Overload protection devices for vent valves, aircraft engines, and aircraft

Abstract

This invention discloses an overload protection device for a vent valve, an aero-engine, and an aircraft. The vent valve includes a door assembly and a drive device connected to the door assembly. The drive device can drive the door assembly to open and close. It also includes an elastic component connected to the door assembly. This elastic component always stores elastic potential energy as it moves along the opening and closing path with the door assembly. This elastic potential energy can be released when the drive device and the door assembly are disconnected, driving the door assembly to remain open or closed. When the drive device melts and disconnects from the door assembly, the elastic potential energy in the elastic component can be released, driving the door assembly to remain open or closed, ensuring the door assembly is in a stable state and guaranteeing normal engine operation. The elastic component can also counteract some vibrations through its elastic damping, further improving engine reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aero-engines, and more particularly to an overload protection device for a vent valve, an aero-engine, and an aircraft. Background Technology

[0002] The vent valve (VBV) is a regulating mechanism at the outlet of the booster stage of an aero-engine, responsible for balancing the internal pressure and flow. When the internal flow is too large, the vent valve is opened to release the internal gas. The valve is controlled by an actuator, which is linked to a connecting rod, a linkage ring, a crank, and other structures to regulate the opening and closing of the valve. The actuator is controlled by an electrical signal, and the extension and retraction of the actuator are controlled by controlling the hydraulic pressure.

[0003] When the VBV's vent valve is closed, it is usually flush with the flow channel to ensure aerodynamic performance. When open, it is further limited by structural constraints to prevent valve failure. The opening and closing limits are basically determined by the structure, which rigidly restricts the opening and closing limits of the vent valve. However, if the actuator signal is abnormal or there is abnormal jamming in the VBV linkage mechanism, a certain part of the linkage mechanism will be overloaded. When the detected VBV does not work completely according to the command, the control signal will cause the actuator to continue to apply load. The VBV is designed with a fuse structure. When the design load is exceeded, the design structure will melt and break. At this time, the vent valve is out of control, which may be a fatal disaster for internal regulation and engine operation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defect in the prior art that the vent valve is in an uncontrolled state when the actuating structure of the VBV melts, and to provide an overload protection device for the vent valve, an aero engine, and an aircraft.

[0005] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solution:

[0006] An overload protection device for a vent valve includes a door assembly for closing or opening a vent port on an inner channel wall and a drive device connected to the door assembly. The drive device is capable of driving the door assembly to move along an opening and closing path, which includes a first position with the vent port open and a second position with the vent port closed. The overload protection device for the vent valve includes an elastic component connected to the door assembly. The elastic component is always in a state of storing elastic potential energy when it moves along the opening and closing path with the door assembly. The elastic potential energy can be released when the drive device and the door assembly are disconnected, and then drive the door assembly to move to the first position or the second position.

[0007] By adopting such a structure, when the drive device melts and disconnects from the door assembly, the elastic potential energy in the elastic component can be released and drive the door assembly to move to a first position that keeps the door assembly open or a second position that keeps the door assembly closed, so that the door assembly can be in a stable state at this time, ensuring the normal operation of the engine.

[0008] In addition, the drive unit of the connecting door assembly is usually connected by a mechanical structure to ensure control accuracy, which has a certain gap. It is impossible to avoid the vibration of the door assembly caused by airflow. Since the elastic component is elastically connected to the vent valve, it can offset part of the vibration through its elastic damping, thereby protecting the joint bearing and the shaft at the connection between the door assembly and the casing, reducing the probability of failure of the drive unit or door assembly due to loose parts, and further improving the reliability of the engine.

[0009] Preferably, the elastic component has a fixed end connected to the housing and a follower end connected to the door assembly. The distance between the fixed end and the follower end is always less than the initial length of the elastic component to keep it in a compressed state, or the distance between the fixed end and the follower end is always greater than the initial length of the elastic component to keep it in a stretched state. By adopting the above arrangement, the elastic component can always be in a state of storing elastic potential energy.

[0010] Preferably, the elastic component is a spring, and the elastic potential energy is generated by the compression or stretching of the spring; alternatively, the elastic component is a damping rod having a cylinder containing compressed gas. The elastic potential energy is generated by the compression or stretching of the compressed gas within the cylinder.

[0011] Preferably, the door assembly is hinged to the inner channel wall, and the door assembly flips about the hinge end as an axis to form the opening and closing path, and the second position of closing the vent corresponds to the position where the door assembly abuts against the inner channel wall.

[0012] Preferably, the elastic component has a fixed end connected to the housing and a follower end connected to the door assembly, and the line connecting the fixed end and the follower end can always avoid the hinge end of the door assembly when the door assembly moves along the opening and closing path. This allows the elastic component to avoid dead-point positions and thus smoothly drive the door assembly to move along the opening and closing path.

[0013] Preferably, the door assembly has a soft pad on the end face that abuts against the inner channel wall. This soft pad can fill the gap between the door assembly and the inner channel wall, improve sealing, and reduce vibration.

[0014] Preferably, the connection end of the drive device to the door assembly, the follower end of the elastic component, and the hinge end are in a non-collinear state when the door assembly is in the second position.

[0015] Preferably, the first position corresponds to the position where the door assembly flips inward into the inner channel, or the first position corresponds to the position where the door assembly flips outward away from the inner channel.

[0016] The present invention also provides an aircraft engine, characterized in that it includes an overload protection device for the vent valve as described above.

[0017] The present invention also provides an aircraft including the aircraft engine as described above.

[0018] The positive and progressive effects of this invention are as follows:

[0019] When the drive unit melts and disconnects from the door assembly, the elastic potential energy in the elastic component can be released and drive the door assembly to move to a first position that keeps the door assembly open or a second position that keeps the door assembly closed, so that the door assembly can be in a stable state and ensure the normal operation of the engine.

[0020] This elastic component can counteract some of the vibration through its elastic damping, reducing the probability of drive unit or door assembly failure due to loose parts, and further improving engine reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the exhaust valve overload protection device;

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0023] The inner meaning of the Dao wall 100

[0024] Vent 110

[0025] Door assembly 120

[0026] Drive unit 130

[0027] Connector 131

[0028] Open and closed path 200

[0029] First position 210

[0030] Second position 220

[0031] Elastic component 300

[0032] Fixed end 310

[0033] Follower 320 Detailed Implementation

[0034] The present invention will be further illustrated by way of embodiments below, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiments.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown: An overload protection device for a vent valve, the vent valve includes a door assembly 120 for closing or opening a vent port 110 on an inner wall 100 and a drive device 130 connected to the door assembly 120. The drive device 130 can drive the door assembly 120 to move along an opening and closing path 200, the opening and closing path 200 including a first position 210 for opening the vent port 110 and a second position 220 for closing the vent port 110.

[0036] Specifically, one end of the door assembly 120 is hinged to the inner channel wall 100, and it can be flipped relative to the inner channel wall 100 about the hinge axis, thereby forming the opening and closing path 200. In this invention, the first position 210 corresponds to the position where the door assembly 120 is flipped outward away from the inner channel, thus putting the vent 110 in the open state, and the second position 220 corresponds to the position where the door assembly 120 abuts against the inner channel wall 100, thus closing the vent 110. Alternatively, the first position 210 can also correspond to the position where the door assembly 120 is flipped inward into the inner channel, thus putting the vent 110 in the open state.

[0037] In this invention, the driving device 130 is an actuating cylinder, one end of which is connected to the door assembly 120 to drive the door assembly 120 to open or close. Alternatively, it can be an actuating mechanism such as a linkage, which has an actuating end connected to the door assembly 120 to drive the door assembly 120 to open or close.

[0038] The overload protection device for the vent valve includes an elastic component 300 connected to the door assembly 120. The elastic component 300 is always in a state of storing elastic potential energy when it moves along the opening and closing path 200 with the door assembly 120. This elastic potential energy can be released when the drive device 130 and the door assembly 120 are disconnected, and drive the door assembly 120 to move to the first position 210 or the second position 220.

[0039] By adopting such a structure, when the drive unit 130 is fused and disconnected from the door assembly 120, the elastic component 300 can drive the door assembly 120 to move to a position that keeps the door assembly 120 open or closed, so that the door assembly 120 can be in a stable state at this time, ensuring the normal operation of the engine.

[0040] In this invention, it is preferable that when the drive device 130 melts, it causes the elastic component 300 to move the door assembly 120 to the second position 220 where the vent 110 is closed. This is because closing the vent 110 corresponds to the aircraft's high-altitude flight state, while opening the vent 110 corresponds to the aircraft's takeoff and landing state to prevent foreign objects from entering the internal flow channel. Since the aircraft spends most of its time in high-altitude flight, setting the elastic component 300 to close the door assembly 120 ensures a correct response in most situations, which is beneficial for maintaining high engine performance and high fuel economy. Of course, even if the door assembly 120 fails to respond correctly—that is, if the door assembly 120 should be open—but is closed due to the drive device 130 melting and being driven by the elastic component 300, this will only have a certain impact on the engine's fuel economy. The engine can still operate stably, and there is no substantial impact on the aircraft's flight safety.

[0041] Furthermore, the drive unit 130 connecting the door assembly 120 is typically connected by a mechanical structure to ensure control precision, which introduces a certain gap. This gap makes it impossible to avoid vibrations in the door assembly 120 caused by airflow, and vibration is one of the reasons for the failure of key connecting components such as the joint bearing of the drive unit 130 and the hinge shaft of the door assembly 120. This invention employs an elastic component 300 elastically connected to the door assembly 120, which can offset some of the vibration through elastic damping, thereby protecting the joint bearing and the hinge shaft of the door assembly 120. This reduces the probability of failure of the drive unit 130 or the door assembly 120 due to component loosening, further improving the reliability of the engine.

[0042] In this embodiment, the elastic component 300 has a fixed end 310 connecting to the housing and a follower end 320 connecting to the door assembly 120. The distance between the fixed end 310 and the follower end 320 is always less than the initial length of the elastic component 300 so that it is in a compressed state; or, the distance between the fixed end 310 and the follower end 320 is always greater than the initial length of the elastic component 300 so that it is in a stretched state. By adopting the above-described arrangement, the elastic component 300 can always be in a state of storing elastic potential energy.

[0043] Specifically, in this invention, the door assembly 120 is folded outward away from the inner channel to open the exhaust valve, and the elastic component 300 is always in a compressed state. When the drive device 130 melts, the compressed elastic component 300 extends and pushes the door assembly 120 against the inner channel wall 100, thus closing the door assembly 120. It should be noted that the elastic potential energy should be sufficient to move the door assembly 120 and maintain it in the second position 220 against the inner channel wall 100. Simultaneously, the elastic potential energy should be less than the operating force of the drive device 130 to avoid excessive resistance to the movement of the drive device 130.

[0044] In this embodiment, the elastic component 300 is a spring, and the elastic potential energy is generated by the spring being compressed or stretched. Alternatively, the elastic component 300 can also be a damping rod having a cylinder containing compressed gas. The elastic potential energy is generated by the compression or stretching of the compressed gas within the cylinder. As another alternative, the elastic component 300 can also be a torsion spring located at the hinge axis of the door assembly 120, and the elastic potential energy is the torque generated by the torsion of the torsion spring.

[0045] To prevent airflow from vibrating due to the gap between the door assembly 120 and the inner channel wall 100, in this embodiment, the door assembly 120 is provided with a soft pad on the end face that abuts against the inner channel wall 100. The soft pad can fill the gap between the door assembly 120 and the inner channel wall 100, improve the sealing performance and reduce vibration.

[0046] In this embodiment, the connection end 131 of the drive device 130 and the door assembly 120, the follower end 320 of the elastic component 300, and the hinge end of the door assembly 120 are in a non-collinear state when the door assembly 120 is in the second position 220 with the exhaust door closed. At this time, the door assembly 120 is fixed by three fulcrums: the pivot hinged to the inner channel wall 100, the connection end 131, and the follower end 320, and is in the most stable state. This results in better reliability and stability.

[0047] The present invention also provides an aero-engine, including the vent valve overload protection device as described above. This protection device can keep the vent valve in a controllable state even when the drive device 130 of the vent valve blows, and has the advantages of good safety, high reliability and long service life.

[0048] The present invention also provides an aircraft including an aircraft engine as described above.

[0049] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An overload protection device for a vent valve, the vent valve comprising a door assembly for closing or opening a vent port on an inner duct wall and a drive device connected to the door assembly, the drive device being capable of driving the door assembly to move along an opening and closing path, the opening and closing path including a first position with the vent port open and a second position with the vent port closed, characterized in that: The overload protection device for the vent valve includes an elastic component connected to the door assembly. The elastic component is always in a state of storing elastic potential energy when it moves along the opening and closing path with the door assembly. The elastic potential energy can be released when the drive device and the door assembly are disconnected, and drive the door assembly to move to a first position or a second position. The door assembly is hinged to the inner channel wall, and the door assembly flips around the hinge end as an axis to form the opening and closing path. The second position of closing the vent corresponds to the position where the door assembly abuts against the inner channel wall. The connection end of the drive device to the door assembly, the follower end of the elastic component, and the hinge end are in a non-collinear state when the door assembly is in the second position.

2. The overload protection device for the vent valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic component has a fixed end that connects to the housing and a follower end that connects to the door assembly. The distance between the fixed end and the follower end is always less than the initial length of the elastic component so that it is in a compressed state, or the distance between the fixed end and the follower end is always greater than the initial length of the elastic component so that it is in a stretched state.

3. The overload protection device for the vent valve as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The elastic component is a spring, or the elastic component is a damping rod having a cylinder containing compressed gas.

4. The overload protection device for the vent valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic component has a fixed end that connects to the housing and a follower end that connects to the door assembly. The line connecting the fixed end and the follower end can always avoid the hinge end of the door assembly when the door assembly moves along the opening and closing path.

5. The overload protection device for the vent valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The door assembly has a soft pad on the end face that abuts against the inner passage wall.

6. The overload protection device for the vent valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The first position corresponds to the position where the door assembly flips inward into the inner channel, or the first position corresponds to the position where the door assembly flips outward away from the inner channel.

7. An aircraft engine, characterized in that: Includes the overload protection device for the vent valve as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. An aircraft, characterized in that: Including the aircraft engine as described in claim 7.

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