US 12,313,101 B2
Thermal hydraulic active warming system
Carlos Alexander Fenny, Fort Worth, TX (US); David Perry Schultz, Grand Prairie, TX (US); Robert Reynolds, Euless, TX (US); and Rodney Cahoon, Argyle, TX (US)
Assigned to Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed by Bell Textron Inc., Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed on Nov. 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/519,321.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/212,296, filed on Jun. 18, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0402627 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. F15B 21/0427 (2019.01); F15B 1/26 (2006.01); F15B 15/14 (2006.01); F15B 15/20 (2006.01)
CPC F15B 21/0427 (2019.01) [F15B 1/26 (2013.01); F15B 15/1485 (2013.01); F15B 15/20 (2013.01); F15B 2211/41563 (2013.01); F15B 2211/426 (2013.01); F15B 2211/45 (2013.01); F15B 2211/62 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
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.