Flexible ducting system including an articulable sealed joint

This invention was made with government support under an agreement with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (agreement number MDA972-98-9-0009). The U.S. government has certain rights in this invention.

The present invention relates to a flexible ducting system and, more particularly, to a flexible ducting system including an articulable sealed joint.

Sealed ducting systems carry fluids such as high-pressure gas within many conventional assemblies. Sometimes, such ducting systems must be flexible. For example, some ducting systems must be flexible to accommodate movements of parts of the assembly. Some ducting systems require flexibility in a joint thereof. Designing a flexible sealed joint is challenging. The challenge is increased when the ducting system transports high-pressure and high-temperature fluids. For example, limited types of material can be used in ductwork of systems transporting fluids having a temperature above a few hundred degrees centigrade and/or that must be maintained at a pressure above about 20 psi. A robust flexible ducting system including an articulable sealed joint is needed for use in assemblies, especially those transporting high-pressure and high-temperature fluids.

The present invention relates to aircraft including an airframe having a fuselage extending longitudinally between a forward end and an aft end opposite the forward end and a set of fixed wings extending laterally from the fuselage. The aircraft further includes a power plant mounted on the airframe producing exhaust during operation of the aircraft for powering the aircraft. The aircraft also includes a rotor/wing assembly rotatably mounted on the airframe for selective rotation with respect to the airframe. The rotor/wing assembly has a plurality of blades and each blade extends outward from a root adjacent the airframe to a tip opposite the root. Each blade has an internal conduit extending through the blade between an inlet adjacent the root of the blade and an outlet downstream from the inlet. In addition, the aircraft includes a plurality of intermediate ducts. Each intermediate duct has an upstream end including a flange and a downstream end downstream from the upstream end slidably and pivotally connected to the inlet of a corresponding blade of the plurality of blades of the rotor/wing assembly. Moreover, the aircraft includes a manifold having an upstream end in fluid communication with the power plant and a plurality of downstream ends. Each downstream end includes a flange connected to an upstream end of a corresponding intermediate duct of the plurality of intermediate ducts for directing exhaust received by the manifold to the intermediate duct. The aircraft further includes a plurality of covers. Each cover is connected to one of the manifold flanges and covers a corresponding one of the intermediate duct flanges. The aircraft also includes a plurality of absorbers. Each absorber is positioned between one of the intermediate duct flanges and a corresponding one of the manifold flanges and extends between the intermediate duct flange and the cover covering the intermediate duct flange to allow limited movement of the intermediate duct flange with respect to the manifold flange and the cover.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to an assembly including an articulable sealed joint connecting a first duct and a second duct. The first duct has a first flange extending outward adjacent an edge thereof and the second duct has a second flange extending outward therefrom. The assembly includes a cover connected to the first flange of the first duct and covering the second flange of the second duct. The assembly further includes an absorber positioned between the first flange and the second flange and between the second flange and the cover allowing limited movement of the second flange with respect to the first flange and the cover. The assembly also includes a gasket positioned between the first flange and the absorber and between the first flange and the second flange.

Other aspects of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.