Counter-Rotating Ram Air Turbine for Lower Weight Power Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern ram air turbines are large and heavy, limiting their placement options and increasing aircraft weight, which is undesirable in aircraft design.
Innovation Solution
A ram air turbine with counter-rotating turbine blade sets and a hooked cross-sectional airfoil shape, fixedly installed inside the aircraft body, eliminating the need for a deployment mechanism and reducing weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If typical large size ram air turbines are used to produce required power, then power generation capability is improved, but weight and placement flexibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The turbine is divided into multiple blade sets (first turbine blade set and second turbine blade set) that rotate in opposite directions. This segmentation allows each blade set to be smaller while collectively producing the required power, thereby reducing overall weight while maintaining power generation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the rotational direction parameter of the blade sets to opposite directions. This parameter change enables more efficient power extraction from the air stream, allowing smaller blade sets to achieve the same power output as larger conventional blades, thus reducing weight.
2Power
If typical large size ram air turbines are used to produce required power, then power generation capability is improved, but placement options deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the turbine into multiple smaller blade sets that can be configured in opposite rotational directions, the overall turbine size is reduced. This enables placement in previously inaccessible locations on the aircraft where large turbines could not be installed, while still achieving the required power output.
3Ease of operation
If deployment mechanism is included for ram air turbine, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the deployment mechanism from the system by fixedly installing the ram air turbine inside the aircraft body. The turbine is positioned to be directly exposed to the air stream without requiring deployment or retraction mechanisms, thereby reducing complexity and weight while maintaining operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixed installation configuration allows the turbine to be automatically exposed to the air stream during aircraft operation without requiring active deployment control. The system self-positions itself to capture air flow efficiently, eliminating the need for complex deployment mechanisms.
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 design achieves high efficiency with a smaller and lighter ram air turbine, maximizing power generation while minimizing weight and drag, thus optimizing placement and reducing deployment complexity.
Implementation Method 1
The ram air turbine generates power from the airstream by ram pressure due to the speed of the aircraft
Implementation Method 2
the blades of the turbine blade sets utilize a hooked cross-sectional shape
Data Source
AI summary
A ram air turbine may include an output shaft, a first turbine blade set configured to rotate in a first direction, and a second turbine blade set configured to counter-rotate with respect to the first turbine blade set. The rotation of the first turbine blade set and the counter-rotation of the second turbine blade set drives the output shaft.