Patents by Inventor Nathan O. Packard

Nathan O. Packard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10316753
    Abstract: Pre-cooler inlet ducts that utilize active flow-control and systems and methods including the same are disclosed herein. The systems include a pre-cooler inlet duct for a jet engine that is configured to receive a pre-cooler air stream and to direct the pre-cooler air stream into a heat exchanger. The pre-cooler inlet duct includes a flow-directing surface, which defines at least a portion of the pre-cooler inlet duct, and an active flow-control device. The active flow-control device is located to modify a boundary layer fluid flow within a boundary layer adjacent the flow-directing surface to resist separation of the boundary layer from the flow-directing surface when the pre-cooler air stream flows through the pre-cooler inlet duct. The methods include methods of resisting boundary layer separation in the pre-cooler inlet duct by flowing the pre-cooler air stream across the flow-directing surface and modifying the boundary layer with the active flow-control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Nathan O. Packard, Robert H. Willie, Paul R. Tretow
  • Publication number: 20160084165
    Abstract: Pre-cooler inlet ducts that utilize active flow-control and systems and methods including the same are disclosed herein. The systems include a pre-cooler inlet duct for a jet engine that is configured to receive a pre-cooler air stream and to direct the pre-cooler air stream into a heat exchanger. The pre-cooler inlet duct includes a flow-directing surface, which defines at least a portion of the pre-cooler inlet duct, and an active flow-control device. The active flow-control device is located to modify a boundary layer fluid flow within a boundary layer adjacent the flow-directing surface to resist separation of the boundary layer from the flow-directing surface when the pre-cooler air stream flows through the pre-cooler inlet duct. The methods include methods of resisting boundary layer separation in the pre-cooler inlet duct by flowing the pre-cooler air stream across the flow-directing surface and modifying the boundary layer with the active flow-control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Nathan O. Packard, Robert H. Willie, Paul R. Tretow