Aircraft gaseous cooling system
First Claim
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1. A rotorcraft cooling system comprising:
- a compressor connected to a rotorcraft gearbox to be cooled, the rotorcraft gearbox comprising a housing that encloses a subcomponent of the rotorcraft gearbox, the compressor to continuously supply a compressed gas to the housing of the rotorcraft gearbox in response to a first input;
two or more detection sensors coupled to the rotorcraft gearbox comprising a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor;
a controller connected to the compressor and the two or more detection sensors, the controller to provide the first input to the compressor to generate the compressed gas and continuously supply the compressed gas to the housing of the rotorcraft gearbox in response to the controller determining a failure of a lubrication system of the rotorcraft gearbox via the two or more detection sensors;
an inlet valve coupled between the compressor and the housing of the rotorcraft gearbox, the inlet valve connected to the controller and configured to selectively introduce the compressed gas into the rotorcraft gearbox in response to a second input from the controller;
a vent valve coupled to the housing of the rotorcraft gearbox and connected to the controller, the vent valve configured to selectively vent the compressed gas from the rotorcraft gearbox to an atmosphere in response to a third input from the controller; and
the controller is configured to monitor a pressure in the rotorcraft gearbox sensed by the pressure sensor, monitor a temperature in the rotorcraft gearbox sensed by the temperature sensor, and in response to determining the failure of the lubrication system control a rate at which the compressed gas is transferred from the compressor to the rotorcraft gearbox by selectively controlling the compressor, the inlet valve and the vent valve to reach and maintain a desired pressure in the rotorcraft gearbox by;
(a) in response to determining that the pressure in the rotorcraft gearbox is greater than a threshold pressure, providing the first input to the compressor to stop supplying the compressed gas to the rotorcraft gearbox and/or the second input to the inlet valve to close the inlet valve, or the third input to the vent valve to open the vent valve, and (b) in response to determining that the temperature in the rotorcraft gearbox exceeds a threshold temperature, providing the third input to the vent valve to open the vent valve, and the second input to the inlet valve to open the inlet valve and/or the first input to the compressor to supply the compressed gas to the rotorcraft gearbox.
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Abstract
One aspect of a cooling system includes a gas source connected to a component to be cooled. The gas source continuously supplies compressed gas to the component in response to an input. The cooling system also includes a controller connected to the gas source, the controller to provide the input to the gas source to continuously supply the compressed gas to the component.
11 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A rotorcraft cooling system comprising:
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a compressor connected to a rotorcraft gearbox to be cooled, the rotorcraft gearbox comprising a housing that encloses a subcomponent of the rotorcraft gearbox, the compressor to continuously supply a compressed gas to the housing of the rotorcraft gearbox in response to a first input; two or more detection sensors coupled to the rotorcraft gearbox comprising a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor; a controller connected to the compressor and the two or more detection sensors, the controller to provide the first input to the compressor to generate the compressed gas and continuously supply the compressed gas to the housing of the rotorcraft gearbox in response to the controller determining a failure of a lubrication system of the rotorcraft gearbox via the two or more detection sensors; an inlet valve coupled between the compressor and the housing of the rotorcraft gearbox, the inlet valve connected to the controller and configured to selectively introduce the compressed gas into the rotorcraft gearbox in response to a second input from the controller; a vent valve coupled to the housing of the rotorcraft gearbox and connected to the controller, the vent valve configured to selectively vent the compressed gas from the rotorcraft gearbox to an atmosphere in response to a third input from the controller; and the controller is configured to monitor a pressure in the rotorcraft gearbox sensed by the pressure sensor, monitor a temperature in the rotorcraft gearbox sensed by the temperature sensor, and in response to determining the failure of the lubrication system control a rate at which the compressed gas is transferred from the compressor to the rotorcraft gearbox by selectively controlling the compressor, the inlet valve and the vent valve to reach and maintain a desired pressure in the rotorcraft gearbox by;
(a) in response to determining that the pressure in the rotorcraft gearbox is greater than a threshold pressure, providing the first input to the compressor to stop supplying the compressed gas to the rotorcraft gearbox and/or the second input to the inlet valve to close the inlet valve, or the third input to the vent valve to open the vent valve, and (b) in response to determining that the temperature in the rotorcraft gearbox exceeds a threshold temperature, providing the third input to the vent valve to open the vent valve, and the second input to the inlet valve to open the inlet valve and/or the first input to the compressor to supply the compressed gas to the rotorcraft gearbox. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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determining that a lubrication system of a gearbox has failed using a controller coupled to two or more detection sensors comprising a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor coupled to the gearbox; continuously supplying a compressed gas to the gearbox in response to determining that the lubrication system has failed by the controller using a compressor and an inlet valve coupled between the compressor and the gearbox; compressing a gas supplied by a gas container or an atmospheric air using a compressor; operating an inlet valve positioned in a gas line connecting the compressor to the gearbox to transport the compressed gas generated by the compressor through the gas line to the gearbox; operating a vent valve connected to the gearbox to selectively vent the compressed gas out of the gearbox to atmosphere through the vent valve in response to the controller; and the controller is configured to monitor a pressure in the gearbox sensed by the pressure sensor, monitor a temperature in the gearbox sensed by the temperature sensor, and in response to determining that the lubrication system has failed control a rate at which the compressed gas is transferred from the compressor to the gearbox by selectively controlling the compressor, the inlet valve and the vent valve to reach and maintain a desired pressure in the gearbox by;
(a) in response to determining that the pressure in the gearbox is greater than a threshold pressure, operating the compressor to stop supplying the compressed gas to the gearbox and/or the inlet valve to close the inlet valve, or the vent valve to open the vent valve, and (b) in response to determining that the temperature in the gearbox exceeds a threshold temperature, operating the vent valve to open the vent valve, and the inlet valve to open the inlet valve and/or to the compressor to supply the compressed gas to the gearbox. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A cooling system comprising:
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a rotorcraft gearbox comprising a housing enclosing a subcomponent within the housing; a controller connected to two or more detection sensors comprising a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor coupled to the rotorcraft gearbox; a compressor connected to the controller, the compressor to continuously supply compressed gas to the rotorcraft gearbox in response to a first input from the controller determining a failure of a lubrication system of the rotorcraft gearbox via the two or more detection sensors; a gas line connecting the compressor to the rotorcraft gearbox connecting the compressor to the rotorcraft gearbox; an inlet valve positioned in the gas line and coupled between the compressor and the housing of the rotorcraft gearbox, the inlet valve connected to the controller and configured to selectively introduce the compressed gas into the rotorcraft gearbox in response to a second input from the controller; a vent valve coupled to the housing of the rotorcraft gearbox and connected to the controller, the vent valve configured to selectively vent the compressed gas from the rotorcraft gearbox to an atmosphere in response to a third input from the controller; and the controller is configured to monitor a pressure in the rotorcraft gearbox sensed by the pressure sensor, monitor a temperature in the rotorcraft gearbox sensed by the temperature sensor, and in response to determining the failure of the lubrication system control a rate at which the compressed gas is transferred from the compressor to the rotorcraft gearbox by selectively controlling the compressor, the inlet valve and the vent valve to reach and maintain a desired pressure in the rotorcraft gearbox by;
(a) in response to determining that the pressure in the rotorcraft gearbox is greater than a threshold pressure, providing the first input to the compressor to stop supplying the compressed gas to the rotorcraft gearbox and/or the second input to the inlet valve to close the inlet valve, or the third input to the vent valve to open the vent valve, and (b) in response to determining that the temperature in the rotorcraft gearbox exceeds a threshold temperature, providing the third input to the vent valve to open the vent valve, and the second input to the inlet valve to open the inlet valve and/or the first input to the compressor to supply the compressed gas to the rotorcraft gearbox.
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Specification