초록 ▼

The present invention reveals a method and apparatus for controlling the effective area and thrust vector angle of a fluid flow. In one embodiment, the fluid flow is controlled in an advanced, high aspect ratio, complex aperture geometry nozzle using asymmetric injection into the subsonic portion of

The present invention reveals a method and apparatus for controlling the effective area and thrust vector angle of a fluid flow. In one embodiment, the fluid flow is controlled in an advanced, high aspect ratio, complex aperture geometry nozzle using asymmetric injection into the subsonic portion of the fluid flow. The present invention vectors the primary flow by partially blocking the flow with an opposed flow across the flow field. A fluidic flow field is defined in a flow container that directs a pressurized, primary fluidic flow from the container towards an exit of the container. A nozzle may cooperate with the exit of the flow container to control the fluidic flow as it exits the flow container. One or more injectors associated with the container are proximate to the effect throat of the primary flow while other are located downstream of to introduce an opposing fluidic flow that interacts with the primary fluidic flow. A controller associated with the injectors directs the injectors to provide the opposing flow as needed to achieve a desired partial blockage of the primary flow, thereby vectoring the primary flow.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for vectoring a ducted primary flow through a three-dimensional (3D) small area expansion nozzle by varying a shape, cross-sectional area, or orientation of an effective throat or sonic plane within the ducted primary flow, comprising:an opening for accepting the primary flow; at least o

1. A system for vectoring a ducted primary flow through a three-dimensional (3D) small area expansion nozzle by varying a shape, cross-sectional area, or orientation of an effective throat or sonic plane within the ducted primary flow, comprising:an opening for accepting the primary flow; at least one primary injector located wherein said at least one injector is inclined to oppose the primary flow up-stream of said effective throat or sonic plane and within a convergent portion of the three-dimensional (3D) small area expansion nozzle; at least one supplemental injector wherein said at least one supplemental injector is located downstream of the at least one primary injector and within a divergent portion of the 3D small area expansion nozzle, wherein said at least one supplemental injector is inclined to oppose the primary flow, and wherein the at least one primary and supplemental injectors are arranged three-dimensionally and operable to continuously inject fluidic pulses to provide a flow field opposed to a subsonic portion of the primary flow in order to vector the primary flow, wherein the injection of fluidic pulses within the subsonic portion of the primary flow is operable to prevent shock formation; and at least one controller operable to direct said at least one primary and supplemental injector to provide a flow operable to dynamically vary the shape, cross-sectional area, or orientation of the effective throat or sonic plane. 2. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 1, further comprising:a physical throat, within a duct, wherein the physical throat comprises a region of lowest cross-sectional area, in the primary flow. 3. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 2 wherein a plurality of primary injectors is located proximate to said physical throat.4. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 3, wherein a plurality of secondary injectors are arranged to inject fluidic pulses to oppose the primary flow and in parallel to the intended vectoring plane.5. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 4 wherein the plurality of primary injectors and the plurality of secondary injectors inject fluidic pulses symmetrically, resulting in a change in a discharge coefficient in the nozzle.6. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 1 wherein injectors inject fluid pulses asymmetrically, to redirect the primary flow along an intended vectoring plane.7. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 1 wherein injected fluidic pulses comprises compressed gas.8. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 1 wherein injected fluidic pulses comprises fuel.9. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is operable to direct said at least one primary injector and/or said at least one supplemental injector to continuously inject fluidic pulses to dynamically vary the shape, cross-sectional area, or orientation of the effective throat or sonic plane.10. The system of claim 1, wherein a fluidic pulse from said at least one supplemental injector is operable to skew a boundary of the sonic plane of the primary flow towards said at least one supplemental injector.11. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary flow has a temperature and wherein said pulsed secondary flow throttles the primary flow by decreasing the effective cross sectional area of the effective throat to control said temperature of the primary flow.12. A system for vectoring a primary flow comprising:a nozzle having an inner surface and a physical throat, wherein the physical throat comprises a region within the nozzle of lowest cross-sectional area, the physical throat being situated in a path of the primary flow of fluid; a plurality of primary and secondary injectors arranged three-dimensionally along the inner surface of the nozzle, the plurality of injectors arranged to oppose the primary flow of fluid in a first intended vectoring plane, and wherein said primary injectors are operable to continuously inject fluidic pulses to dynamically vary the shape, cross-sectional area, or orientation of an effective throat or sonic plane within said nozzle; and at least one controller operable to direct said plurality of primary and supplemental injectors to provide a dynamic flow operable to dynamically vary the shape, cross-sectional area, or orientation of the effective throat or sonic plane. 13. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 12 wherein the plurality of injectors is located proximate to the physical throat.14. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 13, further comprising:a plurality of supplemental injectors located downstream of the physical throat and arranged along the inner surface of the nozzle, to oppose the primary flow in a second intended vectoring plane. 15. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 14 wherein the plurality of primary and supplemental injectors inject fluidic pulses asymmetrically, resulting in a change in a thrust vector associated with the primary flow of the fluid, the change in the thrust vector lying within the first and/or second intended vectoring plane.16. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 14, wherein said supplemental injectors are located proximate to the throat.17. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 16 wherein the plurality of primary and/or supplemental injectors inject fluidic pulses symmetrically, resulting in a change in a discharge coefficient for the nozzle.18. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 14, wherein the at least one controller is operable to direct said at least one primary injector and/or said at least one supplemental injector to continuously inject fluidic pulses to dynamically vary the shape, cross-sectional area, or orientation of the effective throat or sonic plane.19. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 12 wherein the injected fluidic pulses comprises compressed gas.20. The system for vectoring a primary flow of claim 12 wherein the injected fluidic pulses comprises fuel.21. A system for vectoring a primary flow in three dimensions by varying an effective throat or sonic plane within a ducted primary flow, comprising:a convergent portion of a nozzle operable to accept the primary flow; at least one primary injector located wherein said at least one injector is inclined to oppose the primary flow up-stream of said effective throat or sonic plane; at least one supplemental injector and wherein said at least one supplemental injector is located downstream of the at least one primary injector, wherein said at least one supplemental injector opposes the primary flow in the intended vectoring plane, wherein said injector opposes the primary flow and wherein the at least one primary and supplemental injectors are arranged three-dimensionally to provide a flow field comprising fluidic pulses and opposed to a subsonic portion of the primary flow in order to vector the primary flow; and at least one controller operable to direct said at least one primary and supplemental injector operable to provide a dynamic continuous flow operable to vary the effective throat or sonic plane. 22. A control system for vectoring a primary flow within a three-dimensional small area expansion ratio nozzle by varying an effective throat of the three-dimensional small area expansion ratio nozzle, comprising:an opening for accepting the primary flow; a smooth converging portion of the nozzle wherein the primary flow is at a subsonic velocity; a throat coupling said converging portion to a diverging portion of the three-dimensional nozzle downstream of said throat; a plurality of primary injectors located proximate to the throat wherein the plurality of primary injectors are inclined to oppose the primary flow; a plurality of supplemental injectors wherein the plurality of supplemental injectors are located in the three-dimensional nozzle downstream of the plurality of primary injectors, wherein the plurality of supplemental injectors are inclined to oppose the primary flow, and wherein the plurality of primary and supplemental injectors are arranged three-dimensionally to inject fluidic pulses to provide a cross flow field opposed to a subsonic portion of the primary flow in order to vary a shape, cross-sectional area, or orientation of an effective throat within the three-dimensional nozzle; and at least one controller operable to direct said plurality of primary and supplemental injector to provide a pulsed cross flow operable to vary the effective throat within the three-dimensional nozzle. 23. A control system for vectoring an exhaust flow within a three-dimensional small area expansion ratio nozzle of a jet engine by varying an effective throat of the three-dimensional small area expansion ratio nozzle, comprising:an opening for accepting the primary flow; a smooth converging portion of the nozzle wherein the primary flow is at a subsonic velocity; a throat coupling said converging portion to a diverging portion of the three-dimensional nozzle downstream of said throat; a plurality of primary injectors located proximate to the throat wherein the plurality of primary injectors are inclined to oppose the primary flow; a plurality of supplemental injectors wherein the plurality of supplemental injectors are located in the three-dimensional nozzle downstream of the plurality of primary injectors, wherein the plurality of supplemental injectors are inclined to oppose the primary flow, and wherein the plurality of primary and supplemental injectors are arranged three-dimensionally to provide a cross flow field opposed to a subsonic portion of the primary flow in order to vary an effective throat within the three-dimensional nozzle; and at least one controller operable to direct said plurality of primary and supplemental injector to provide a pulsed cross flow operable to vary the effective throat within the three-dimensional nozzle. 24. A three-dimensional (3D) small area expansion nozzle operable to dynamically control a direction and magnitude of a primary flow by varying a shape, cross-sectional area, or orientation of an effective throat or sonic plane within the 3D small area expansion nozzle, comprising:a convergent portion of the 3D small area expansion nozzle operable to accept the primary flow; a physical throat of the 3D small area expansion nozzle downstream of the convergent portion; a divergent portion of the 3D small area expansion nozzle downstream of the physical throat; at least one 3D array of primary injectors inclined to oppose the primary flow up-stream of the effective throat or sonic plane and located within a surface of the convergent portion of the 3D small area expansion nozzle, wherein the at least one 3D array of primary injectors is operable to continuously inject varying fluidic pulses; and at least one 3D array of secondary injectors inclined to oppose the primary flow up-stream of the effective throat or sonic plane and located within a divergent portion of the 3D small area expansion nozzle, wherein the at least one 3D array of primary injectors is operable to continuously inject varying fluidic pulses, and wherein the varying fluid pulses are operable to vary a shape, cross-sectional area, or orientation of the effective throat or sonic plane within the 3D small area expansion nozzle, and wherein the injection of fluidic pulses within the primary flow is operable to prevent shock formation. 25. A three-dimensional (3D) small area expansion nozzle operable to dynamically control a direction and magnitude of a primary flow by varying a shape, cross-sectional area, or orientation of an effective throat or sonic plane within the 3D small area expansion nozzle, comprising:a convergent portion of the 3D small area expansion nozzle operable to accept the primary flow; a physical throat of the 3D small area expansion nozzle downstream of the convergent portion operable to accept the primary flow; a divergent portion of the 3D small area expansion nozzle downstream of the physical throat operable to accept the primary flow; at least one 3D array of primary injectors inclined to oppose the primary flow up-stream of the effective throat or sonic plane and located within a surface of the convergent portion of the 3D small area expansion nozzle, wherein the at least one 3D array of primary injectors is operable to continuously inject varying fluidic pulses, and wherein the at least one 3D array of primary injectors is operably coupled to a control system; and at least one 3D array of secondary injectors inclined to oppose the primary flow up-stream of the effective throat or sonic plane and located within a divergent portion of the 3D small area expansion nozzle, wherein the at least one 3D array of primary injectors is operable to continuously inject varying fluidic pulses, and wherein the varying fluid pulses are operable to vary a shape, cross-sectional area, or orientation of the effective throat or sonic plane within the 3D small area expansion nozzle, and wherein the injection of fluidic pulses within the primary flow is operable to prevent shock formation, and wherein the at least one 3D array of primary injectors is operably coupled to a control system operable to direct vectoring of the primary flow.