which receives bleed air 32 and/or ram air 30 from the aircraft engine 10. A cooling system 71 is provided including a system compressor 81 drivingly connected to the motor/generator 104. A cooling system evaporator 70 and a condenser 92 are connected to the system compressor by fluid passages. The air compressor 54 includes an air outlet for providing pressurized air which is cooled by the cooling system.

Integrated air conditioning and power unit

The present invention provides a multi-mode secondary power unit comprising a first starter/generator unit operably coupled to a shaft. The first starter/generator motor is operable in a motor mode for causing rotational movement of the shaft and is operable in a generator mode for generating electric power from rotational movement of the shaft. A thermal engine is operably coupled to the shaft and is operable in a fuel burning mode for causing rotational movement of said shaft and is operable in a non fuel burning mode for receiving rotational movement from the shaft. A load compressor is operably coupled to the shaft for pressurizing air to a predetermined level.

Multi-mode secondary power unit

A digital computer controlled air-cycle air conditioning machine for aircraft contains an electrically powered compressor that turns independently of expansion turbine rotation. An electrical generator coupled to the expansion turbine creates additional electrical power during the air expansion portion of the refrigeration cycle. Under control of the computer, that additional electrical power is returned to the electrical supply for re-use with the compressor. The compressor and turbine are manufactured as a unitary assembly. The generator's field windings rotate with the turbine and the generator's armature rotates with the compressor shaft. Voltages generated in the generator's field winding are thereby dependent on the differential speed between turbine and compressor.

Electrically powered differential air-cycle air conditioning machine

A flow control apparatus for use primarily in plug-type and ball-type valves provides means for continuously varying the flow rate of fluid through the valve while using the same operator that is used to control the open and closed position of the valve. The upper trunnion is integrally connected to a butterfly member and connected to the plug by a mechanical linkage comprising a latch rod and a roller latch with corresponding detents in the valve body and upper trunnion, respectively. The butterfly member controls the fluid flow with the plug in the open position in response to 90 degrees of overtravel in the same operator that controls the position of the plug.

Tight shut-off valve with flow control element

A toggle gate valve having a double block and bleed retractable sealing configuration which utilizes accurately positioned steel inserts as trim assembly guide plates to permit a significant reduction in valve body machining. The valve body as well as removable upper and lower bonnets form a pressure boundary that houses a toggle link actuated seal plate to close the valve and a through-conduit that is coaxially aligned with the input and output ports when the valve is opened. A novel stem configuration and removable through-conduit permit field servicing of the trim assembly (plug and seal plate) by means of access through the lower bonnet/body interface.

Toggle gate valve

A lever operator for use primarily with valves of the plug type in which a tapered plug is raised to unseat associated slips and then rotated to a valve open position during opening of the valve and is rotated to a valve close position and lowered to seat the associated slips for closing the valve. The lever operator comprises an elongated lever arm having an eccentric cam at one end thereof connected to the trunnion of the valve to which the invention is assembled and also comprises a unique dual slot gate mechanism which houses the lever arm and restricts the motion of the arm to the requisite vertical and rotational movement which must be carried out in the appropriate sequence to properly operate the tapered plug mechanism of the valve.

Growing community of inventors

Huntington Beach, CA, United States of America

Kenneth R Williams