Air supply air diffuser and manufacturing method therefor

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing air diffusers in civil aircraft suffer from dust deposition around the air supply outlets due to grid structures, which also increase weight and operational costs, and orifice plates cause air resistance and noise.

Innovation Solution

A novel air diffuser design without a grid structure or orifice plate, featuring curved side walls with contraction and expansion portions, optimized through computational fluid mechanics to ensure uniform airflow and reduce dust deposition, weight, and noise.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a grid structure is used at the air supply outlet to achieve uniform air distribution, then air supply uniformity is improved, but dust deposition increases and weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair supply uniformityVSAvoiddust deposition
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the grid structure from the air supply outlet design. Instead of using a grid at the outlet, the invention uses curved side walls with contraction and expansion portions to achieve uniform air distribution without the grid, thereby eliminating dust deposition while maintaining air supply uniformity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs curved side walls with specific contraction and expansion portions in the air flow passage. This curvature design optimizes airflow distribution and prevents dust deposition without requiring a grid structure at the outlet

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Manufacturing precision

If a grid structure is used at the air supply outlet to achieve uniform air distribution, then air supply uniformity is improved, but weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair supply uniformityVSAvoidair diffuser weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the grid structure and orifice plate from the design, significantly reducing the weight of the air diffuser while maintaining air supply uniformity through the curved side wall configuration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The curved side walls with contraction and expansion portions provide aerodynamic optimization that achieves uniform air distribution without adding significant weight, unlike the traditional grid structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Manufacturing precision

If an orifice plate is mounted within the air diffuser to achieve uniform air supply, then air supply uniformity is improved, but air resistance increases and noise increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair supply uniformityVSAvoidnoise
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the orifice plate from the air diffuser design, eliminating the source of noise and air resistance while maintaining air supply uniformity through the curved side wall configuration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The curved side walls with contraction and expansion portions provide smooth airflow transitions that reduce turbulence and noise while achieving uniform air distribution without an orifice plate

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The new design effectively prevents dust deposition, reduces weight by 36.4%, lowers noise, and decreases operational and maintenance costs while maintaining air supply uniformity and thermal comfort.

Implementation Method 1

the air flow passage has, in sequence, a contraction portion bending toward the vertical center plane and an expansion portion away from the vertical center plane

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid flow:

Data Source

PatentEP4186795B1Air supply air diffuser and manufacturing method therefor
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 THE BOEING CO
  • EP4186795B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4186795B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4186795B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

Provided is an air diffuser and a construction method thereof. The air diffuser is especially applied to the field of civil aircrafts. The air diffuser comprises: an open upper end part; an open lower end part; and an air flow passage defined between the open upper end part and the open lower end part, the air flow passage comprising a first side wall and a second side wall which are connected between the open upper end part and the open lower end part and are symmetrically located with respect to a vertical center plane of the air diffuser; wherein the section outline of each of the first side wall and the second side wall has a curved shape bending inwards, such that in a direction from the open upper end part to the open lower end part, the air flow passage has, in sequence, a contraction portion bending toward the vertical center plane and an expansion portion away from the vertical center plane.