Vented Diaphragm Regulator Using Cold Reference Air Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current regulators used in severe thermal environments, such as aircraft, face challenges in protecting temperature-sensitive elements like solenoids and pressure regulating membranes, as existing solutions either complicate installation and increase costs or have limited effectiveness in cooling these elements.
Innovation Solution
A regulator design that incorporates a cold source as both a reference pressure and cooling mechanism for the membrane, allowing for efficient cooling of temperature-sensitive elements without relocating them, using dynamic and cooler air from a turbomachine to improve ventilation and reduce specific fuel consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensitive elements are relocated to a protected area, then temperature-sensitive elements are protected from thermal damage, but installation complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cold air conduit as an intermediary element that delivers cooled reference air directly to the membrane and sensitive components. This mediator (cold air flow) protects temperature-sensitive elements without requiring physical relocation or complex protective structures, thereby maintaining installation simplicity while ensuring thermal protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the thermal protection function from the structural design and implements it through a separate cold air supply system. By taking out the reference air source and cooling it independently before delivery to sensitive elements, the patent avoids integrating complex thermal management into the regulator structure itself.
2Temperature
If global ventilation is added to cool sensitive elements, then cooling coverage is improved, but fuel consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by directing cold air specifically to the membrane and sensitive elements that require cooling, rather than providing global ventilation to the entire regulator housing. This localized cooling approach minimizes the volume of air that needs to be moved and cooled, thereby reducing fuel consumption while maintaining effective thermal management where it is most needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the regulator's own reference air source, which is naturally cooler than ambient air, to cool the sensitive elements. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate cooling systems or additional energy-consuming cooling mechanisms, as the reference air pathway is repurposed to provide thermal management.
3Device complexity
If directed ventilation towards sensitive elements is implemented, then cooling specificity is improved, but cooling effectiveness remains limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the reference air by cooling it before delivery to sensitive elements. By lowering the temperature of the reference air source and maintaining it at this reduced temperature through the regulator, the system achieves superior cooling effectiveness compared to simple directed ventilation, while still using a relatively simple conduit-based delivery system.
4Volume of moving object
If the regulator is placed close to the pneumatic actuator for compactness, then system compactness is improved, but temperature-sensitive elements are exposed to higher thermal stress
Solution Approach 1:
The cold air conduit acts as a protective intermediary that delivers cooled air to sensitive elements, enabling the regulator to operate in close proximity to hot pneumatic actuators without exposing temperature-sensitive components to damaging thermal conditions. This mediator allows compact system integration while maintaining thermal protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by pre-cooling the reference air before it reaches the membrane and sensitive elements. This preventive measure counteracts the thermal stress that would otherwise result from placing the regulator near hot pneumatic components, allowing compact configuration without compromising element protection.
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 design enables effective cooling of temperature-sensitive elements within the regulator, allowing for a compact system with reduced fuel consumption and lower cold air requirements, while maintaining the regulator's proximity to the pneumatic actuator and hot air flow.
Implementation Method 1
a conduit for conducting the cold source to said membrane, so that the cold source forms the reference pressure source and a source for cooling said membrane
Implementation Method 2
said membrane being configured to control the flow rate of the hot air flow by comparing the pressure of said hot air flow with the reference pressure of the reference pressure source
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a regulator, configured to receive a stream of hot air carrying pneumatic power via an air inlet (12), to treat this hot air and to send the treated hot air to an air outlet (14) configured to supply a pneumatic actuator (16), comprising a reference pressure source and an air expansion device comprising a diaphragm (22), the diaphragm (22) being configured to control the flow rate of the hot air stream by comparing the pressure of said hot air stream with the reference pressure of the reference pressure source. The regulator is characterised in that it comprises an air intake (24) configured to receive a cold source, and a pipe (25) for guiding the cold source to the diaphragm (22), so that the cold source forms the reference pressure source and a source for cooling the diaphragm (22).