Thermal hydraulic active warming system
An aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming system includes an active thermal-warming valve interoperably coupled between a hydraulic pressure line and a hydraulic low-pressure return line and a hydraulic actuator arranged in parallel with the active thermal-warming valve between the hydraulic pressure line and the hydraulic low-pressure return line.
1. An aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming system comprising:
an active thermal-warming valve interoperably coupled between a hydraulic pressure line and a hydraulic low-pressure return line;
a hydraulic actuator arranged in parallel with the active thermal-warming valve between the hydraulic pressure line and the hydraulic low-pressure return line;
a hydraulic reservoir arranged in parallel with the hydraulic actuator and the active thermal-warming valve between the hydraulic pressure line and the hydraulic low-pressure return line; and
an aircraft flight control computer coupled to the active thermal-warming valve, wherein the aircraft flight control computer is configured to:
monitor total system hydraulic-fluid flow usage and determine if additional hydraulic-fluid flow is available, wherein the additional hydraulic fluid flow is the difference between system hydraulic-fluid flow capacity and the total system hydraulic-fluid flow usage; and
responsive to a determination that the additional hydraulic-fluid flow is available, at least a portion of the additional hydraulic-fluid flow is used to generate heat;
wherein the active thermal-warming valve is positioned between the hydraulic reservoir and the hydraulic actuator; wherein a distance between the active thermal-warming valve and the hydraulic reservoir is shorter than a distance between the active thermal-warming valve and the hydraulic actuator.
2. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming system of claim 1 , comprising a hydraulic pump arranged in series with the hydraulic reservoir between the hydraulic reservoir and the active thermal-warming valve on the hydraulic pressure line.
3. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming system of claim 2 , wherein the aircraft flight control computer calculates total system hydraulic-fluid flow supplied by the hydraulic pump based on actuator rates and controls active thermal-warming-valve flow using the total system hydraulic-fluid flow calculations.
4. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming system of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic actuator is a high-leakage hydraulic actuator.
5. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming system of claim 1 , wherein the active thermal-warming valve is operable in at least two of a deactivated mode, a partial-flow mode, a full-flow mode, a limp mode, and a shut-off mode.
6. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming system of claim 1 , wherein the active thermal-warming valve is operable in a deactivated mode such that hydraulic fluid does not flow through the active thermal-warming valve.
7. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming system of claim 1 , wherein the active thermal-warming valve is operable in a partial-flow mode such that hydraulic fluid flows through the active thermal-warming valve in an intermediate amount between a deactivated mode and a full-flow mode.
8. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming system of claim 1 , wherein the active thermal-warming valve is operable in a full-flow mode such that hydraulic fluid flows through the active thermal-warming valve at a maximal amount.
9. An aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming method comprising:
warming hydraulic fluid by an active thermal-warming valve interoperably coupled between a hydraulic pressure line and a hydraulic low-pressure return line;
operating a hydraulic actuator arranged in parallel with the active thermal-warming valve between the hydraulic pressure line and the hydraulic low-pressure return line;
controlling the active thermal-warming valve via an aircraft flight control computer interoperably coupled to the active thermal-warming valve, wherein the aircraft flight control computer is configured to:
monitor total system hydraulic-fluid flow usage and determine if additional hydraulic-fluid flow is available, wherein the additional hydraulic fluid flow is the difference between system hydraulic-fluid flow capacity and the total system hydraulic-fluid flow usage; and
responsive to a determination that the additional hydraulic-fluid flow is available, using at least a portion of the additional hydraulic-fluid flow to generate heat; and
storing the hydraulic fluid by a hydraulic reservoir arranged in parallel with the hydraulic actuator and the active thermal-warming valve between the hydraulic pressure line and the hydraulic low-pressure return line;
wherein the active thermal-warming valve is positioned between the hydraulic reservoir and the hydraulic actuator; wherein a distance between the active thermal-warming valve and the hydraulic reservoir is shorter than a distance between the active thermal-warming valve and the hydraulic actuator.
10. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming method of claim 9 , comprising pumping the hydraulic fluid by a hydraulic pump arranged in series with the hydraulic reservoir between the hydraulic reservoir and the active thermal-warming valve on the hydraulic pressure line.
11. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming method of claim 10 , wherein the controlling comprises the aircraft flight control computer calculating total system hydraulic-fluid flow supplied by the hydraulic pump based on actuator rates and controlling active thermal-warming-valve flow using the total system hydraulic-fluid flow calculations.
12. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming method of claim 9 , wherein the hydraulic actuator is a high-leakage hydraulic actuator.
13. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming method of claim 9 , warming comprises operating the active thermal-warming valve in at least two of a deactivated mode, a partial-flow mode, a full-flow mode, a limp mode, and a shut-off mode.
14. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming method of claim 9 , comprising the active thermal-warming valve operating in a deactivated mode such that the hydraulic fluid does not flow through the active thermal-warming valve.
15. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming method of claim 9 , wherein the warming comprises the active thermal-warming valve operating in a partial-flow mode such that the hydraulic fluid flows through the active thermal-warming valve in an intermediate amount between a deactivated mode and a full-flow mode.
16. The aircraft thermal hydraulic active-warming method of claim 9 , wherein the warming comprises the active thermal-warming valve operating in a full-flow mode such that the hydraulic fluid flows through the active thermal-warming valve at a maximal amount.