Inlet tube design

• US 9,759,236 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2014
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Lucic, Milan, Beck, John M., Hamel, Paul E., Telakowski, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): SKROUPA, JOSHUA A
• Application Number:
  US14/261,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20150308460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 403 34, 403 64
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/00 Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space , or structural parts of the aircraft treatment rooms with artificial climate for medical purposes A61G10/02; respiratory apparatus in general A62B; for vehicles in general B60H
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/06 the air being conditioned pressurising B64D13/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0618 with arrangements for reducing or managing bleed air, using another air source, e.g. ram air
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0651 comprising filters, e.g. dust filters
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 19/00 Axial-flow pumps F04D21/00 takes precedence; pump comprising axial flow and radial flow stages F04D17/025
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/06 the pump being electrically driven F04D25/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/5806 Cooling the drive system
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/701 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/703 specially for fans, e.g. fan guards
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency

Abstract

A ram air fan assembly includes an outer housing. An inner housing is located within the outer housing. A motor is attached to the inner housing. An inlet tube extends between the outer housing and the motor. The inlet tube includes a straight first portion and a curved second portion. At least one of the two portions includes a perforated portion.

Claims

1. A ram air fan assembly comprising:

an outer housing;

an inner housing located within the outer housing;

a motor attached to the inner housing; and

an inlet tube configured to pull in ambient air, the inlet tube defining a portion of a flowpath leading to a downstream end of the inner housing and such that the inlet tube is fluidly connected to a downstream end of the motor, wherein the inlet tube includes at least a straight first portion and a curved second portion, wherein the straight first portion and the curved second portion include a perforated portion with uniformly spaced perforations, wherein the perforated portion is fluidly connected to air within the outer housing.

2. The ram air fan assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the uniformly spaced perforations has a diameter of between about 0,1 and 0.2 inches (0.254 cm. and 0.508 cm).

3. The ram air fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the perforated portion is disposed along at least a portion of the curved second portion of the inlet tube.

4. The ram air fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the inlet tube has a diameter of between about 2.0 and 3.0 inches (5.08 cm and 7.62 cm).

5. The ram air fan assembly of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the inlet tube diameter to the diameter of each the perforations is between 0.03 and 0.1.

6. The ram air fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the perforations are configured to allow a suction force of air to be spread across the plurality of perforations and a first end of the inlet tube.