AIR INLET APPARATUS USED IN RELATION TO HIGH-SPEED AIRBORNE MOBILE PLATFORM AND USED ON FUSELAGE OF JET AIRCRAFT, AIRCRAFT AND METHOD FOR FORMING INLET ON OUTER SURFACE OF FUSELAGE OF JET AIRCRAFT

摘要

PPROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inlet apparatus and method for use with a cabin air compressor on a high-speed airborne mobile platform such as a commercial or military aircraft. PSOLUTION: This apparatus includes a Pitot inlet of a desired shape supported outside an exterior surface of the fuselage of the aircraft by a diverter structure. The diverter structure diverts a low energy portion of a boundary layer so that the lower energy portion does not enter the Pitot inlet. The Pitot inlet receives the higher energy portion of the boundary layer and channels a ram airflow to an inlet of the cabin air compressor. The apparatus provides a recovery factor (RF) of at least about 0.8 at the inlet face of the cabin air compressor (CAC), which keeps the electric power required to drive the CAC within available power limits while minimizing air resistance of the inlet apparatus. PCOPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT