Cold Regulating Valve Shutters for Low-Drag Fan Duct Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cold regulating valves in aircraft propulsion systems create drag in the fan duct when in a closed position, adversely affecting the performance of the propulsion system.
Innovation Solution
A cold regulating valve with an open frame design and guided shutters that minimize drag by allowing the cold air flow to pass through without obstruction, featuring a half-cylindrical shape with curved side walls and guidance tracks for smooth movement between closed and open positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a butterfly type valve is used for cold regulation, then the valve can effectively regulate cold air flow, but it creates drag in the fan duct when in closed position
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is segmented into a fixed housing and a movable shutter component. The shutter is separated from the housing and moves within guides, allowing the flow-regulating function to be isolated from the drag-generating closed structure. This segmentation enables the shutter to be streamlined while maintaining regulation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter and housing incorporate curved surfaces and aerodynamic contours instead of flat plates. The curved design allows air flow to follow the contours smoothly, reducing turbulence and drag when the valve is closed, while still enabling effective flow regulation through shutter movement.
2Device complexity
If a flat plate valve is used, then the valve structure is simple, but it generates a closed cavity within the fan duct creating drag
Solution Approach 1:
The valve design transitions from a two-dimensional flat plate to a three-dimensional open frame structure with guides and shutter components. This dimensional change allows the valve to regulate flow effectively while maintaining an open configuration that prevents closed cavity formation and reduces drag in the fan duct.
Data Source
AI summary
A cold regulating valve for a heat exchanger system of an aircraft propulsion system, where the cold regulating valve includes an open frame which delimits an opening, two shutters with an external convex shape slidably mounted on the open frame between a closed position and an open position, a mechanism linked to the shutters and mobile between a first position and a second position, and wherein the mechanism moves the shutters from the closed position to the open position when it moves from the first position to the second position and vice versa, and an actuator acting on the mechanism to move it from the first position to the second position and vice versa. The specific embodiment of the cold regulating valve generates a low drag when the shutters are in a closed position.