Resonant Flow Control Actuator Cavity for High-Speed Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flow control actuators are ineffective at controlling high-speed airflows, requiring large external sources of fuel or high-pressure air, which increases cost, weight, and complexity due to the need for supplemental tanks and plumbing, especially in aircraft applications where space and weight are limited.
Innovation Solution
A flow control actuator with a shaped cavity designed using resonant macrosonic synthesis principles to maximize the exit velocity and pressure of the actuating flow, eliminating the need for external air or fuel by exciting the fluid within the cavity to a resonant frequency using a power source such as a diaphragm, shaker mechanism, or external air stream.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional flow control actuators are used to control high-speed airflows, then the required jet velocities and cavity pressures increase, but the system weight and complexity increase due to supplemental tanks and fuel sources
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator cavity serves itself by utilizing the kinetic energy of the incoming high-speed airflow to drive the diaphragm and generate the actuating flow, eliminating the need for external fuel tanks or high-pressure air sources. The airflow that would otherwise be wasted is converted into useful work to drive the synthetic jet.
Solution Approach 2:
The diaphragm acts as an intermediary element that converts the kinetic energy of the incoming airflow into mechanical motion, which then drives the fluid within the cavity to create the actuating flow. This intermediary mechanism enables energy transfer without requiring supplemental fuel or pressure sources.
2Speed
If conventional flow control actuators are used to control high-speed airflows, then the required jet velocities and cavity pressures increase, but the device complexity increases due to supplemental tanks and plumbing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the supplemental tanks, fuel sources, and associated plumbing from the actuator system. By removing these complex components and utilizing the incoming airflow directly to drive the cavity fluid, the system achieves high jet velocities with significantly reduced complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The incoming high-speed airflow serves multiple functions: it is both the external flow to be controlled and the power source that drives the actuator cavity. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate fuel tanks and pressure sources, reducing system complexity.
3Speed
If the cavity is shaped to create high-magnitude pressure waves, then the exit velocity of the actuating flow is maximized, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cavity is shaped with specific geometric parameters (tapered walls, optimized volume) that are designed to resonate at the desired frequency and generate high-magnitude pressure waves. These parameter optimizations enable high exit velocities while maintaining manufacturability through established resonant macrosonic synthesis principles.
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
Enables efficient control of high-speed airflows without the need for external air or fuel, reducing weight, cost, and complexity, while maintaining or enhancing the performance of aircraft systems by creating high-magnitude pressure waves that interact with external flows.
Implementation Method 1
The cavity is shaped to create a desired waveform in the actuating flow when the fluid is excited by the power source to a resonant frequency
Implementation Method 2
the cavity is shaped according to resonant macrosonic synthesis principles to create high-magnitude pressure waves and maximize the exit velocity of the actuating flow
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods provide for a flow control actuator having a fluid cavity that is shaped to create periodic waveforms within the resulting resonant actuating flow with predetermined characteristics for actuating a high-speed fluid flow. According to various embodiments, a flow control actuator includes a power source for exciting the actuator fluid at a resonant frequency and a cavity shaped according to resonant macrosonic synthesis principles to maximize the exit velocity of the actuating flow at an orifice of the actuator.