Aircraft light

• US 9,132,923 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Lighting Systems GmbH (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Lighting Systems GmbH (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Hessling, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): May, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARLEN, ALEXANDER K
• Application Number:
  US13/450,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20130077329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 362/470, 362/546, 362/547, 362/294, 362/373, 165/41, 165/42, 165/44, 165/59, 165/80.2, 165/80.3, 361689-692, 361/702
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 47/02 for large numbers of passengers, e.g. omnibus
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2203/00 Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/06 for indicating aircraft presence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/60 characterised by the use of a forced flow of gas, e.g. air
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/713 in direct thermal and mechanical contact of each other to form a single system
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2107/30 for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

An aircraft light comprises a housing (24), at least one light source (32) to be cooled, the at least one light source (32) being arranged in the housing (24), a heat sink element (26) thermally coupled to the at least one light source (32) and defining a cooling surface (36) exposable to a cooling airstream (52) for the cooling airstream (52) to flow along the cooling surface (36) in a flow direction. The cooling surface (36) extends between upstream and downstream end portions (40,42) spaced apart in the flow direction and means for generating a pressure difference between the upstream and downstream end portions (40,42) of the cooling surface. Due to the pressure difference, a cooling airstream (52) flowing along the cooling surface (36) is created.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

an auxiliary power unit (APU), mounted at the tail of the aircraft and having an exhaust gas outlet for ejecting a gas jet stream; and

an aircraft light, positioned in close vicinity adjacent to the exhaust gas outlet of the APU at the tail of the aircraft, the aircraft light comprising

a housing coupled to a heat sink element;

at least one light source to be cooled, the at least one light source being arranged in the housing; and

the heat sink element thermally coupled to the at least one light source, an interior of the heat sink element defining a cooling channel traversing the interior between an upstream and a downstream end portion of the cooling channel, the cooling channel includes a cooling surface that extends between the upstream and the downstream end portions being spaced apart in a flow direction from the upstream end portion to the downstream end portion, the cooling channel being exposed to a cooling airstream for the cooling airstream to flow along the cooling surface in the flow direction,

wherein the gas jet stream of the APU is provided adjacent to the downstream end portion, the gas jet stream being configured to create a pressure difference between the upstream and the downstream end portions,

wherein the cooling air channel has a cooling air inlet facing toward ground, with a vertical, upward cooling air intake via the cooling air inlet being unobstructed by aircraft elements, and

an airstream guiding element coupled to the housing and located immediately adjacent to the downstream end portion and guiding only a part of the cooling airstream along an exterior of the housing, the part of the cooling airstream generating a shielding air layer protecting the exterior of the housing from being exposed to the atmosphere around the housing.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the gas jet stream creates a pressure drop at the downstream end portion so that the pressure at the downstream end portion is lower than pressure at the upstream end portion, the pressure drop being operable to suck the cooling airstream through the of the cooling channel from the upstream end to the downstream end.

3. The aircraft according to claim 2, wherein the gas jet stream comprises exhaust gas ejected along an ejecting direction through an exhaust gas outlet of a gas turbine of an auxiliary power unit of an aircraft, and wherein the housing is positioned adjacent to the exhaust gas outlet with the cooling airflow direction pointing substantially perpendicularly to the ejecting direction and with the upstream end portion of the cooling surface facing away from the exhaust gas outlet.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink element comprises projecting cooling fins the surfaces of which form a portion of the cooling surface.

5. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising lateral cooling airflow guiding projections extending between the upstream and downstream end portions of the cooling surface.

6. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the cooling surface comprises a structure for creating turbulences in areas of the cooling airstream closest to the cooling surface.

7. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source is an LED.

8. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of an electric and electronic component to be cooled, wherein the component is thermally coupled to the heat sink element.

9. The aircraft light according to claim 1, wherein the airstream guiding Element is located outside of the housing.

10. An aircraft light cooling assembly comprising:

an auxiliary power unit (APU), mounted at the tail of the aircraft and having an exhaust gas outlet for ejecting a gas jet stream; and

an aircraft light assembly, positioned in close vicinity adjacent to the exhaust gas outlet of the APU at the tail of the aircraft, the aircraft light assembly comprising

a housing including a cover lens connected to a heat sink element;

at least one light source to be cooled, the at least one light source being arranged in the housing; and

the heat sink element thermally coupled to the at least one light source, an interior of the heat sink element defining a cooling channel traversing the interior between an upstream and a downstream end portion of the cooling channel, the cooling channel defining a cooling surface exposed to a cooling airstream for the cooling airstream to flow along the cooling surface in a flow direction through the cooling channel, wherein the cooling surface extends between the upstream and downstream end portions spaced apart in the flow direction;

wherein the gas jet stream of the APU is provided adjacent to the downstream end portion, the gas jet stream being configured to create a pressure difference between the upstream and the downstream end portions of the cooling surface and create the cooling airstream, and

wherein the cooling air channel has a cooling air inlet facing toward ground, with a vertical, upward cooling air intake via the cooling air inlet being unobstructed by aircraft elements, and

an airstream guiding element located downstream of the cooling surface and guiding only a part of the cooling airstream along the housing and generating a shielding air layer protecting the cover lens being exposed to the atmosphere around the housing.

11. The aircraft light cooling assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

a gas turbine engine configured to create the gas jet stream in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the cooling airstream flow.

12. The aircraft light cooling assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

an airstream that is configured to create the gas jet stream in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the cooling airstream flow.

13. The aircraft light cooling assembly according to claim 10, wherein the heat sink element comprises projecting cooling fins the surfaces of which form a portion of the cooling surface.

14. The aircraft light cooling assembly according to claim 10, further comprising lateral cooling airflow guiding projections extending between the upstream and downstream end portions of the cooling surface.

15. The aircraft light cooling assembly according to claim 10, wherein the cooling surface comprises a structure for creating turbulences in areas of the cooling airstream closest to the cooling surface.

16. The aircraft light cooling assembly according to claim 10, wherein the at least one light source is an LED.

17. The aircraft light cooling assembly according to claim 10, further comprising at least one of an electric and electronic component to be cooled, wherein the component is thermally coupled to the heat sink element.

18. The aircraft light cooling assembly according to claim 11, wherein the airstream guiding element is coupled to the housing and located immediately adjacent to the downstream end portion.