CN116588325A - Vortex generator and aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

The application relates to a vortex generator which is arranged on the aerodynamic surface of an aircraft and comprises: a support shaft fixedly mounted to the pneumatic surface; and a vane pivotally mounted to the support shaft, wherein the vortex generator further comprises a memory alloy spring, a first end of the memory alloy spring being attached to the support shaft and a second end of the memory alloy spring being attached to the vane, wherein an initial length of the memory alloy spring varies with temperature to rotate the vane about the support shaft between a first position and a second position. The vortex generator can actively adjust the deflection angle of the vortex generator along with the change of the ambient temperature, effectively control the separation of air flow and the airfoil, reduce the separation degree of the airfoil, simultaneously not additionally increase redundant resistance, and realize the aims of increasing the lift force of the aircraft, improving the moment characteristic and damping. Furthermore, the application relates to an aircraft comprising a vortex generator.

Description

Vortex generator and aircraft

Technical Field

The present application relates to the technical field of aerodynamic design of an aircraft, and in particular to a vortex generator arranged on the aerodynamic surface of an aircraft. The application further relates to an aircraft comprising such a vortex generator.

Background

In aircraft such as aircraft, at large angles of attack, airflow separation phenomena can occur on the aircraft's airfoils in order to mitigate such airflow separation phenomena. Vortex generators are commonly mounted on aircraft airfoils (e.g., the airfoil of the lower single wing of an aircraft), nacelle, flaps, and the like to reduce airflow separation at the upper surface of the aircraft airfoil at high angles of attack. However, the installation angle of the traditional vortex generator is fixed and cannot be adjusted, so that the traditional vortex generator cannot adapt to different cruising speeds of an aircraft and cannot flexibly meet different lift force requirements.

In the patent of the application filed by boeing company at 18/09/2015 under publication number CN105438440a entitled "vortex generator responsive to environmental conditions", a vortex generator responsive to environmental conditions is disclosed. The vortex generator is in an extended state when the air flow or free incoming flow speed is small, and when the free incoming flow speed is increased, the free incoming flow applies work to the vortex generator blades, and the compression spring enables the spring to be in a balanced state of force and moment to achieve a retracted state of the vortex generator (as shown in figures 1 and 2). However, such vortex generator deflection angles act on the vortex generator blades by free incoming flow, which increases drag, reduces the fuel efficiency of the aircraft, and may lead to vibrations of the aircraft aeroplane airfoil and thus the aircraft, reduces the corresponding component life and to some extent affects the passenger seating experience.

Accordingly, there is a strong need to provide an improved vortex generator that overcomes one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art.

Disclosure of Invention

The application aims to provide the vortex generator which can realize the active adjustment of the deflection angle of the vortex generator along with the change of the ambient temperature, effectively control the separation of air flow and the airfoil, and realize the aims of increasing the lift force and torque (possible lift-drag ratio) and shock absorption of an aircraft without additionally increasing redundant resistance while reducing the separation degree of the airfoil.

According to one aspect of the application, a vortex generator is proposed, which may be provided on an aerodynamic surface of an aircraft and may comprise:

a support shaft fixedly mounted to the pneumatic surface; and

a blade pivotally mounted to the support shaft,

wherein the vortex generator may further comprise a memory alloy spring, a first end of the memory alloy spring being attached to the support shaft and a second end of the memory alloy spring being attached to the blade,

wherein the initial length of the memory alloy spring changes with the change of temperature to drive the blade to rotate around the supporting shaft between the first position and the second position.

Such a vortex generator can actively change the angle of the blade of the vortex generator by changing the length (e.g., initial length or free length) of the memory alloy spring with a change in temperature. For example, when the aircraft is in a low speed condition (e.g., at takeoff, landing, etc.), where the temperature is relatively high, the blades of the vortex generator deflect, e.g., to a predetermined angle, to create a strong vortex. At high speeds (e.g., at cruising, etc.), when the temperature is relatively low, the vanes of the vortex generator may retract, e.g., align with the air flow or free incoming flow, so as to not generate vortices or generate as little vortices as possible, and reduce aerodynamic drag and avoid vibration. In this way, a variation, in particular an active variation, of the vortex generator angle with the ambient temperature is achieved.

According to the above aspect of the present application, preferably, the memory alloy spring may be wound from a memory alloy wire, the memory alloy spring having a first length at a first temperature and a second length at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, wherein the second length is greater than the first length.

In the prior art, the vortex generator realizes deformation and bearing respectively through a plurality of parts, and according to the vortex generator, the two functions of deformation and bearing of stress can be realized simultaneously through the memory alloy spring wound by the memory alloy wire. For example, as the temperature increases from a first temperature to a second temperature, the memory alloy wire may elongate, thereby stretching the spring and thereby pushing the blades of the vortex generator to deflect. At this point, the force experienced by the vortex generator will in turn compress the spring. In this process, the initial amount of stretching is temperature dependent only, while the amount of compression experienced is related to the load bearing (the load bearing is related to the swirl generator deflection angle and the flight condition), and the final amount of stretching is the result of the combination of the initial stretching and the load bearing compression. Therefore, the memory alloy spring can be used as a driver and a bearing part at the same time, can directly sense the change of the ambient temperature and the speed, can avoid unexpected actions caused by the influence of the temperature, and has higher reliability.

According to the above aspect of the present application, preferably, the vortex generator may further include a heater for heating the memory alloy spring to controllably change the temperature of the memory alloy spring. Therefore, the deflection angle of the blade of the vortex generator can be controlled more accurately, the aircraft can adapt to more complex and changeable environmental conditions, and the adaptability of the aircraft in various environments is improved.

According to the above aspect of the present application, preferably, the heater may be an electric heater, and may include a heating wire electrically connecting the memory alloy spring with the power source, and a power source. In this way, electrical heating of the memory alloy spring, such as resistive or inductive heating, etc., can be achieved to improve the reliability and controllability of the heating.

According to the above aspect of the application, preferably, the vane may include a boss rotatably mounted to the support shaft and a vane body radially extending from the boss, the vane body including a first vane and a second vane, the first vane and the second vane being fixed to the boss respectively,

the memory alloy springs may include a first memory alloy spring and a second memory alloy spring;

wherein a first end of the first memory alloy spring is fixed to the support shaft and a second end of the first memory alloy spring is fixed to the first blade; and is also provided with

The first end of the second memory alloy spring is fixed to the support shaft, and the second end of the second memory alloy spring is fixed to the second blade.

Through the mode, the arrangement mode of the vortex generator can be more flexible, and the stress condition of the vortex generator is balanced, so that more application scene requirements are met.

According to the above aspect of the application, it is preferable that the first memory alloy spring and the second memory alloy spring are arranged symmetrically about the pivot axis of the support shaft such that the first blade and the second blade are substantially in line in the first position and the second position.

Due to this symmetrical arrangement, the torques acting on the bearing shaft by the first and second blades substantially cancel each other out when the air flow passes through the vortex generator, thereby improving the stress situation of the vortex generator and thus the life of the vortex generator and the aerodynamic surface on which it is mounted. In addition, by the in-line arrangement of the first and second blades, the effective active area of the blades of the vortex generator is significantly increased, thereby further reducing the airflow separation situation and enhancing the lift, in particular during take-off and landing of the aircraft.

According to the above aspect of the application, it is preferable that the first memory alloy spring and the second memory alloy spring are arranged symmetrically about a symmetry plane in the air flow direction, the symmetry plane being defined by the pivot axis of the support shaft and a transverse axis perpendicular to the air flow direction and the pivot axis, such that in the second position the first blade and the second blade are in line, and in the first position an angle of more than 100 ° and less than 180 ° is formed between the first blade and the second blade.

By this arrangement, the aircraft is enabled to accommodate more complex take-off or landing scenarios, such as in the presence of lateral airflow, etc.

According to the above aspect of the present application, preferably, the blade body may include a first side and a second side opposite to the first side to form a hollow space therebetween, a mounting bracket is provided in the hollow space, a first end of the mounting bracket is fixed to the support shaft through a guide opening provided in the boss,

wherein a first end of the memory alloy spring is fixed to the mounting bracket for attachment to the support shaft via the mounting bracket and a second end of the memory alloy spring is attached to a first side of the blade body of the blade.

With this arrangement, on the one hand, the weight of the vortex generator can be reduced and the outer surface of the vortex generator can be made smoother to reduce aerodynamic drag. In addition, by the arrangement of the guide openings, the guide openings can be used as a limit structure to restrict the extreme positions of the pivoting of the blade between the first position and the second position, thereby further improving the reliability of the vortex generator.

According to the above aspect of the application, preferably, the vortex generator may further comprise a biasing member, which may be made of metal, for example, the biasing member being disposed opposite the memory alloy spring with respect to the mounting bracket, wherein the biasing member is disposed in the guide opening with a first end of the biasing member disposed against a distal end of the guide opening and a second end of the biasing member disposed against the support shaft, the biasing member biasing the blade body towards the second position.

In this way, the vortex generator can be ensured to be in the initial state of retracting the blade body to the second position in the high-speed cruising state, thereby acting together with the memory alloy spring and achieving double guarantee.

According to the above aspect of the application, preferably, the vortex generator may further comprise a memory alloy wire, a first end of the memory alloy wire being fixed to the mounting bracket, and a second end of the memory alloy wire being fixed to the second side of the blade body of the blade,

wherein the length of the memory alloy wire, in particular its initial length, may vary with temperature and the lengths of the memory alloy wire and the memory alloy spring vary in opposite directions with temperature, e.g. the memory alloy wire stretches and the memory alloy spring shortens with the same temperature variation.

In this way, when the temperature changes, the memory alloy wires and the memory alloy springs can respectively apply pulling force and pushing force to the blades in opposite directions, so that the final acting force of the wires and the springs to the blades is the same, the acting force for pivoting the blades around the supporting shaft is further increased, and the reliability of the vortex generator is improved.

According to the above aspect of the present application, preferably, the angle of the vane between the first position and the second position may be in the range of between 0 ° and 40 °, and more preferably, the angle of the vane between the first position and the second position is about 20 °, so that the vortex generator has a better vortex generating effect in the first position.

According to the above aspect of the present application, preferably, in order to further improve the vortex generating effect of the vortex generator in the first position, the vortex generator may include a plurality of blade bodies arranged in parallel with each other and in a straight line on the aerodynamic surface; or the blade bodies of adjacent vortex generators are arranged in an eight-shaped way.

According to a further aspect of the application, an aircraft is proposed, which may comprise a vortex generator according to the above aspect.

Thus, the vortex generator according to the application meets the requirements of use, overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and achieves the intended aim.

Drawings

For a further clear description of the vortex generator according to the application, the application will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings and to the detailed description, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of prior art vortex generators;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a vortex generator disposed on a aerodynamic surface of an aircraft in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a vortex generator according to a first non-limiting embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the vortex generator shown in FIG. 4 in a first position and a second position;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a portion of the vortex generator shown in FIG. 4;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are further schematic views of the vortex generator shown in FIG. 4 in a second position and a first position, respectively;

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a vortex generator according to a second non-limiting embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a vortex generator according to a third non-limiting embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a vortex generator according to a fourth non-limiting embodiment of the present application;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are schematic views of two arrangements of the vortex generator shown in FIG. 11 in a first position and a second position, respectively;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of a first arrangement of vortex generators on a aerodynamic surface of an aircraft in accordance with the present application;

FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a second arrangement of vortex generators on a aerodynamic surface of an aircraft in accordance with the present application;

FIGS. 16 and 17 are flow diagrams of the use of a vortex generator and the use of a vortex generator according to the present application, respectively;

FIG. 18 is a lift curve comparison of the use of vortex generators without and in accordance with the present application; and

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of torque curve comparison for a vortex generator not in use and a vortex generator in accordance with the present application.

The figures are merely schematic and are not drawn to scale.

List of reference numerals in the figures and examples:

a 100-vortex generator comprising:

10-supporting shaft, comprising:

10A-a pivot axis;

20-blade comprising:

a 21-sleeve, comprising:

21A-a guide opening;

22-blade body, comprising:

22A-first blade;

22B-a second blade;

221-a first side;

222-a second side;

23-mounting a bracket;

a 30-memory alloy spring comprising:

31-a first end;

32-a second end;

30A-a first memory alloy spring;

30B-a second memory alloy spring;

l1-a first length;

l2-a second length;

40-a biasing member;

a 50-memory alloy wire comprising:

51-a first end;

52-a second end;

a 60-heater, comprising:

61-heating wires;

62-power supply;

63-a temperature sensor;

64-temperature control means;

200-pneumatic surface;

f-direction of air flow.

Detailed Description

It is to be understood that the application may assume various alternative orientations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It should be further understood that the specific devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed and defined herein. Thus, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the particular orientations, directions, or other physical characteristics to which the various embodiments disclosed relate should not be considered limiting.

The present application provides a vortex generator that may be used for placement on an aerodynamic surface of an aircraft, such as in a skin, nacelle, wing, flap, etc. of an aircraft such as an aircraft.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of vortex generator 100 disposed on aerodynamic surface 200 of an aircraft in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present application.

As shown and as a non-limiting example, the vortex generator 100 may include a support shaft 10 and a vane 20, the support shaft 10 may be in the form of a generally cylindrical support post, one end of which is fixedly mounted to the aerodynamic surface 200, e.g., via riveting, welding, and/or adhesive bonding, etc., and the vane 20 may be pivotally mounted to the support shaft 10.

In the high speed cruising state of the aircraft, the vortex generator 100 (in particular, the blades 20 thereof) may be adjusted to follow the airflow direction F to reduce the resistance generated by the vortex generator in high speed flight, and in the low speed state, the vortex generator 100 (in particular, the blades 20 thereof) may be adjusted to form a predetermined angle with the airflow direction F to generate strong vortex to reduce airflow separation.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a vortex generator 100 according to a first non-limiting embodiment of the present application; and figure 5 is a schematic view of the vortex generator 100 shown in figure 4 in a first position and a second position.

As an illustration, the position of the blade 20 shown by the broken line in fig. 5 is the first position, and the position of the blade 20 shown by the solid line is the second position.

As shown, the vortex generator 10 according to the present application further comprises a memory alloy spring 30. The memory alloy spring 30 acts as a temperature sensor and actuator (driver) of the vortex generator 100 for controlling the movement of the blade 20, for example, also in cooperation with the force of the air flow on the blade 20.

For example, the memory alloy spring 30 may be wound with a memory alloy wire, and the memory alloy spring 30 may be self-elongated or shortened with a change in temperature due to the characteristics of the memory alloy. The memory alloy spring 30 may be made of memory alloys including, but not limited to, the following alloy types: such as nickel-titanium based shape memory alloys (Ni-Ti SMA), copper based shape memory alloys (Cu SMA), iron based shape memory alloys (Fe SMA), combinations thereof, and the like. The types of these memory alloys are well known in the art and therefore the application will not be described in detail.

As a non-limiting example, the memory alloy spring 30 may have a first length L1 at a first temperature and a second length L2 at a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature, wherein the second length L2 is greater than the first length L1.

The first temperature may for example be a lower temperature (the aircraft is in high altitude, e.g. cruising) than a predetermined temperature threshold, which may depend on the material properties of the memory alloy. At this time, the memory alloy spring 30 may be in a contracted state, with an initial length of L1.

The second temperature may be a higher temperature (the aircraft is in low altitude or on the ground, e.g. in takeoff, landing conditions) than a predetermined temperature threshold. Likewise, the temperature threshold may depend on the material properties of the memory alloy. When the memory alloy spring 30 increases from the first temperature to the second temperature due to a change in the ambient temperature, the memory alloy spring 30 may expand and elongate to a certain initial length L2, where L2 > L1. In addition, the expansion temperature or length can be set by those skilled in the art according to the requirements, for example, l2=1.5×l1, l2=2×l1 or l2=2.5×l1.

As used herein, the initial length refers to the free length of the memory alloy spring 30 when no elastic deformation occurs. At this time, the memory alloy spring 30 is not subjected to the force of the blade 20 or other force applied in the axial direction of the memory alloy spring 30, and thus is not compressed or stretched.

As shown in detail in fig. 4, the memory alloy spring 30 may be in the form of a generally cylindrical linear coil spring and may have a first end 31 and a second end 32. For example, the first end 31 may be attached to the support shaft 10, for example, via the mounting bracket 23 shown in the drawings and described in further detail below, while the second end 32 may be attached to the blade 20.

As described above, the length (e.g., the initial length or the free length) of the memory alloy spring 30 is changed with a change in temperature to rotate the blade 20 around the support shaft 10 between the first position and the second position. For example, at lower temperatures, the initial length (or natural length) of the memory alloy spring 30 is shorter such that the blade 20 is in the second position, while at higher temperatures, the initial length of the memory alloy spring 30 is longer such that the blade 20 is in the first position, and vice versa.

In addition, it should be appreciated that since the memory alloy spring 30 is also subjected to the force of the free-flowing flow on the blade 20 of the vortex generator 100, the actual length of the memory alloy spring 30 may be different from its initial length at a predetermined temperature, i.e., the memory alloy spring 30 is elastically deformed, e.g., elongated or shortened, depending on the flow rate of the free-flowing flow and other parameters.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the vortex generator 100 shown in FIG. 4; while figures 7 and 8 are another schematic views of the vortex generator 100 shown in figure 4 in a first position and a second position, respectively.

As shown in fig. 4-8, the blade 20 may include a hub 21 and a blade body 22. The sleeve 21 is rotatably mounted to the support shaft 10 and may be any type of sleeve known in the art, such as a wear sleeve or the like.

As a non-limiting example, the sleeve 21 may be in the form of a cylindrical hollow sleeve, which sleeve 21 may be made of metal and its internal dimensions cooperate with the supporting shaft 10. The boss 21 may be provided with a guide opening 21A, and the guide opening 21A may have a substantially rectangular projection and extend along the circumferential direction of the boss 21.

With continued reference to FIG. 4, the blade body 22 may extend radially from the hub 21 and may have a rectangular or airfoil shape. In addition, the blade body 22 may have a thickness and may be a generally hollow blade structure.

As shown, the blade body 22 may include a first side 221 and a second side 222 opposite the first side, and the first side 221 and the second side 222 may extend parallel to each other, for example, in the same radial direction (toward the lower right in fig. 4) from a circumferential position of the hub 21 opposite with respect to the axis thereof, and a hollow space is formed between the first side 221 and the second side 222. A mounting bracket 23 may be provided in the hollow space, the mounting bracket 23 may be in the form of a rod or a column, and a first end of the mounting bracket 23 may be fixed to the support shaft 10 through a guide opening 21A provided in the sleeve 21.

As shown in detail in fig. 4, the vortex generator 100 further comprises a biasing member 40, which biasing member 40 may be made of metal, for example. For example, the biasing member 40 may be a spring, such as a cylindrical coil spring. The biasing member 40 may be disposed opposite the memory alloy spring 30 with respect to the mounting bracket 23. As an example, the biasing member 40 may be disposed in the guide opening 21A, wherein a first end of the biasing member 40 is disposed against a distal end of the guide opening 21A (e.g., the left end shown in fig. 4) and a second end of the biasing member 40 is disposed against the mounting bracket 23, the biasing member 40 being used to bias the blade body 22 toward the second position.

As such, when the vortex generator 20 is in the second or initial position (i.e., the memory alloy spring 30 is in the low temperature contracted position), the biasing member 40 may assist in aligning the blade 20 with the airflow, thereby placing the vortex generator 100 in a retracted state at the high speed cruise condition.

As shown in fig. 4, a first end 31 of the memory alloy spring 30 may be secured (e.g., snapped, fastened, welded, etc.) to the mounting bracket 23 for attachment to the support shaft 10 via the mounting bracket 23, while a second end 32 of the memory alloy spring 30 may be attached (e.g., snapped, fastened, welded, etc.) to the first side 221 of the blade body 22 of the blade 20.

Thus, one end of the memory alloy spring 30 is fixed, and the other end of the memory alloy spring 30 is connected to the blade 20. The vane 20 is connected to the support shaft 10 by a sleeve 21, and is rotatable about the support shaft 10. The blade 20 is aligned with the incoming flow in the initial position with the memory alloy spring 30 in the contracted state. When the ambient temperature is high, or when the heating device is activated as described in detail below, the memory alloy spring 30 expands, driving the vane 20 to rotate about the support shaft 20 to an angle with the incoming air flow (as shown in fig. 5).

As shown in fig. 5-8 and as a non-limiting example, the angle of the vanes 20 between the first position and the second position may be in the range of between 0 ° and 40 °, and more preferably the angle of the vanes between the first position and the second position is about 20 °. Further, it should be appreciated that one skilled in the art can adjust the angle between the blade 20 and the incoming air flow after the memory alloy spring 30 expands by adjusting the properties of the memory alloy spring 30 as desired.

Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a vortex generator 100 according to a second non-limiting embodiment of the present application. The vortex generator 100 according to the second non-limiting embodiment of the present application is substantially identical to the components, structures and courses of action of the vortex generator 100 described above with respect to fig. 3-8, except for the distinguishing structures or arrangements described below. Accordingly, these repeated components, structures and courses of action are not described in detail below for clarity, and details of portions of the repeated components and structures of vortex generator 100 are omitted from fig. 9.

The vortex generator 100 shown in fig. 9 further includes a heater 60, which heater 60 may be used to heat the memory alloy spring 30 to controllably vary the temperature of the memory alloy spring 30. The temperature range of the shape change of the memory alloy spring 30 can be set according to the application.

As shown, the heater 60 may be an electric heater and includes a heating wire 61 and a power source 62, the heating wire 61 electrically connecting the memory alloy spring 30 with the power source 62.

According to the present application, the heating wire 61 may be used for resistive or inductive heating, and the heating wire 61 may be arranged in heat transfer relationship to be coupled to the memory alloy spring 30 to control the temperature of the memory alloy spring 30.

In alternative embodiments, the heating wire 61 may be used only as an electrical lead and electrically connected to the memory alloy spring 30. In this case, the resistance of the substantially spiral memory alloy spring 30 itself is actually used for resistive heating.

In addition, to better control the temperature of the memory alloy spring 30, the heater 60 may further include a temperature sensor 63 and a temperature control device 64.

The temperature sensor 63 may be, for example, any type of temperature sensor known in the art, such as a thermocouple, for sensing the real-time temperature of the memory alloy spring 30, and may send the sensed temperature to the controller 64, such as via wireless or wired transmission.

As a non-limiting example, temperature control device 64 may include electronic components such as a controller and memory. The controller may be embodied as an application specific integrated circuit chip and/or some other type of very highly integrated circuit chip. Alternatively, the controller may take the form of a microprocessor or discrete electrical and electronic components. The controller may issue a control signal to control the temperature of the memory alloy spring 30 based on signals received from a sensor, such as the temperature sensor 63, and instructions stored in a memory (not shown).

The memory may include a non-transitory storage medium that electronically stores information. The memory may include one or more of optically readable storage media, charge-based storage media (e.g., EEPROM, RAM, etc.), solid-state storage media (e.g., flash drive, etc.), and/or other electronically readable storage media. The electronic memory may store a table of length versus temperature correspondence for the memory alloy spring 30, a temperature control program or set of instructions, a temperature control algorithm, information determined by a processor, information received from a sensor, or other information that implements the functionality as described herein.

Although not shown in the drawings, the present application may employ various types of controllers and memories as long as they are capable of implementing the control functions as described herein.

Fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a vortex generator 100 according to a third non-limiting embodiment of the present application. The vortex generator 100 according to the third non-limiting embodiment of the present application is identical to the components, structures and operational processes of the vortex generator 100 described above with respect to fig. 3-8 and 9, except for the distinguishing structures or arrangements described below. Accordingly, these repeated components, structures and courses of action are not described in detail below for clarity, and details of portions of the repeated components and structures of the vortex generator 100 are omitted from fig. 10.

The vortex generator 100 shown in fig. 10 may also include a memory alloy wire 50. The memory alloy wire 50 may be of a generally rectilinear configuration and includes a first end 51 and a second end 52.

Preferably, the length of the memory alloy wire 50 (e.g., in particular its initial length) may likewise vary with temperature, and the lengths of the memory alloy wire 50 and the memory alloy spring 30 vary in opposite directions with temperature. That is, the length of the memory alloy wire 50 is shortened while the memory alloy spring 30 is elongated due to the temperature rise.

As a non-limiting example, the first end 51 of the memory alloy wire 50 may be secured to the mounting bracket 23, while the second end 52 of the memory alloy wire 50 may be secured to the second side 222 of the blade body 22 of the blade 20.

In addition, the heater 60 as described above with respect to fig. 9 may also be applied to the embodiment of fig. 10, in which case the heater 60 may be used to selectively heat the memory alloy spring 30 and the memory alloy wire 50 simultaneously or separately to controllably vary the temperature of the memory alloy spring 30 and the memory alloy wire 50, thereby controlling their lengths to more precisely control the deflection angle of the blade 20. Likewise, the temperature ranges of the morphological changes of the memory alloy spring 30 and the memory alloy wire 50 can be set according to the application.

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a vortex generator 100 according to a fourth non-limiting embodiment of the present application; and figures 12 and 13 are schematic illustrations of two arrangements of the vortex generator 100 shown in figure 11 in a first position and a second position, respectively.

As shown, the vane body 22 of the vortex generator 100 of this embodiment may include a first vane 22A and a second vane 22B, the first vane 22A and the second vane 22B being fixed to the boss 21, respectively. In addition, the memory alloy spring 30 may also include a first memory alloy spring 30A and a second memory alloy spring 30B.

As an example, a first end of the first memory alloy spring 30A may be fixed to the support shaft 10, and a second end of the first memory alloy spring 30A may be fixed to the first blade 22A; and a first end of the second memory alloy spring 30B is fixed to the support shaft 10, and a second end of the second memory alloy spring 30B is fixed to the second blade 22B.

As a first two-leaf arrangement, as schematically shown in fig. 12, the first memory alloy spring 30A and the second memory alloy spring 30B may be symmetrically arranged about the pivot axis 10A of the support shaft 10 such that in both the first position and the second position, the first leaf 22A and the second leaf 22B are arranged substantially in a straight line.

As a second double-vane arrangement, as schematically shown in fig. 13, the first memory alloy spring 30A and the second memory alloy spring 30B are arranged symmetrically about a symmetry plane in the air flow direction F, which is defined by the pivot axis 10A of the support shaft 10 and a transverse axis perpendicular to the air flow direction F and the pivot axis 10A. Thus, in the second position (shown in solid lines in fig. 13), the first and second blades 22A, 22B may be substantially straight, while in the first position (shown in broken lines in fig. 13), the first and second blades 22A, 22B may form an included angle therebetween that is greater than 100 ° and less than 180 °.

Fig. 14 is a schematic view of a first arrangement of vortex generators 100 on an aerodynamic surface 200 of an aircraft according to the present application. In this arrangement, the vortex generators 100 comprise a plurality and are arranged in line on said aerodynamic surface 200 in the longitudinal direction of the airfoil, and the blade bodies of adjacent vortex generators are arranged substantially parallel to each other.

Fig. 15 is a schematic view of a second arrangement of vortex generators 100 on an aerodynamic surface 200 of an aircraft according to the application. In this arrangement, the vortex generators 100 comprise a plurality and are arranged in line on said aerodynamic surface 200 in the longitudinal direction of the airfoil, and the blade bodies of adjacent vortex generators are arranged substantially in an "eight" or inverted "eight" shape to each other.

Fig. 16 and 17 are flow charts of the use of the vortex generator 100 according to the present application and the use of the vortex generator, respectively. As shown, when the vortex generator 100 is used, strong vortices are generated on the aerodynamic surface 200, reducing airflow separation.

FIG. 18 is a lift curve comparison of the use of vortex generators without and in accordance with the present application; and figure 19 is a schematic diagram of a comparison of torque curves (CMz-CL) without and with a vortex generator according to the present application. As shown, the horizontal axis AOA in fig. 18 represents the Angle of Attack (Angle of Attack), and the vertical axis CL represents the lift coefficient; whereas the horizontal axis CL in fig. 19 represents the lift coefficient, the vertical axis CMz represents the pitching moment.

As shown, the lift and moment (and lift-drag ratio) conditions of an aircraft are improved when using the vortex generator 100 according to the present application. At the same angle of attack, the lift coefficient is increased when using the vortex generator 100 according to the application, which improves the lift especially in high angle of attack flight conditions. For example, when the vortex generator 100 is arranged in the second arrangement shown in fig. 15, the lift coefficient is raised by about 4%. While improving the moment characteristics, the moment kick-up is retarded by about 1 degree.

The terms "first," "second," and the like, as used herein to describe an orientation or orientation, are merely for purposes of better understanding the principles of the application, as shown in the drawings and are not intended to limit the application. Unless otherwise indicated, all orders, orientations, or orientations are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one element/component/structure from another element/component/structure, and do not denote any particular order, order of operation, direction, or orientation unless otherwise indicated. For example, in alternative embodiments, a "first blade" may be a "second blade" and a "first end" may alternatively refer to a "second end".

In view of the above, the vortex generator 100 according to the embodiment of the present application overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art and achieves the intended objects.

While the vortex generator of the present application has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the above examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. Accordingly, the present application may be variously modified and changed within the spirit of the claims, and all such modifications and changes are intended to fall within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims (13)

1. A vortex generator (100) disposed on a aerodynamic surface (200) of an aircraft and comprising:

-a support shaft (10), said support shaft (10) being fixedly mounted to said pneumatic surface (200); and

a blade (20) pivotally mounted to the support shaft (10),

characterized in that the vortex generator (10) further comprises a memory alloy spring (30), a first end (31) of the memory alloy spring (30) being attached to the support shaft (10) and a second end (32) of the memory alloy spring (30) being attached to the blade (20),

wherein the initial length of the memory alloy spring (30) varies with temperature to drive the blade (20) to rotate about the support shaft (10) between a first position and a second position.

2. The vortex generator (100) of claim 1, wherein the memory alloy spring (30) is wound from a memory alloy wire, the memory alloy spring having a first length (L1) at a first temperature and a second length (L2) at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, wherein the second length (L2) is greater than the first length (L1).

3. The vortex generator (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the blade (20) comprises a hub (21) and a blade body (22) extending radially from the hub (21), the hub (21) being rotatably mounted to the supporting shaft (10), and the blade body (22) comprising a first blade (22A) and a second blade (22B), the first blade (22A) and the second blade (22B) being fixed to the hub (21), respectively,

the memory alloy spring (30) comprises a first memory alloy spring (30A) and a second memory alloy spring (30B);

wherein a first end of the first memory alloy spring (30A) is fixed to the support shaft (10), and a second end of the first memory alloy spring (30A) is fixed to the first blade (22A); and is also provided with

A first end of the second memory alloy spring (30B) is fixed to the support shaft (10), and a second end of the second memory alloy spring (30B) is fixed to the second blade (22B).

4. A vortex generator (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that the first memory alloy spring (30A) and the second memory alloy spring (30B) are symmetrically arranged about the pivot axis (10A) of the support shaft (10) such that in the first position and the second position the first blade (22A) and the second blade (22B) are in line.

5. A vortex generator (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that the first memory alloy spring (30A) and the second memory alloy spring (30B) are symmetrically arranged in the air flow direction (F) about a plane of symmetry defined by the pivot axis (10A) of the support shaft (10) and a transverse axis perpendicular to the air flow direction (F) and the pivot axis (10A) such that in the second position the first blade (22A) and the second blade (22B) are in line, whereas in the first position an angle between the first blade (22A) and the second blade (22B) is greater than 100 ° and less than 180 °.

6. A vortex generator (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that the blade body (22) comprises a first side (221) and a second side (222) opposite to the first side, so as to form a hollow space between the first side (221) and the second side (222), in which hollow space a mounting bracket (23) is arranged, the first end of the mounting bracket (23) being fixed to the support shaft (10) through a guide opening (21A) arranged in the bushing (21),

wherein a first end (31) of the memory alloy spring (30) is fixed to the mounting bracket (23) for attachment to the support shaft (10) via the mounting bracket (23), and a second end (32) of the memory alloy spring (30) is attached to the first side (221) of the blade body (22).

7. The vortex generator (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that the vortex generator (100) further comprises a biasing member (40), the biasing member (40) being arranged opposite the memory alloy spring (30) with respect to the mounting bracket (23), wherein the biasing member (40) is arranged in the guide opening (21A), a first end of the biasing member (40) being arranged against an end of the guide opening (21A) and a second end of the biasing member (40) being arranged against the support shaft (10), the biasing member (40) biasing the blade body (22) towards the second position.

8. The vortex generator (100) of claim 6, wherein the vortex generator (100) further comprises a memory alloy wire (50), a first end (51) of the memory alloy wire (50) being secured to the mounting bracket (23) and a second end (52) of the memory alloy wire (50) being secured to the second side (222) of the blade body (22),

wherein an initial length of the memory alloy wire (50) varies with a change in temperature, and a length of the memory alloy wire (50) and the memory alloy spring (30) varies in opposite directions with a change in temperature.

9. The vortex generator (100) according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the vortex generator (100) further comprises a heater (60), the heater (60) being adapted to heat the memory alloy spring (30) to controllably vary the temperature of the memory alloy spring (30).

10. The vortex generator (100) of claim 9, wherein the heater (60) is an electric heater and comprises a heating wire (61) and a power source (62), the heating wire (61) electrically connecting the memory alloy spring (30) with the power source (62).

11. The vortex generator (100) according to any of claims 1-8, wherein the angle of the vane (20) between the first position and the second position is in the range between 0 ° and 40 °.

12. The vortex generator (100) according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that the vortex generator (100) comprises a plurality and is arranged in line on the aerodynamic surface (200),

wherein the blade bodies of adjacent vortex generators are arranged parallel to each other; or alternatively

The blade bodies of adjacent vortex generators are arranged in an eight shape.

13. An aircraft comprising a vortex generator (100) according to any one of claims 1-12.