Energy recovery apparatus and method

• US 20070069070A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Williams, Kenneth, Allen, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,510,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/76.A
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/02 Mounting or supporting thereof

Abstract

An energy recovery and storage apparatus especially well adapted for use with flight control surfaces on airborne mobile platforms, such as aircraft. In one form the apparatus includes a ram-like element coupled to a portion of a flight control surface. An accumulator holds a flexible container having a compressible medium contained within the flexible container. The accumulator is in fluid communication with a housing of the ram-like element. When the flight control surface is moved from a deployed to a retracted position, the energy acting on the surface is recovered and stored in the compressible medium as the ram-like element forces fluid from its housing into the accumulator. When the flight control surface is to be deployed again in a subsequent cycle, the stored energy in the compressible medium is used to urge the ram-like element into an extended position, thus assisting in deploying the flight control surface. The various preferred embodiments all enable lower power, smaller and less expensive actuators to be used to control a flight control surface.

Claims

1. An energy recovery apparatus for recovering energy from a working element, and assisting in moving said working element through the use of the recovered energy, comprising:

a ram-like system operably associated with the working element and movable in response to movement of said working element;

a compressible medium in communication with the ram-like system, the compressible medium able to store energy acting on the working element when the working element is moved in a first direction, said stored energy being usable by the ram-like system to assist in moving the working element in a second direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the working element comprises a flight control element movable pivotally in said first and second directions.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compressible medium comprises a gas.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compressible medium comprises a fluid.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compressible medium comprises a spring.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compressible medium comprises a medium having both liquid and gas properties.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an actuator for initiating movement of said working element in said second direction.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an expandable container for containing said compressible medium, the expandable container being housed within a tubular portion of said ram-like system.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the ram-like system further comprises a reservoir in communication with said tubular portion containing said expandable container, the reservoir including a flowable medium able to flow back and forth between the reservoir and the tubular portion in relation to movement of said working element.

10. A method for recovering energy from a working element and using the recovered energy to assist in moving said working element through the use of the recovered energy, the method comprising:

providing a movable member operably associated with the working element, and movable in opposing directions in response to movement of the working element in first and second directions;

using a compressible medium responsive to movement of the movable member to store energy acting on the working element, and transmitted to the movable member, when the working element is moved in a first direction by an external force; and

causing the compressible medium to use said stored energy to move the movable member to assist in moving the working element in the second direction.

11. The method of claim 11, wherein using a compressible medium comprises using a gas.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein using a compressible medium comprises using a fluid.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein using a compressible medium comprises using a spring.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein using a movable member comprises using a ram-like system having a portion for containing the compressible medium.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein using a compressible medium comprises using an expandable and retractable bladder having at least one of a compressible fluid and a compressible gas contained within the bladder.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising using a reservoir in flow communication with said compressible medium to contain a fluid, the fluid being acted on by said compressible medium and used to assist in moving said movable member, and thus said working element.

17. A mobile platform comprising:

a moveable control component supported adjacent an exterior surface of the mobile platform;

an energy recovery system including;

a movable element movable in response to movement of the control component;

a container for holding a compressible medium, the container being operably associated with the movable element and able to store energy acting on the control component when the control component is moved in a first direction into a first position, said stored energy being usable by the movable element to assist in moving the control component in a second direction into a second position.

18. The mobile platform of claim 17, wherein the moveable element comprises a ram-like system.

19. The mobile platform of claim 17, wherein the container comprises a bladder.

20. The mobile platform of claim 17, wherein the compressible medium comprises one of a compressible gas and a compressible liquid.