Single-pipeline two-way transmission closed water counterweight system

Abstract

A single-pipeline two-way transmission closed water counterweight system comprises a front water tank unit which is arranged in the front section part of an aircraft cabin and comprises a plurality of front water tanks for storing a liquid counterweight medium; a rear tank unit disposed in a rear section portion of the aircraft cabin and including a plurality of rear tanks storing a liquid counterweight medium; and the fluid transmission unit is arranged in a single main pipeline connecting the front water tank unit and the rear water tank unit, and controls the liquid counterweight medium to be bidirectionally transmitted in the main pipeline between the front water tank unit and the rear water tank in the front-back direction of the aircraft. According to the technical scheme, a liquid single-pipeline two-way transmission closed type scheme is adopted, the design of the whole system can be greatly simplified, the complexity of the system is reduced, and the reliability of the system is improved. In addition, pressure balance between the water tank and the aircraft cabin and sealing and isolation between the liquid counterweight medium and the aircraft cabin are achieved through the pressure balance unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system, and more specifically, to a single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system suitable for adjusting the center of gravity of an aircraft. Background Technology

[0002] During flight, the position of the aircraft's center of gravity directly affects its handling and stability. Newly developed aircraft need to undergo flight test subjects such as center of gravity envelope expansion and critical center of gravity during the flight test phase to verify the aircraft's handling and stability characteristics at different center of gravity positions, especially at the extreme center of gravity positions.

[0003] Typically, a water ballast system is used to adjust the aircraft's center of gravity during flight to meet the requirements of flight test maneuvers. The water ballast system is a key system for improving flight test efficiency and ensuring flight test safety. Its principle involves installing several water tanks in the forward and aft sections of the aircraft cabin. Pumps are used to regulate the transfer of ballast medium between the forward and aft water tank groups, thereby adjusting the overall center of gravity of the aircraft.

[0004] In traditional water counterweight systems, different pipelines are used for forward and backward fluid transmission, and the inlet and outlet of each water tank are also different.

[0005] Therefore, this type of water counterweight system has complex piping connections, many components, a large footprint, and the number of water tanks is difficult to expand significantly, making it unsuitable for twin-aisle wide-body aircraft that require multiple rows of water tanks.

[0006] Furthermore, in traditional water-based ballast systems, each water tank is connected to the cabin via venting pipes to achieve pressure balance. This poses a risk of ballast media leaking from the vents, especially when the ballast media consists of chemicals such as antifreeze. An open venting system can cause the ballast media to absorb water and evaporate into the cabin, affecting its properties and the cabin environment.

[0007] Therefore, how to provide a simple and reliable water counterweight system has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0008] This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, and its purpose is to provide a single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system. This single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system can simplify the pipeline design of the water counterweight system, reduce the complexity of the system, and improve the safety and reliability of the system.

[0009] To achieve the objectives of this disclosure, a single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water ballast system is provided. This system is suitable for adjusting the center of gravity of an aircraft. The single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water ballast system includes: a front water tank unit disposed in the forward section of the aircraft cabin and comprising multiple front water tanks storing liquid ballast media; a rear water tank unit disposed in the aft section of the aircraft cabin and comprising multiple rear water tanks storing liquid ballast media; and a fluid transmission unit disposed in a single main pipeline connecting the front water tank unit and the rear water tank unit, controlling the bidirectional transmission of the liquid ballast media along the longitudinal direction of the aircraft within the main pipeline between the front and rear water tanks.

[0010] Based on the above configuration, the bidirectional transmission of liquid preparation medium between the front and rear water tank units can be controlled through a single pipeline. Compared with the conventional water counterweight system, the outlet and inlet of each water tank in the front and rear water tank units are combined into one, which can greatly simplify the design of the overall system and solve the technical problem that the number of water tanks in the traditional solution is difficult to expand in large quantities and is not suitable for dual-aisle wide-body aircraft that require multiple rows of water tanks.

[0011] Preferably, each of the aforementioned front water tank unit and the aforementioned rear water tank unit includes: an inlet / outlet water control valve disposed between the water tank and the medium pipeline for controlling the inflow and outflow of the liquid counterweight medium relative to the water tank; and a liquid level sensor installed in the water tank for measuring the liquid level height of the liquid counterweight medium in the water tank.

[0012] As described above, the flow of the liquid counterweight medium relative to the water tank can be effectively controlled by the inlet and outlet water control valves, and the liquid level sensor can effectively monitor the liquid level of the liquid counterweight medium in the water tank, thereby realizing the center of gravity adjustment function.

[0013] Preferably, the fluid transmission unit is composed of a pump, a flow sensor and a reversing valve connected in series through the medium pipeline. The pump is used to control the flow of the liquid counterweight medium in the medium pipeline, the flow sensor is used to measure the flow rate of the transmitted liquid counterweight medium, and the reversing valve is used to control the direction of flow of the liquid counterweight medium in the medium pipeline.

[0014] Preferably, the fluid transmission unit includes a flow sensor and two pumps connected in parallel in opposite directions. The flow sensor is used to measure the flow rate of the transmitted liquid counterweight medium, and the two pumps are used to control the bidirectional flow of the liquid counterweight medium in the medium pipeline.

[0015] Based on the above configuration, a fluid transmission unit can be constructed with a simple structure, thereby realizing bidirectional transmission of liquid counterweight medium in a single pipeline, which can reduce the number of components, simplify system design, and reduce system complexity.

[0016] Preferably, the aforementioned front water tank and the aforementioned rear water tank each comprise multiple units, and are arranged at equal intervals in the aforementioned front section and the aforementioned rear section in the form of multiple rows and multiple columns, respectively.

[0017] As described above, the water tanks are configured to be multiple and distributed at equal intervals in the aircraft cabin, which enables the mass distribution of the multiple water tanks in the aircraft cabin to be uniform and facilitates the expansion of the number of water tanks according to actual needs.

[0018] Preferably, the aforementioned inlet / outlet water control valve and the aforementioned liquid level sensor are respectively provided individually for each of the plurality of aforementioned front water tanks and the plurality of aforementioned rear water tanks.

[0019] As described above, by individually setting the inlet and outlet water control valves and the liquid level sensor for each of the multiple water tanks, the flow of the liquid counterweight medium in each water tank can be controlled individually, and the liquid level in each water tank can be monitored individually, thereby improving the reliability of the system.

[0020] Preferably, the above-mentioned single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed water counterweight system further includes a pressure balancing unit. When adjusting the center of gravity position, the pressure balancing unit causes the air inside the water tank to be transmitted in the opposite direction to the liquid counterweight medium in the front water tank and the rear water tank, thereby achieving pressure balance in the front water tank and the rear water tank.

[0021] Preferably, the pressure balancing unit includes a vent pipe and a differential pressure balancing device. The vent pipe connects all the front water tanks in the front water tank unit to all the rear water tanks in the rear water tank unit, and the unit communicates with the outside air via the differential pressure balancing device.

[0022] Preferably, when the pressure inside the aircraft cabin remains unchanged, the pressure differential balancing device of the pressure balancing unit remains closed, thereby isolating the liquid counterweight medium in the front and rear water tanks from the outside air; when the pressure inside the aircraft cabin changes and a pressure difference is generated between the front and rear water tanks, the pressure differential balancing device of the pressure balancing unit opens, thereby adjusting the pressure in the front and rear water tanks to the same pressure state as the aircraft cabin.

[0023] Based on the above-described configuration, the pressure balancing unit enables a closed-loop internal self-balancing scheme. This not only achieves pressure balance between the water tanks and between the water tanks and the aircraft cabin, but also enables the sealing and isolation between the liquid counterweight medium and the aircraft cabin. This solves many risks and problems caused by the connection between the water tanks and the aircraft cabin in previous water counterweight systems, thereby improving the safety of the system. Attached Figure Description

[0024] With reference to the above objectives, the technical features of this utility model are clearly described in the following technical solutions, and its advantages are apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of this utility model by way of example, without limiting the scope of the inventive concept.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system of this utility model.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the pressure balancing unit in the single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed water counterweight system of this utility model.

[0027] Symbol Explanation

[0028] 1. Single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system;

[0029] 10. Front water tank unit;

[0030] 11. Front water tank;

[0031] 12. Inlet / outlet water control valve;

[0032] 13. Front liquid level sensor;

[0033] 20. Rear water tank unit;

[0034] 21. Rear water tank;

[0035] 22. Rear inlet / outlet water control valve;

[0036] 23. Rear liquid level sensor;

[0037] 30. Fluid transport unit;

[0038] 31. Pump;

[0039] 32 Flow sensors;

[0040] 33. Reversing valve;

[0041] 40 Pressure balancing unit;

[0042] 41. Ventilation tube;

[0043] 42. Differential pressure balancing device;

[0044] PT medium piping;

[0045] MPT supervisor road;

[0046] BPT branch piping. Detailed Implementation

[0047] Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0048] Although this invention has been described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the invention to the exemplary embodiments described below. Rather, the invention is intended to cover not only these exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0049] The following is for reference Figure 1 The overall structure of the single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed water counterweight system 1 of this utility model will be described. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed water counterweight system 1 of this utility model.

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, the single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed water counterweight system 1 of this utility model mainly includes a front water tank unit 10, a rear water tank unit 20, a fluid transmission unit 30, and a pressure balancing unit 40.

[0051] The aforementioned front water tank unit 10 is located in the forward section of the aircraft cabin and mainly includes multiple front water tanks 11, multiple forward and outward water control valves 12, and multiple front liquid level sensors 13.

[0052] The aforementioned multiple forward water tanks 11 store liquid media for adjusting the center of gravity of the aircraft, and are distributed at equal intervals in the forward section of the aircraft cabin in a multi-row and multi-column arrangement, and the multiple forward water tanks 11 are connected to each other through media pipelines PT.

[0053] like Figure 1 As shown, the multiple front water tanks 11 include a total of twelve front water tanks 11 in three rows and four columns. The front water tanks 11 in each row are connected together via branch pipes BPT in the medium pipeline PT and finally connected to the main pipeline MPT.

[0054] The aforementioned forward and outward water control valve 12 and forward liquid level sensor 13 are individually configured for each of the plurality of forward water tanks 11.

[0055] The aforementioned inlet / outlet water control valve 12 is located between the front water tank 11 and the branch pipeline BPT, and is used to control the inflow and outflow of the liquid medium used for counterweight relative to the front water tank 11. The aforementioned front liquid level sensor 13 is installed in the front water tank 11 and is used to measure the liquid level height of the liquid medium in the front water tank 11.

[0056] The aforementioned rear water tank unit 20 is located in the rear section of the aircraft cabin and mainly includes multiple rear water tanks 21, multiple rear inlet / outlet water control valves 22, and multiple rear liquid level sensors 23.

[0057] The aforementioned rear water tank unit 20 is arranged symmetrically with respect to the front water tank unit 10 in the aircraft cabin, and the functions and structures of each component are the same as those of the components in the front water tank unit 10, which will not be described again here.

[0058] When it is necessary to adjust the center of gravity of the aircraft forward, the control medium is transferred from the rear water tank 21 in the rear water tank unit 20 to the front water tank 11 in the front water tank unit 10. When it is necessary to adjust the center of gravity of the aircraft backward, the control medium is transferred from the front water tank 11 in the front water tank unit 10 to the rear water tank 21 in the rear water tank unit 20.

[0059] As described above, this utility model shows an example of a plurality of front water tanks 11 comprising three rows and four columns, totaling twelve front water tanks 11. However, this utility model is not limited to this, and the total number of the plurality of front water tanks 11 and the number of each row and column can also be appropriately designed according to actual needs.

[0060] In order to enable the counterweight medium to be transferred between the front water tank unit 10 and the rear water tank unit 20 in the front-rear direction, a fluid transfer unit 30 is provided between the front water tank unit 10 and the rear water tank unit 20.

[0061] The fluid transmission unit 30 mainly includes a pump 31, a flow sensor 32, and a reversing valve 33. The pump 31 is used to control the flow of liquid counterweight medium in the medium pipeline PT. The flow sensor 32 is used to measure the flow rate of the transmitted liquid counterweight medium. The reversing valve 33 is used to control the direction of flow of the liquid counterweight medium in the medium pipeline PT.

[0062] The pump 31, flow sensor 32 and reversing valve 33 are connected in series in the main pipeline MPT of the medium pipeline PT to form a fluid transmission path. One end of the fluid transmission path is connected to the branch pipeline BPT of the front water tank unit 10 and the other end is connected to the branch pipeline BPT of the rear water tank unit 20, thereby enabling control of the flow of liquid counterweight medium between the front water tank unit 10 and the rear water tank unit 20.

[0063] When it is necessary to adjust the center of gravity of the aircraft, firstly, open all the inlet and outlet water control valves 12 of the front water tank unit 10 and all the rear inlet and outlet water control valves 22 of the rear water tank unit 20 in the single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed water counterweight system 1, and then start the pump 31.

[0064] When it is necessary to adjust the center of gravity of the aircraft forward, the reversing valve 33 in the fluid transmission unit 30 is adjusted to the forward transmission position so that the liquid counterweight medium flows from the rear water tank 21 in the rear water tank unit 20 to the front water tank 11 in the front water tank unit 10.

[0065] When it is necessary to adjust the center of gravity of the aircraft to the rear, the reversing valve 33 in the fluid transmission unit 30 is adjusted to the rearward transmission position so that the liquid counterweight medium flows from the front water tank 11 in the front water tank unit 10 to the rear water tank 21 in the rear water tank unit 20.

[0066] The flow rate of the transmitted liquid counterweight medium is monitored by flow sensor 32 and converted into a change in the aircraft's center of gravity position by a computer until the aircraft's center of gravity position changes to the desired position.

[0067] As described above, by switching the flow of liquid counterweight medium in the medium pipeline PT in the forward and backward directions through the reversing valve 33, bidirectional transmission of liquid counterweight medium between the front water tank unit 10 and the rear water tank unit 20 can be achieved through a single pipeline, thereby combining the inlet and outlet into one, so as to reduce the number of pipelines, simplify the system structure, and reduce production, manufacturing and installation costs.

[0068] Furthermore, although this invention illustrates an example of bidirectional flow of liquid counterweight medium achieved by means of reversing valve 33, this invention is not limited to this. It can also be achieved by connecting two pumps in reverse parallel, as long as bidirectional transmission of liquid counterweight medium through a single pipeline can be realized.

[0069] During the flow of liquid counterweight medium in the front water tank 11 of the front water tank unit 10 and the rear water tank 21 of the rear water tank unit 20, the pressure inside the water tank will also change. Therefore, it is necessary to balance this pressure change in order to maintain the stability of the system operation.

[0070] The single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed water counterweight system 1 of this utility model uses a pressure balancing unit 40 to achieve pressure balance in the water tank.

[0071] The following is for reference Figure 2 The overall structure of the pressure balancing unit 40 of this utility model will be described. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the pressure balancing unit 40 in the single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed water counterweight system 1 of this utility model.

[0072] like Figure 2 As shown, the pressure balancing unit 40 connects all the water tanks in the front water tank unit 10 and the rear water tank unit 20 together, thereby achieving pressure balance in all the water tanks.

[0073] When center of gravity adjustment is required, i.e. when the liquid counterweight medium flows in or out of the front water tank 11 and the rear water tank 21, the pressure balancing unit 40 causes the internal air to be transmitted in the reverse direction relative to the liquid counterweight medium in the vent pipe 41, thereby maintaining the pressure balance in each water tank.

[0074] Since the total volume of liquid counterweight medium and air in all water tanks remains constant, the pressure in each water tank remains constant, thus achieving pressure balance within the water tanks.

[0075] More specifically, the pressure balancing unit 40 includes a vent pipe 41 and a differential pressure balancing device 42. The vent pipe 41 connects all the front water tanks 11 in the front water tank unit 10 and all the rear water tanks 21 in the rear water tank unit 20, and the pressure balancing device 42 communicates with the aircraft cabin air.

[0076] Under normal conditions, i.e. when the pressure inside the aircraft cabin does not change, the differential pressure balancing device 42 remains closed, thereby isolating the liquid counterweight medium in the front water tank 11 and the rear water tank 21 from the air in the aircraft cabin. This achieves the sealing and isolation of the liquid counterweight medium from the aircraft cabin environment, solving many risks and problems caused by the connection between the water tank and the cabin, and improving the safety of the system.

[0077] In addition, when the atmospheric pressure in the cabin changes due to the aircraft flying at different altitudes, or when the pressure in the water tank changes due to temperature changes, a pressure difference is generated between the water tank and the cabin. The pressure difference balancing device 42 then opens, thereby adjusting the pressure in the water tank to the same pressure state as the aircraft cabin, in order to maintain the stability of the system operation.

[0078] (Technical effect)

[0079] The advantage of this utility model's single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system 1 is that, through the liquid single-pipe bidirectional transmission scheme, it can reduce the number of pipes and inlet / outlet water control valves by at least 50%, which can greatly simplify the overall system design, reduce system complexity, and improve system reliability. It also solves the technical problem that the number of water tanks in traditional schemes is difficult to expand significantly and is not suitable for dual-aisle wide-body aircraft that require multiple rows of water tanks.

[0080] In addition, in terms of maintaining pressure balance in the water tank, this utility model adopts a pressure balancing unit 40. Through a closed internal self-balancing scheme, it can not only achieve pressure balance between each water tank and between the water tank and the aircraft cabin, but also achieve the sealing and isolation between the liquid counterweight medium and the aircraft cabin. This solves many risks and problems caused by the connection between the water tank and the cabin in the traditional scheme, and improves the safety of the system.

[0081] Although the structure and working principle of this utility model have been described above in conjunction with preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should recognize that the above examples are merely illustrative and do not constitute a limitation on this utility model. Modifications and variations can be made to this utility model within the spirit and scope of the claims, and all such modifications and variations will fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system (1), wherein the single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system (1) is suitable for adjusting the center of gravity of an aircraft, characterized in that, The single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system (1) includes: A forward water tank unit (10) is disposed in the forward section of the aircraft cabin and includes a plurality of forward water tanks (11) for storing liquid ballast media. A rear water tank unit (20), wherein the rear water tank unit (20) is disposed in the aft section of the aircraft cabin and includes a plurality of rear water tanks (21) for storing liquid ballast media; and A fluid transfer unit (30) is disposed in a single main pipeline (MPT) connecting the front water tank unit (10) and the rear water tank unit (20), and controls the liquid counterweight medium to be transferred bidirectionally along the front-rear direction of the aircraft in the main pipeline (MPT) between the front water tank (11) and the rear water tank (21).

2. The single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system (1) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the front water tank unit (10) and the rear water tank unit (20) includes: An inlet / outlet water control valve, wherein the inlet / outlet water control valve is disposed between the water tank and the medium pipeline (PT), is used to control the inflow and outflow of the liquid counterweight medium relative to the water tank; and A liquid level sensor is installed in the water tank to measure the liquid level of the liquid counterweight medium in the water tank.

3. The single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system (1) as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The fluid transmission unit (30) is composed of a pump (31), a flow sensor (32), and a reversing valve (33) connected in series through the medium pipeline. The pump (31) is used to control the flow of the liquid counterweight medium in the medium pipeline (PT), the flow sensor (32) is used to measure the flow rate of the transmitted liquid counterweight medium, and the reversing valve (33) is used to control the direction of flow of the liquid counterweight medium in the medium pipeline (PT).

4. The single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system (1) as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The fluid transfer unit (30) includes a flow sensor (32) and two pumps connected in parallel in opposite directions. The flow sensor (32) is used to measure the flow rate of the transmitted liquid counterweight medium, and the two pumps are used to control the bidirectional flow of the liquid counterweight medium in the medium pipeline (PT).

5. The single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system (1) as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The front water tank (11) and the rear water tank (21) each comprise multiple tanks, and are arranged at equal intervals in the front section and the rear section in the form of multiple rows and multiple columns, respectively.

6. The single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system (1) as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The inlet / outlet water control valve and the liquid level sensor are individually configured for each of the plurality of the front water tanks (11) and the plurality of the rear water tanks (21).

7. The single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system (1) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system (1) also includes a pressure balancing unit (40). When adjusting the center of gravity position, the pressure balancing unit (40) causes the air inside the water tank to be transmitted in the opposite direction to the liquid counterweight medium in the front water tank (11) and the rear water tank (21), thereby achieving pressure balance in the front water tank (11) and the rear water tank (21).

8. The single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system (1) as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The pressure balancing unit (40) includes a vent pipe (41) and a differential pressure balancing device (42). All the front water tanks (11) in the front water tank unit (10) and all the rear water tanks (21) in the rear water tank unit (20) are connected together through the vent pipe (41), and are in communication with the outside air via the differential pressure balancing device (42).

9. The single-pipe bidirectional transmission closed-loop water counterweight system (1) as described in claim 8, characterized in that, When the pressure inside the aircraft cabin does not change, the pressure balancing unit (40) remains closed, thereby isolating the liquid counterweight medium in the front water tank (11) and the rear water tank (21) from the outside air. When the pressure inside the aircraft cabin changes and a pressure difference is generated between the front water tank (11) and the rear water tank (21), the pressure difference balancing device (42) of the pressure balancing unit (40) becomes open, thereby adjusting the pressure inside the front water tank (11) and the rear water tank (21) to the same pressure state as the aircraft cabin.

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