Variable Area Inlet for Vehicle Thermal Control

Inventor

Thomas R. Layne
Milton E. Franke, Air Force Institute of Technology
Darrell B. Ridgedly

Abstract

A variable area inlet structure for a vehicle utilizing ram air for coolant is described which comprises a variable area inlet device in the ram air inlet in the form of a butterfly valve, damper, shutter, or similar structure, a temperature sensor in thermal contact with a component within the vehicle to be cooled by ram air flow, a controller and actuator, responsive to the temperature sensor and operatively connected to the variable area device, for controlling the inlet area in response to the component temperature.

Document Type

Patent

Status

Issued

Issue Date

4-20-1999

Patent Number

US 5894987 A [5,894,987]

CPC Classification

B60H1/00835

Application number

08/863636

Assignees

Government of the United States, as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, DC (US)

Filing Date

5-26-1997

Recommended Citation

Layne, Thomas R., Milton E. Franke, and Darrell B. Ridgedly. Variable Area Inlet for Vehicle Thermal Control. United States Patent 5894987 (A), issued 20 April 1999. https://scholar.afit.edu/patents/53