Emergency Door Actuator Using Gas Generator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing emergency door activating systems for aerospace vehicles require a permanently pressurized nitrogen reservoir, leading to significant weight, maintenance costs, and aircraft downtime due to seal aging and gas leakage, necessitating a low-maintenance, low-weight alternative.
Innovation Solution
A maintenance-free door activating system using a gas generator with gas-generating chemicals that produce pressurized fluid upon ignition, eliminating the need for a permanently pressurized reservoir, featuring a fluid cylinder and piston connected to the door, and an initiator to rapidly generate gas for door movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a permanently pressurized nitrogen reservoir is used to rapidly open the door in an emergency situation, then the door can be opened rapidly, but the system suffers from substantial weight, periodic maintenance requirements, and aircraft downtime due to seal aging and gas leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the nitrogen reservoir and monitoring equipment from the system, replacing them with a gas generator that produces pressurized gas on-demand. This eliminates the permanent pressurized reservoir while maintaining the rapid door opening capability, directly resolving the contradiction between speed and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas generator uses a finite supply of gas-generating chemicals that are consumed during operation. This disposable approach replaces the permanent, maintainable nitrogen reservoir with a component that requires no maintenance after installation, eliminating seal aging and leakage issues while preserving rapid actuation capability.
2Speed
If a reservoir of high pressure nitrogen is maintained on the aircraft, then rapid door opening is enabled, but the weight associated with the reservoir and monitoring equipment is substantial
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the heavy nitrogen reservoir and monitoring equipment from the system, replacing them with a compact gas generator. This extraction of the permanent pressurization system eliminates substantial weight while maintaining the capability for rapid door opening through on-demand gas generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas generator with its finite chemical supply replaces the heavy, permanent nitrogen reservoir. This disposable system achieves the same rapid actuation function with significantly reduced weight, as it不需要 continuous pressurization infrastructure or monitoring equipment.
3Reliability
If a permanently pressurized nitrogen reservoir is used, then the door actuation system is ready for immediate use, but periodic maintenance is required due to seal aging and gas leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the nitrogen reservoir and monitoring equipment that require maintenance, replacing them with a gas generator that has no moving parts or seals. This eliminates the maintenance burden while ensuring the system is ready for immediate emergency operation upon activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas generator with its finite chemical supply is designed as a maintenance-free, disposable component. It requires no periodic maintenance for seal replacement or gas repressurization, yet ensures reliable readiness for emergency operation throughout its service life.
4Reliability
If monitoring equipment is installed to monitor gas pressure in the reservoir, then the system can detect low pressure conditions, but the instrumentation adds cost and weight and requires labor cost for maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the nitrogen reservoir and all associated monitoring equipment from the system. The gas generator inherently provides sufficient pressure for its intended function without requiring external monitoring, thereby eliminating the complexity and cost of pressure instrumentation while maintaining system reliability.
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 provides a reliable, low-maintenance, and lightweight emergency door actuation mechanism that reduces downtime and costs by generating the necessary gas only when needed, ensuring the door can be opened rapidly without the weight and maintenance burdens of traditional systems.
Implementation Method 1
a supply of gas generating chemicals is provided which when actuated rapidly generates a supply of gas
Implementation Method 2
the generated gas is directed to said fluid cylinder to move the piston between its first and second positions
Data Source
AI summary
An emergency door opening apparatus for use on an aerospace vehicle for moving a door of the vehicle from a closed position to an open position. The apparatus includes a fluid cylinder (16) and piston (18) operatively connected to the door and to the vehicle and a supply or gas generating chemicals (24) which, when ignited, are operable to rapidly generate and supply to the fluid cylinder (16) a sufficient amount of gas to move the fluid cylinder (16) and piston (18) to effect opening of the door.