The Boeing Company

Yoram Yadlin

Arvin Shmilovich

Roger W Clark

David Michael Smith

Robert D Gregg, Iii

Donald H Leopold

Paul M Vijgen

David J Manley

David M Smith

Paul Vijgen

Robert D Iii Gregg

A method, apparatus, and system for managing airflow comprising flow control actuators in an aircraft. The flow control actuators comprise channels having inlets and outlets, wherein the channels are located under a surface of the aircraft and the outlets are in communication with the surface of the aircraft. Pressurized air applied to the inlets causes steady air jets to be emitted at the outlets in which the steady air jets add a momentum to airflow over the surface on the aircraft.

High efficiency aircraft flow control actuators

Methods and apparatus for reducing flow distortion at engine fans of nacelles are disclosed. An example apparatus for reducing flow distortion at an engine fan of a nacelle includes a plurality of nozzles radially spaced about an inner wall of the nacelle. In some examples, respective ones of the nozzles are positioned to eject corresponding respective jets of fluid adjacent the inner wall in a downstream direction toward the engine fan. The example apparatus further includes a controller to selectively activate the respective ones of the nozzles according to a time-based sequence. In some examples, the time-based sequence corresponds to a directional sequence that moves in an arcuate direction along a circumference of the inner wall.

Methods and apparatus for reducing flow distortion at engine fans of nacelles

Example active flow control systems and methods for aircraft are described herein. An example active flow control system includes a plurality of nozzles arranged in an array across a surface of an aircraft. The nozzles are oriented to eject air across the surface to reduce airflow separation. The active flow control system also includes an air source coupled to the nozzles and a controller to activate the nozzles to eject air from the air source in sequence from outboard to inboard and then from inboard to outboard to create a wave of air moving from outboard to inboard and then from inboard to outboard across the surface.

Active flow control systems and methods for aircraft

Example active flow control systems and methods for aircraft are described herein. An example method includes supplying pressurized air to a plurality of nozzles. The nozzles arranged in an array across a control surface of an aircraft, and the nozzles are oriented to eject the pressurized air in a substantially streamwise direction. The method further includes activating the nozzles to eject the pressurized air in sequence to create a wave of air moving in a spanwise direction across the control surface.

An aircraft, an aircraft wing structure and a method are provided in order to address lift and drag, such as by increasing lift and reducing drag. In the context of an aircraft wing structure, the aircraft wing structure includes a wing extending outboard from a fuselage of an aircraft. The wing also extends from a leading edge to a trailing edge. The aircraft wing structure also includes one or more actuators carried by the wing and causing fluid to be directed through one or more respective orifices defined by the wing so as to alter flow over a lower surface of the wing. The one or more orifices that are defined by the wing are closer to the leading edge than to the trailing edge. Thus, the fluid introduced through the one or more orifices may increase lift and reduce drag of the associated aircraft.

Aircraft wing structure and associated method for addressing lift and drag

A drag reduction system for an aircraft may include an air ejector having an ejection port located between an aft portion of an airfoil main element and a forward portion of a trailing edge device. The air ejector may be configured to discharge an air jet from the ejection port in such a manner that the air jet passes over the upper surface of the trailing edge device.

System and method for enhancing the high-lift performance of an aircraft

Apparatus and methods for robust lift generation through flow separation suppression are disclosed. One example apparatus includes a cowling extending from a surface of a fluid dynamic body to provide an exhaust stream directed over the fluid dynamic body. The example apparatus also includes a fluid ejection slot proximate or on the fluid dynamic body, where the fluid ejection slot is to direct a compressed fluid along a surface of the fluid dynamic body. The example apparatus also includes rotatable vanes having blunt leading edges, where the vanes are proximate the fluid ejection slot to direct the compressed fluid to affect attachment of the exhaust stream to the fluid dynamic body to enhance lift.

Methods and apparatus for robust lift generation

A system and method for robust lift generation through flow separation suppression are presented. A fluid flow is ejected over a lifting surface from a fluid ejection orifice, and a flow direction of the fluid flow over the lifting surface is directed using a plurality of vanes configured in the fluid ejection orifice. The flow direction is rotated in a span-wise direction over the lifting surface by swiveling the vanes.

Method and apparatus for robust lift generation

Concepts and technologies described herein provide for a low noise aircraft wing slat system. According to one aspect of the disclosure, a wing slat is used in conjunction with upper and lower bridging elements to minimize airframe noise associated with a high lift system during takeoff and landing flight operations. An upper bridging element deploys from a slat or an aircraft wing during deployment of the slat for takeoff operations and creates a continuous aerodynamic surface between the slat and an upper surface of the wing leading edge to improve the airflow and reduce drag. A lower bridging element deploys from the wing during cruise flight to bridge a gap between a lower surface of a stowed leading edge slat and a lower surface of the wing. During landing operations, both upper and lower bridging elements remain stowed to optimize ambient airflow for noise abatement and lift creation.

Low noise wing slat system with a fixed wing leading edge and deployable bridging panels

An apparatus for supplying a gas flow over an aerodynamic structure is provided. The apparatus includes a fluid source for supplying the gas flow and a flow control actuator configured to receive the gas flow from the fluid source. The flow control actuator is also configured to selectively direct the gas flow over the aerodynamic structure when the flow control actuator is in at least one predetermined operating position and to restrict the gas flow over the aerodynamic structure when the flow control actuator is in another of the predetermined operating positions.

Method and apparatus for supplying a gas jet over an aerodynamic structure

Concepts and technologies described herein provide for a low noise aircraft wing slat system. According to one aspect of the disclosure provided herein, a cove-filled wing slat is used in conjunction with a moveable panel rotatably attached to the wing slat to provide a high lift system. The moveable panel rotates upward against the rear surface of the slat during deployment of the slat, and rotates downward to bridge a gap width between the stowed slat and the lower wing surface, completing the continuous outer mold line shape of the wing, when the cove-filled slat is retracted to the stowed position.

Low noise wing slat system with rigid cove-filled slat

Active systems and methods for controlling aircraft vortices are disclosed. An apparatus in accordance with one embodiment is directed to an aircraft system that includes an airfoil having first and second oppositely facing flow surfaces and a tip. The system can further include a vortex dissipation device carried by the airfoil, with the vortex dissipation device including an orifice positioned to direct a flow of fluid outwardly from the tip, an actuator operatively coupled to the fluid flow orifice and positioned to change a manner in which flow is directed outwardly from the tip, and a controller operatively coupled to the actuator to direct the operation of the actuator. The vortex dissipation device can be activated to accelerate the rate at which vortices (e.g., wing tip vortices) dissipate after they are generated, for example, by alternately pulsing flow inwardly and outwardly through the fluid flow orifice.

Active systems and methods for controlling an airfoil vortex

An apparatus comprises a platform configured to move in a streamwise direction, an actuation unit associated with a control surface of the platform, a fluid source configured to supply an airflow to the actuation unit, and a control unit for moving an air jet across the control surface. The actuation unit is configured to form a traversing air jet pointing in the streamwise direction.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Yoram Yadlin