Aircraft Cooling Air Amplifier for Lightweight Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft cooling systems are hindered by the weight and inefficiency of traditional heat exchangers, which are often heavy and require dedicated engines and power sources, generating noise and vibration, and lack effective designs for reducing weight and enhancing heat transfer rates.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system incorporating a Coandă-effect air amplifier and a heat exchanger with tubular hot fluid conduits that utilize external cooling air and pressurized air to enhance airflow without the need for a dedicated engine, reducing weight and increasing heat transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional heat exchangers are used, then cooling function is provided, but weight increases and heat transfer rate is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pneumatic principles by using a Coandă-effect air amplifier that utilizes pressurized air flow to induce and amplify cooling air flow through the heat exchanger. This hydraulic/pneumatic approach replaces mechanical fans, achieving enhanced heat transfer rates through fluid dynamics rather than mechanical force, thereby reducing weight while improving cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the flow velocity parameter of cooling air by using the Coandă-effect air amplifier to accelerate air flow through the heat exchanger. By increasing the velocity parameter of the cooling air without adding mechanical propulsion mass, the system achieves higher heat transfer rates while maintaining reduced weight
2Productivity
If blade fans are used to increase cooling air flow, then heat transfer rate improves, but weight increases and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical blade fan system with a pneumatic Coandă-effect air amplifier. This substitution eliminates heavy mechanical components, dedicated engines, and power sources while achieving equivalent or superior cooling air flow rates through aerodynamic principles, directly resolving the weight and complexity issues
Solution Approach 2:
The Coandă-effect air amplifier acts as an intermediary device that uses a small amount of pressurized air to induce and amplify a much larger flow of cooling air. This intermediary mechanism achieves high productivity without requiring direct mechanical propulsion of the entire air flow, reducing system weight and complexity
3Productivity
If blade fans are used to establish forced convection, then cooling efficiency improves, but device complexity and power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical fan systems with a pneumatic Coandă-effect air amplifier that uses aerodynamic principles to create forced convection. This substitution eliminates the need for dedicated engines, power sources, and complex mechanical control systems, significantly reducing device complexity while maintaining high cooling efficiency
4Temperature
If traditional cooling systems are used, then cooling function is provided, but noise and vibration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical blade fans that generate noise and vibration with a pneumatic Coandă-effect air amplifier. This substitution eliminates mechanical rotating parts and blade interactions with air that cause noise and vibration, providing cooling performance without harmful side effects
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 system achieves a higher mass flow of air with fewer elements and moving parts, reducing weight, noise, and vibration, while maintaining or improving cooling efficiency and simplifying maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a Coandă-effect air amplifier comprising an air amplifier inlet, an air amplifier outlet, a pressurized air inlet and a pressurized air outlet configured as a nozzle, the Coandă-effect air amplifier being configured to create a flow of cooling air between the air amplifier inlet and the air amplifier outlet induced by a stream of pressurized air injected through the nozzle
Implementation Method 2
the one or more hot fluid conduits are configured to transfer heat between a flow of hot fluid flowing between the hot fluid inlet and the hot fluid outlet, and a flow of cooling air flowing between the cooling air inlet and the cooling air outlet
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling system for an aircraft, including a heat exchanger for cooling a hot fluid with cooling air, an air intake for the supply of cooling air and a Coandă-effect air amplifier for the creation of a flow of cooling air.