Bleed Air Duct Joint Insulation with Pressure Relief Valve

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current bleed air systems in aircraft face challenges in accurately detecting leakage, leading to unnecessary shutdowns due to false or unconfirmed overheat events, which affects operational safety and reliability.

Innovation Solution

A bleed air duct joint insulation means featuring an insulation jacket with a pressure holding valve that allows fluid communication from the interior to the exterior when internal pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold, preventing false overheat detections by controlling leakage flow rates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the insulation jacket is sealed to prevent leakage, then detection accuracy is improved, but false overheat events increase due to pressure buildup

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidfalse overheat events
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The insulation jacket incorporates a pressure relief valve with porous structure that allows controlled leakage of bleed air when pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold. This prevents pressure buildup that would otherwise cause false overheat detections while maintaining sufficient sealing to ensure accurate leakage detection at normal operating conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the pressure parameter by introducing a pressure relief mechanism that activates at a specific pressure threshold. When the differential pressure across the insulation jacket exceeds the predetermined threshold, the pressure relief valve opens to equalize pressure, thereby preventing false thermal readings while maintaining detection accuracy below this threshold.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the insulation jacket allows free leakage, then false overheat events are reduced, but detection reliability deteriorates due to uncontrolled pressure equalization

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefalse overheat eventsVSAvoiddetection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The pressure relief valve utilizes porous material structure that provides controlled leakage pathways. The porosity is designed to allow pressure equalization only when the differential exceeds a specific threshold, preventing both false overheat events and uncontrolled pressure equalization that would compromise detection reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements parameter-based control by setting a specific pressure threshold for the relief valve. Below this threshold, the insulation remains sealed for reliable detection; above this threshold, controlled leakage occurs to prevent false alarms, thereby maintaining detection reliability across varying operating conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the valve opens at low pressure threshold, then controlled leakage is achieved, but operational shutdowns increase due to excessive leakage rates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefalse overheat eventsVSAvoidoperational availability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The pressure threshold parameter is carefully selected to be above normal operating pressure variations but below pressures indicating actual leakage conditions. This ensures the valve opens only to prevent false alarms from minor pressure fluctuations, not during genuine leakage scenarios that would require operational shutdown.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The pressure relief valve provides feedback control by continuously monitoring the pressure differential across the insulation jacket. When pressure exceeds the threshold, the valve opens to reduce pressure, then closes when pressure returns to normal, creating a self-regulating system that prevents false alarms without causing unnecessary operational disruptions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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

This solution reduces false overheat events by enabling controlled leakage flow rates, improving the accuracy of safety systems and enhancing aircraft operational reliability by preventing shutdowns at leakage rates below 10 g/s.

Implementation Method 1

valve means located in the vent means, the valve means being arranged so as to enable fluid flow from the interior to the exterior of the insulation jacket when the fluid pressure in the interior exceeds a predetermined positive pressure threshold

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure threshold mechanism: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS9228496B2Bleed air duct joint insulation means
Publication Date: 2016.01.05 AIRBUS OPERATIONS LTD
  • US9228496B2 patent drawing
  • US9228496B2 patent drawing
  • US9228496B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A bleed air duct joint insulation means is disclosed in which a leak vent comprises valve means.