Passive Suction Air Removal for Laminar Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft suction systems for creating laminar flow environments are hindered by weight, complexity, and power requirements, which detract from their economic benefits in reducing drag and fuel consumption.
Innovation Solution
A passive flow removal system that draws air through an aircraft's external surface into a plenum and directs it overboard without adding energy, using a movable door as a flow regulator to control suction, and varying porosity regions to manage airflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a distributed suction system with compressor and control valves is used to establish laminar flow, then laminar flow region is extended over external surface, but system weight, complexity and power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the active compressor and control valves from the suction system, retaining only the passive suction function. The external surface perforations and plenum chamber remain to draw air through the boundary layer, but the complex active control components are removed, simplifying the system while maintaining laminar flow capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the aircraft's own forward motion and the resulting pressure differential between the plenum chamber and external environment to drive the suction process. The airflow through the perforations and out the rear-facing opening occurs passively without external power input, making the system self-sufficient
2Stability of the object's composition
If a distributed suction system with compressor is used to establish laminar flow, then laminar flow region is extended over external surface, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the aircraft's kinetic energy and the pressure differential created by its motion into the driving force for boundary layer suction. The compressor is eliminated entirely, and the suction process is powered by the aircraft's forward motion alone, reducing power consumption to zero for the suction system itself
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the harmful boundary layer that causes drag into a useful resource by passively suctioning it through the perforated surface. The pressure differential that would normally be wasted is converted into the driving force for laminar flow maintenance, turning a drag-inducing phenomenon into a beneficial effect
3Stability of the object's composition
If a distributed suction system with multiple control valves is used to establish laminar flow, then laminar flow region is extended over external surface, but system weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the heavy compressor and multiple control valves from the system, retaining only the essential suction function through perforations and a plenum chamber. This extraction of active components dramatically reduces system weight while preserving the ability to maintain laminar flow
Solution Approach 2:
The external surface is designed with distributed perforations that allow passive suction of boundary layer air. The porous structure enables flow removal without requiring heavy mechanical components, achieving weight reduction while maintaining laminar flow control capability
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 approach reduces drag and power consumption while maintaining laminar flow, offering a more efficient and cost-effective solution compared to traditional active systems.
Implementation Method 1
directing the air to a region external to the aircraft having a static pressure lower than a static pressure in the plenum, as a result of the motion of the aircraft
Implementation Method 2
A boundary layer is a thin film of low velocity, low dynamic pressure air located near a solid boundary and resulting from the air being at rest at the interface with the solid boundary
Data Source
AI summary
Passive removal of suction air for producing a laminar flow, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. One such method includes forming a laminar flow region over an external surface of an aircraft by drawing air through the external surface and into a plenum. The method can further include passively directing the air from the plenum overboard the aircraft. For example, the air can be passively directed to a region external to the aircraft having a static pressure lower than a static pressure in the plenum, as a result of the motion of the aircraft. Flows from different sections of the external surface can be combined in a common plenum, and the corresponding massflow rates can be controlled by the local porosity of the external surface.