US 12,331,767 B2
Adjustable flow control systems
Bradley Jerome Rafferty, St. Louis, MO (US); and Rene Woszidlo, Lawrence, KS (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Aug. 31, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/823,700.
Prior Publication US 2024/0068495 A1, Feb. 29, 2024
Int. Cl. F15D 1/12 (2006.01); B64C 21/08 (2023.01); F15D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC F15D 1/12 (2013.01) [B64C 21/08 (2013.01); F15D 1/00 (2013.01); F15D 1/008 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An adjustable flow control system comprising:
a fluid source configured to generate a fluid flow;
a mass-flux device with an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is in fluid communication with the fluid source to receive the fluid flow, the fluid flow is transferred from the inlet to the outlet, and the outlet has an exit area with a variable geometry; and
a controller configured to:
calculate a first particular exit area of the mass-flux device to achieve a flow performance metric;
calculate a fluid property of the fluid flow to produce the flow performance metric based on the first particular exit area;
after determining that the fluid source is unable to generate the fluid flow to match the fluid property based on the first particular exit area, calculate a second particular exit area of the mass-flux device to achieve the flow performance metric; and
after determining that the fluid source is able to generate the fluid flow to match the fluid property based on the second particular exit area, control the variable geometry of the exit area of the mass-flux device to establish the second particular exit area.