Systems and methods for providing back-up hydraulic power for aircraft, including tanker aircraft

• US 7,637,458 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Near, Daniel R., Petty, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, TIEN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US11/440,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20070069071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 244/78.1, 244/78.2, 244/226, 244/135.A, 303 10- 13
• US Class Current: 244/78.1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 39/00 Refuelling during flight filling or emptying fuel tanks B64D37/14
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 1/022 used as an emergency power source, e.g. in case of pump failure
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 1/024 used as a supplementary power source, e.g. to store energy in idle periods to balance pump load

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing back-up hydraulic power for aircraft are disclosed. A system in accordance with one aspect of the invention includes a hydraulic supply line, a hydraulic return line, and a hydraulic actuator coupled between the supply line and the return line. The system can further include a fluid energy storage device coupled in parallel with the hydraulic actuator between the supply line and the return line, and a first valve (e.g., check valve) coupled in series between the supply line and the fluid energy storage device. A second control valve can control the flow of fluid from the fluid energy storage device to the actuator. In particular embodiments, the fluid energy storage can be coupled to an actuator that deploys and retracts an aerial refueling device.

Claims

1. An aircraft system, comprising:

a hydraulic fluid source;

a hydraulic supply line coupled to the hydraulic fluid source;

a hydraulic return line coupled to the hydraulic fluid source;

a hydraulic aircraft actuator coupled between the hydraulic supply line and the hydraulic return line;

a fluid energy storage device coupled to at least one of the hydraulic supply line and the hydraulic return line, the fluid energy storage device including the second of two accumulators;

a first valve coupled between the fluid energy storage device and the at least one of the hydraulic supply line and the hydraulic return line to at least approximately prevent a flow of hydraulic fluid from the fluid energy storage device to the at least one of the hydraulic supply line and the hydraulic return line;

a second, control valve coupled between the fluid energy storage device and the actuator, the control valve being changeable between a first configuration in which the control valve at least restricts fluid flow between the fluid energy storage device and the actuator, and a second configuration in which the control valve allows a flow of fluid to the actuator at least sufficient to operate the actuator;

a first accumulator coupled to at least one of the supply line and the return line in parallel with the second accumulator and the first valve to provide fluid energy to the hydraulic supply line during normal system fluctuations; and

a secondary supply line coupled to the control valve and connected at a point between the first valve and the second accumulator.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the control valve to move the control valve between a closed position corresponding to the first configuration, and an open position corresponding to the second configuration.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller includes a manual controller.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller includes an at least partially automated controller.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor coupled in fluid communication with hydraulic fluid provided by the hydraulic fluid source, the sensor being configured to detect a reduction in system performance and transmit a corresponding sensor signal; and

an automated controller operatively coupled to the sensor and the control valve, the controller being configured to direct a control signal to the control valve to change from the first configuration to the second configuration, based at least in part on the sensor signal transmitted by the sensor.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the automated controller includes a computer-readable medium and wherein the computer-readable medium includes instructions to direct the control signal to the control valve to change from the first configuration to the second configuration, based at least in part on the sensor signal transmitted by the sensor.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first valve includes a check valve coupled in series between the supply line and the fluid energy storage device to prevent pressurized hydraulic fluid from passing from the fluid energy storage device through the check valve to the hydraulic supply line.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluid energy storage device is coupled between the hydraulic supply line and the hydraulic return line in parallel with the hydraulic actuator.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the actuator is one of multiple actuators coupled to the hydraulic fluid source, and wherein fewer than all the actuators coupled to the hydraulic fluid source receive energy from the fluid energy storage device when the control valve is in the second configuration.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the second accumulator is coupled between the hydraulic supply line and the hydraulic return line in parallel with the hydraulic actuator, and wherein the first valve includes a check valve coupled in series between the accumulator and the hydraulic supply line.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a tanker aircraft carrying the hydraulic supply line, the hydraulic return line, the hydraulic actuator, the fluid energy storage device, the first valve and the control valve; and

a refueling device carried by the tanker aircraft, wherein the hydraulic actuator is coupled to the refueling device to move the refueling device between a stowed position and a deployed position.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises a bleed valve coupled to the secondary supply line, wherein the first and second accumulators, the first valve, and the bleed valve are housed in a single, line replaceable unit.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the first accumulator is a first self-displacing accumulator and the second accumulator is a second self-displacing accumulator.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising an aircraft carrying the hydraulic supply line, the hydraulic return line, the hydraulic actuator, the fluid energy storage device, the first valve, and the control valve.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the first accumulator is a first self-displacing accumulator and the second accumulator is a second self-displacing accumulator.

16. An aircraft system, comprising:

a hydraulic fluid source;

a hydraulic supply line coupled to the hydraulic fluid source;

a hydraulic return line coupled to the hydraulic fluid source;

a hydraulic aircraft actuator coupled between the hydraulic supply line and the hydraulic return line;

a fluid energy storage device coupled to at least one of the hydraulic supply line and the hydraulic return line, the fluid energy storage device including the second of two accumulators;

a first valve coupled between the fluid energy storage device and the at least one of the hydraulic supply line and the hydraulic return line to at least approximately prevent a flow of hydraulic fluid from the fluid energy storage device to the at least one of the hydraulic supply line and the hydraulic return line;

a second, control valve coupled between the fluid energy storage device and the actuator, the control valve being changeable between a first configuration in which the control valve at least restricts fluid flow between the fluid energy storage device and the actuator, and a second configuration in which the control valve allows a flow of fluid to the actuator at least sufficient to operate the actuator;

a tanker aircraft carrying the hydraulic supply line, the hydraulic return line, the hydraulic actuator, the fluid energy storage device, the first valve, and the control valve;

a refueling boom carried by the tanker aircraft, wherein the hydraulic actuator is coupled to the refueling boom to move the refueling boom between a stowed position and a deployed position;

a first accumulator coupled to at least one of the supply line and the return line in parallel with the second accumulator and the first valve to provide fluid energy to the hydraulic supply line during normal system fluctuations; and

a secondary supply line coupled to control valve and connected at a point between the first valve and the second accumulator.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a bleed valve coupled to the secondary supply line.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the first accumulator is a first self-displacing accumulator and the second accumulator is a second self-displacing accumulator.

19. An aerial refueling aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage;

a wing carried by the fuselage;

a fuel tank carried by at least one of the wing and the fuselage;

an aerial refueling device coupled to the fuel tank, the aerial refueling device being movable between a stowed position and a deployed position;

a hydraulic actuator coupled to the aerial refueling device to move the aerial refueling device between the stowed and deployed positions;

a hydraulic fluid source;

a hydraulic supply line coupled between the hydraulic fluid source and the hydraulic actuator;

a hydraulic return line coupled between the hydraulic fluid source and the hydraulic actuator;

first and second accumulators, the second accumulator being coupled between the hydraulic supply line and the hydraulic return line;

a pressurized gas source coupled to the accumulator;

a check valve coupled in series with the accumulator between the accumulator and the hydraulic supply line, wherein the first accumulator is coupled between the supply line and the return line in parallel with the second accumulator and the check valve to provide fluid energy to the hydraulic supply line during normal system fluctuations; and

a control valve coupled between the accumulator and the hydraulic actuator, the control valve being changeable between a closed position in which the control valve at least restricts hydraulic fluid flow between the second accumulator and the hydraulic actuator, and an open position in which the control valve allows a flow of hydraulic fluid to the actuator at least sufficient to operate the actuator.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein each of the accumulators is a self-displacing accumulator.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the first accumulator is a first self-displacing accumulator and the second accumulator is a second self-displacing accumulator, and wherein the first accumulator, the second accumulator and the check valve are housed in a single, line replaceable unit.