Water extractor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Environmental control systems in aircraft face challenges in efficiently removing moisture from air, which affects cabin humidity and pressure conditions, leading to potential damage and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
A water extractor design featuring a swirler vane assembly, outer and inner ducts with tapered gaps, and diffuser vanes to centrifugally separate and collect water droplets, minimizing pressure drop and enhancing moisture removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water extractors are used to remove moisture from air in environmental control systems, then moisture removal effectiveness is improved, but pressure drop increases
Solution Approach 1:
The water extractor is divided into multiple functional sections: a swirler section with turning vanes for initial water separation, and an extractor section with diffuser vanes for further water removal. This segmentation allows each section to perform a specific function, improving overall moisture removal effectiveness while managing pressure drop across stages rather than in a single component
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a tapered gap between the inner and outer ducts that varies in width along the flow direction. This dimensional variation creates regions of different flow velocities and pressures, enhancing water droplet separation through centrifugal forces in the swirler section while providing a gradual pressure recovery zone in the extractor section, thereby reducing overall pressure drop
2Reliability
If conventional water extractor designs are used, then moisture removal is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the swirler and extractor functions into a single integrated assembly where the outer duct serves dual purposes as both a structural housing and a flow channel. The turning vanes and diffuser vanes are positioned within the same annular space between inner and outer ducts, merging multiple water removal mechanisms into one compact device, thereby reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining effective moisture removal
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
Effectively reduces moisture in the air, improving cabin humidity control, preventing damage to air cycle machines, and enhancing the overall performance and efficiency of environmental control systems.
Implementation Method 1
A water extractor design featuring a swirler vane assembly, outer and inner ducts with tapered gaps, and diffuser vanes to centrifugally separate and collect water droplets
Implementation Method 2
outer and inner ducts with tapered gaps
Implementation Method 3
diffuser vanes positioned in the first body portion and the second body portion
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
A water extractor includes an outer duct (110) with an inlet (112) and an outlet (114), and an inner duct (116) with an inlet (118) and an outlet (120). The inner duct is positioned in the outer duct. The water extractor further includes a gap between the inner duct and the outer duct. The gap is tapered between a first position and a second position.