Inflatable Bleed Valve for Turbine Engine Compressor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bleed valve assemblies in turbine engines are large, heavy, and complex, making them difficult to package in low pressure axial compressors, particularly in tip turbine engines where space is limited.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable bleed valve with an expandable member that obstructs a passageway based on a controlled supply of high pressure air, allowing selective bleeding of core airflow and capable of fitting within the cavity defined by the splitter and compressor case in tip turbine engines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional bleed valve assemblies are used, then reliable airflow control is achieved, but device size, weight, and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential function of airflow control from the complex mechanical valve assembly and implements it through a simplified inflatable membrane mechanism. The membrane is inflated with air to close the bleed valve opening, eliminating the need for complex linkages, actuators, and housing structures while maintaining reliable airflow control.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses pneumatic pressure (inflatable air) to actuate the bleed valve closure function. An inflatable membrane is expanded using air pressure to block the bleed valve opening, replacing traditional mechanical actuation systems with a simpler pneumatic mechanism that reduces overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If conventional bleed valve assemblies are used, then sufficient airflow control capacity is achieved, but packaging in tip turbine engines becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes unnecessary structural components from conventional bleed valve assemblies, retaining only the essential inflatable membrane element needed for airflow control. This extraction of essential function enables compact packaging within the limited space of tip turbine engine compressors.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a flexible inflatable membrane as the primary valve element. This thin film structure provides effective airflow control with minimal volume, allowing the bleed valve to be packaged compactly within the constraints of tip turbine engine architecture.
3Reliability
If conventional bleed valve assemblies are used, then durable operation is achieved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and retains only the essential components needed for bleed valve operation, eliminating heavy structural elements, complex linkages, and large actuators. The resulting inflatable membrane mechanism achieves operational durability with significantly reduced weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces heavy mechanical actuation systems with a lightweight pneumatic inflation mechanism. The inflatable membrane uses air pressure instead of mechanical linkages and motors, substantially reducing the weight of the bleed valve assembly while maintaining operational durability.
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 inflatable bleed valve provides a compact and efficient solution for controlling airflow, enabling effective operation in tip turbine engines and potentially in conventional engines, by selectively opening or closing to manage airflow and reduce complexity.
Implementation Method 1
An inflatable valve includes an expandable member that selectively obstructs the passageway based upon a controlled supply of high pressure air to the inflatable valve
Data Source
AI summary
A compressor for a turbine engine includes an inflatable bleed valve that selectively bleeds core airflow from the compressor. The bleed valve has an inlet leading from the compressor and a passageway leading from the inlet. An inflatable valve selectively obstructs the passageway based upon a controlled supply of high pressure air to the inflatable valve. The supply of high pressure air may be compressed core airflow from an area downstream of the inlet to the bleed valve.