Combined Bleed Air Ball Valve With Single-Actuator Flow Modulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Contemporary systems for modulating bleed air in turbine engines are complex, large, costly, and have a high part count, requiring multiple air valves and complex linkages, which results in a large engine footprint.
Innovation Solution
A single air valve assembly with a housing, metering element, and shoes, where the metering element has distinct flow ports and is rotatable to control bleed air distribution between multiple outlets, driven by a single actuator, reducing complexity and part count.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple stand-alone air valves with independent actuators are used to modulate bleed air, then the modulation function is sufficient, but the device complexity and part count increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple air valve functions into a single integrated air valve assembly. The housing contains multiple flow paths and metering elements that can independently modulate bleed air to multiple outlets, eliminating the need for multiple separate air valves and their associated actuators and linkages.
Solution Approach 2:
The single air valve assembly is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously - it can modulate bleed air to different outlets based on different flow paths, replacing what previously required multiple specialized valves. The metering elements can be independently controlled to achieve different modulation requirements for different outlets.
2Reliability
If multiple stand-alone air valves with complex linkages are used, then the modulation function is achieved, but the engine footprint increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple air valves into a single compact assembly with integrated flow paths and metering elements, the overall space required is significantly reduced. The housing consolidates what would have been separate valve bodies, actuators, and linkage mechanisms into one unit.
3Reliability
If multiple stand-alone air valves with independent actuators are used, then the modulation function is sufficient, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated design reduces the total number of components that need to be manufactured, assembled, and maintained. By combining multiple valves into one assembly with shared housing and integrated metering elements, manufacturing complexity and cost are reduced while maintaining the modulation functionality.
4Reliability
If multiple separate flow bodies connected by complex linkages to a single actuator are used, then the modulation function is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex linkage mechanism entirely. Instead of using linkages to connect multiple flow bodies to a single actuator, the design uses independent metering elements within a single housing that can be directly actuated, removing the intermediary linkage system.
Data Source
AI summary
A combined ball valve for compressor bleed air modulation is provided. The combined ball valve includes a housing defining an inlet, and first and second outlets. A metering element is positioned within the housing and within a flow path extending from the inlet to the first and second outlets. The metering element includes first and second flow ports and is rotatable within the housing to modulate compressor bleed air from the inlet to neither, one, or both of the first and second outlets. The combined ball valve utilizes high temperature materials in a relatively lightweight package.