Wing Louvre Cooling Control for Aircraft Battery Heat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for aircraft components, particularly those mounted inside hollow wings, face challenges in efficiently removing heat generated by batteries and power electronics without adding weight or risking leakage of cooling media.
Innovation Solution
A louvre system is introduced, which includes a rotatable louvre connected to the wing and a louvre actuation mechanism. This system autonomously controls airflow through the wing by rotating the louvre in response to the temperature of heat-generating elements, ensuring efficient cooling and minimizing weight and leakage issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid cooling medium is used to cool heat-generating elements, then cooling efficiency is improved, but aircraft weight increases and leakage risk is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling medium from liquid to gas phase, specifically using ambient air as the cooling medium. This eliminates the need for liquid cooling systems, pumps, and associated infrastructure, thereby reducing aircraft weight and eliminating leakage risks while maintaining cooling functionality through aerodynamic airflow management
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical liquid cooling systems with aerodynamic airflow control. Instead of using pumps and liquid circulation systems, the invention uses the aircraft's motion through air and strategically positioned louvres to create natural airflow patterns that cool the batteries, substituting mechanical complexity with aerodynamic design
2Weight of moving object
If gaseous cooling media such as ambient air is used, then weight is reduced and leakage is eliminated, but cooling effectiveness decreases without aircraft motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates preliminary action by designing the louvre system to be pre-configured in specific orientations based on anticipated flight conditions. The louvres are positioned and angled in advance to optimize airflow paths before the aircraft enters specific flight phases, ensuring cooling effectiveness is maintained whether the aircraft is stationary, taking off, cruising, or landing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the louvre system adjustable and reconfigurable. The louvres can change their orientation and opening degree in response to different flight conditions, allowing the system to adapt airflow patterns dynamically. This enables the same passive cooling system to effectively cool batteries whether the aircraft is moving at high speed or stationary on the ground
3Temperature
If cooling air flow is increased to prevent hot-spots, then cooling uniformity is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the wing structure into multiple sections with individually controllable louvres. Each louvre or group of louvres can be independently adjusted to optimize airflow distribution to different areas of the battery pack. This segmented approach allows precise control of cooling patterns without requiring complex centralized systems, achieving uniform cooling through distributed, simple control elements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by designing the louvre system to automatically utilize the aircraft's own motion and aerodynamic properties to generate cooling airflow. The system requires no external power source, pumps, or active control mechanisms beyond the basic louvre adjustment. The aircraft's flight itself provides the energy to drive the cooling airflow, making the system self-sufficient and simple
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 louvre system effectively controls airflow to heat-generating elements, enhancing cooling efficiency and preventing overheating, while maintaining a lightweight and leak-proof design.
Implementation Method 1
passing gases or liquids over surfaces of these components to remove heat therefrom
Implementation Method 2
Heat from these heat-generating elements must be removed to keep the components operating below their maximum operating temperatures
Data Source
AI summary
A louvre system controls a flow of cooling air to a heat-generating element mounting inside a wing of an aircraft. The louvre system includes a louvre operably connected to the wing and structured to be rotatable to control airflow through an air intake of the wing into an interior of the wing. A louvre actuation mechanism is operably connected to the louvre and configured to control rotation of the louvre. A memory is communicably coupled to a processor and stores a louvre control module configured to autonomously control operation of the louvre actuation mechanism to control rotation of the louvre responsive to a temperature of a heat-generating element mounted in the wing interior.