Evolutionary Streamlining Arrangements

…survival of the fittest…

The theory of evolution, developed by Charles Darwin, and the phrase coined by Herbert Spencer, “survival of the fittest”, are not only applicable to biology, but also to devices created by humankind. Means of transport, engines that propel them, and power generating machinery are very good examples, they have come a long way from their beginnings. Hydro- and aerodynamically streamlining played an important part in their evolution.

…matter accumulates in turbulent areas…

One can observe that matter accumulates in turbulent areas, for example, leaves and other debris gather in doorways, and one can also observe that turbulence-causing features on objects erode, if exposed to a flow of erosive fluid. Streamlining arrangements may employ these phenomena and facilitate the streamlining of fluid-dynamically challenged objects by exposing these to flowing fluids, and allowing, and/or causing the fluids, and/or matter, which may be suspended and/or dissolved in the fluids, to accumulate and/or adhere to the objects, and/or erode matter from the objects. Adherence and/or erosion of matter may be caused by physical and/or chemical means.

…more fuel efficient, faster and quieter…

Arrangements like these may be of use in the design and development of more fuel efficient, faster and quieter objects such as aircrafts, ships, motor cars, parts of combustion engines and other things, which benefit from streamline shapes. They may also help to better understand the nature of real-life, three-dimensional turbulence, which still is largely unexplained.

Special characteristics of such arrangements may include, that they allow the streamlining of the exterior and interior of objects, for example inlet and outlet ports of a cylinder head and attached manifolds, and they allow an object to be dynamic during a streamlining process, for example, a fan or rotor may be rotating.

The following is a transcript of a provisional patent application, which has been filed in Pretoria, South Africa, on the 26th May 2004, filing nr. 2004/4351. A full patent has not been applied for.

STREAMLINING ARRANGEMENTS

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to fluid-dynamically streamlining arrangements.

BACKGROUND TO INVENTION

Fluid-dynamically challenged objects are streamlined, to enhance their physical characteristics such as fuel efficiency, velocity, stability, and quietness.

Typically, an object to be streamlined is exposed to a flow of fluid, as in a wind tunnel or water channel. Matter, which is visually contrasting to the fluid, is introduced to the fluid upstream of the object, to make turbulence visible. A person skilled in the art of fluid-dynamically streamlining observes the turbulence, draws conclusions, modifies the object, and returns it into the wind tunnel or water channel for another evaluation. These procedures are usually repeated several times, until the result is satisfactory. Streamlining an object this way, is a cumbersome, time consuming procedure, which relies on humans, which make mistakes, which is why cars and aeroplanes designed some years ago are not as efficient as today’s.

It is an object of the invention to suggest arrangements, which will facilitate the streamlining of objects by employing or simulating the laws of fluid dynamics.

These streamlining arrangements may be of use in the design, development, and manufacture of fluid-dynamically challenged objects such as  aircrafts, cars, ships, propellers, fans, turbine blades, impellers, fluid intake and exhaust systems, manifolds, and other objects, which benefit from a streamline shape.

Word of Caution:

Depending on methods and substances used in a streamlining arrangement described in this document, an extremely dangerous situation, such as a dust explosion, may arise. Care must therefore be taken to avoid such a situation. The employment of a safe method and the use of safe substances, and/or the implementation of appropriate safety arrangements and procedures are of great importance.

SUMMERY OF INVENTION

The present invention comprises three methods: The Accumulating Method, The Eroding Method, and The Computing Method.

The Accumulating Method

Matter accumulates in turbulent areas of objects, for example, leaves and other debris gather in doorways, and in front and behind of buildings. The Accumulating Method exploits that phenomenon by facilitating the accumulation and adherence of matter to predominantly turbulent areas of objects.

The Accumulating Method includes the steps of exposing the object to be streamlined to a flow of fluid, and allowing, and/or causing the fluid, and/or matter, which may be dissolved and/or suspended in the fluid, to accumulate and adhere to mostly turbulent areas of the object. Adherence of matter may be caused by physical and/or chemical means.

An example of a streamlining arrangement applying The Accumulating Method may include the steps of exposing the object to be streamlined to a flow of fluid with filling and/or adhering matter suspended and/or dissolved in it. The fluid may be air or nitrogen in a gaseous stage, the adhering matter may be a misted or vaporized adhesive, and the filling matter may be talcum powder or ground expanded polystyrene. The object may also be exposed alternately to a fluid having adhering matter, and to a fluid having filling matter suspended and/or dissolved in it.

Another example of a streamlining arrangement applying The Accumulating Method may include the steps of exposing the object to be streamlined to a flow of fluid, having water vapour, and matter that hardens after being mixed with water, in its suspension. The fluid may be air, and the matter that hardens after being mixed with water may be gypsum cement. The temperature of the fluid and/or object may be controlled to cause the condensation of water vapour onto the object. The object may also be exposed alternately to a fluid with water vapour, and to a fluid with matter that hardens after being mixed with water suspended in it.

Still another example of a streamlining arrangement applying The Accumulating Method may include the steps of exposing the object to be streamlined to a flow of fluid, and controlling the fluid’s and/or object’s temperature, to cause fluid, and/or matter, which may be dissolved and/or suspended in the fluid, to condense and/or freeze onto the object. Examples of fluids, and matter, which may be dissolved and/ or suspended in the fluid, may be: air and water vapour; water only; nitrogen in a gaseous stage and vapour of wax; molten wax only; nitrogen in a gaseous stage and vapour of a metal; etc.

The Accumulating Method may include curing, setting and/or drying cycles.

The Eroding Method

Objects exposed to a flow of erosive fluid, particularly turbulence causing features on such objects, erode, for example, sharp edges become rounded, and other turbulence causing features are reduced or removed. The Eroding Method exploits that phenomenon by facilitating the eroding of matter, from primarily turbulence causing features of objects.

The Eroding Method includes the steps of exposing the object to be streamlined to a flow of fluid, and allowing, and/or causing the fluid, and/or matter, which may be dissolved and/or suspended in the fluid, to erode matter from mainly turbulence causing features of the object. The eroding of matter may be caused by physical and/or chemical means.

An example of a streamlining arrangement applying The Eroding Method may include the steps of exposing the object to be streamlined to a flow of erosive fluid. The fluid may be by itself erosive, or it may have matter with erosive properties dissolved and/or suspended in it. The fluid may be an acid or a solvent, or a gas or a liquid with erosive matter, such as a solvent, an acid, or abrasive granular, dissolved and/or suspended in it.

Another example of a streamlining arrangement applying The Eroding Method may include the steps of exposing the object to be streamlined to a flow of fluid, and controlling the fluid’s and/or object’s temperature, to cause the melting and/or vaporizing of matter from the object. The fluid may be air, water, oil, molten plastic, etc.

The object to be streamlined may be of matter, or be covered with matter, that erodes easily, for example, ice, wax, expanded polystyrene, PVC foam, a soft metal, etc.

The Computing Method

The Computing Method facilitates the streamlining of, computer simulated, and physical objects, by simulating The Accumulating and/or Eroding Method.

The Computing Method includes the steps of loading into the memory of a computer system a streamlining program, and data representing an object to be streamlined. The computer system then simulates the exposing of the object to a flow of fluid, computes the flow of the fluid, establishes the turbulent and/or turbulence-causing areas on the object, adds volume to the object’s turbulent areas, and/or removes volume from the object’s turbulence-causing areas. The processes of establishing the turbulent and turbulence-causing areas, and the adding and/or removing of volume may be repeated a number of times. The data representing the streamlined object may then be further processed, so that it can be sent to a printer, and/or a Computer-Added Manufacturing (CAM) system, which may facilitate the streamlining of a physical object.

The streamlining program may be a computer program, designed and composed to perform the required tasks, or it may be a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) or Computer Aided Design (CAD) program, that has been adapted to perform the set tasks.

The CAM system may include means to add and/or remove matter, to/from a physical object. Means to remove matter from the object may include a grinding or milling device. Means to add matter to the object may include a device that extrudes adhering and solidifying matter such as polyurethane foam, or a MIG welding gun.

The ratio of volume added, and/or removed, to/from the object, may be selectable, for example, the ratio may be: 1:1; 1:0, to instruct the program to add volume only and not to remove any; 1.6:1; or any desired ratio. There may be an overall ratio, and/or one for each axis. There may be an option to attain, or maintain (1:1 ratio), a specific volume.

Also according to the present invention

The streamlining fluid may be any suitable matter, and be in any suitable state. The fluid may have properties such as being erosive, and/or filling, and/or adhering, and/or binding, and/or curing, and/or setting, or whatever is desirable. The fluid may be an inert gas, air, water, molten plastic, an acid, etc.

A streamlining arrangement may include means to control the properties of the streamlining fluid, such as the fluid’s velocity, pressure, acidity, etc.

Means to control the properties of the streamlining fluid may facilitate the simulation of a principle, for example, the fluid’s velocity and pressure may be oscillating, to simulate the flow of exhaust gases of a reciprocating combustion engine.

A streamlining arrangement may include means to add and/or remove matter to/from the streamlining fluid.

Matter added to the streamlining fluid may be any suitable substance, and be in any suitable state. The matter may have properties such as being erosive, and/or filling, and/or adhering, and/or binding, and/or curing, and/or setting, or whatever is desirable.

Matter with dissimilar properties may be added to the streamlining fluid simultaneously or alternately.

Matter added to the streamlining fluid may have a specific gravity that is very close to that of the streamlining fluid to achieve a relatively unbiased result, or, it may have a specific gravity that is dissimilar to that of the streamlining fluid to achieve a biased result.

Matter added to the streamlining fluid, and the walls containing the streamlining fluid may be electro statically charged of the same polarity to discourage matter settling on the walls, and the object to be streamlined may be electro statically charged of opposing polarity for increased streamlining efficiency.

A streamlining arrangement may include means to collect and remove matter from the streamlining fluid, such as a condenser; a cyclone, whose temperature may be controllable to cause or avoid the condensation of matter; an electrostatic precipitator, or any other suitable means.

A streamlining arrangement may apply an electroplating process to add and/or remove matter to/from an object in a streamlining procedure.

An object to be streamlined may be exposed to an accumulating process, and an eroding process, simultaneously, or alternately.

The temperatures of the streamlining fluid, and/or the object to be streamlined may be tuned in such a way, as to cause the melting and/or vaporizing of matter in turbulence causing areas, and the condensing and freezing of matter in turbulent areas.

The streamlining fluid may flow around and/or through an object in a streamlining process.

A streamlining arrangement may include mounting means to support the object to be streamlined.

Mounting means may allow the object to be streamlined, or parts of it, to be in motion. The motion of the object may be around an axis, and/or it may be along a path. The motion may be the result of the flowing fluid, or it may be caused by other means such as a motor, and it may be controllable. For example, a propeller or a fan blade assembly in a streamlining process may be free wind milling, or a motor may be used to drive and/or control the rotating speed of it.

A streamlining arrangement may be utilized to optimize shapes and/or surface finishes in a manufacturing or repairing process, for example, The Accumulating and/or Eroding Method may be used for fine-tuning and polishing fan blades for a jet engine, intake and exhaust ducts and passages of combustion engines, etc.

A streamlining arrangement may be built up of modules. Each module may be designed to perform a single or a multiple of tasks. A task of a module may be to generate the flow of the streamlining fluid, to straighten and/or dampen the fluid, to control the temperature of the fluid, to add matter to the fluid, to collect matter from the fluid, to house the object to be streamlined, or any task related to the present invention. The modules may be interchangeable.

A computer may be used to control all aspects of a physical streamlining process.

Streamlined objects may be scanned, measured, photographed, taken mouldings from, or be otherwise utilized as may be desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.

Figures 1a – 1d are sectional views of a streamlining arrangement, illustrating The Accumulating Method in accordance with the invention;

Figures 2a – 2d are sectional views of a streamlining arrangement, illustrating The Eroding Method in accordance with the invention;

Figures 3a – 3c are sectional views of a streamlining arrangement, illustrating The Accumulating and Eroding Method in accordance with the invention; and

Figures 4a – 4d are sectional views of a streamlining arrangement, illustrating how the present invention may be employed to create a streamline object.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1a, a streamlining arrangement, referred to by numerical 10, facilitating The Accumulating Method, exposes an object 12 to a flow of fluid 14, and allows, and/or causes the fluid 14, and/or matter, which may be dissolved and/or suspended in the fluid 14, to accumulate and adhere to the turbulent areas 18 of the object 12. The flow of fluid 14 may be contained by walls 16.

In one example of this method, the fluid 14 may be air or nitrogen in a gaseous state, having matter with filling and/or adhesive properties suspended and/or dissolved in it. The filling matter may be talcum powder and the adhesive may be vaporized glue.

In another example of this method, the fluid 14 may be water-saturated air, and the temperature of the object 12 may be controlled to be below the freezing temperature of water, to cause water to condense and freeze onto the object 12. The temperature of the fluid 14 may also be controlled to be close to the freezing temperature of water.

In yet another example of this method, the fluid 14 may be in a liquid state, and the temperature of the object 12 may be controlled to be below the freezing temperature of the fluid 14, to cause fluid to freeze onto the object 12. The fluid 14 may be water or wax and the temperature of it may be controlled to be close to its freezing point.

Figures 1b, 1c, and 1d, are progressive embodiments of object 12 undergoing The Accumulating Method streamlining process, having matter 20, 22, and 24, adhering to it in an early, intermediate, and advanced streamlining stage, respectively.

Figure 2a, a streamlining arrangement, referred to by numerical 26, facilitating The Eroding Method, exposes an object 28 to a flow of fluid 30, and allows, and/or causes the fluid 30, and/or matter, which may be dissolved and/or suspended in the fluid 30, to erode matter from mainly turbulence causing features of the object 28. The flow of fluid 30 may be contained by walls 32.

In one example of this method, the fluid 30 may be an erosive gas or liquid, or a gas or liquid having matter with erosive properties dissolved and/or suspended in it. The erosive matter may be a solvent, an acid, or abrasive granular.

In another example of this method, the fluid 30 may be air or water, and the object 28 may be made of, or be covered with, wax or ice. The temperature of the fluid 30 may be controlled to be above the melting point of the wax or ice respectively.

Figures 2b, 2c, and 2d, are progressive embodiments of object 28 undergoing The Eroding Method, in an early, intermediate, and advanced streamlining stage respectively. The dotted line 34 in figure 2d indicates the initial shape of the object.

Figure 3a, is an embodiment of an object, referred to by numerical 36, with a fluid-dynamically challenged interior before a streamlining procedure, having an inlet opening 38, a passage 40, turbulence-causing features 42, and an outlet opening 44.

Figure 3b, facilitates the streamlining of object’s 36 interior, by exposing it to a flow of streamlining fluid 46. The streamlining fluid 46 has matter with erosive, filling, and adhering properties in its suspension. The streamlining fluid 46 erodes matter from the turbulence causing features 42 figure 3a object 36, and adds matter to the turbulent areas 50 of object 36. The streamlining fluid 46 may be recycled. Matter eroded from object 36 may act as filling matter. The dotted lines 48 indicate the erosion of matter from the object 36, and the areas 52 indicate the accumulation and adherence of matter to the object 36, in an intermediate streamlining stage.

Figure 3c, illustrates the object 36 in an advanced streamlining stage. The areas 54 indicate the accumulation and adherence of matter to object 36, and the dotted lines 56 indicate the initial shape of turbulence causing features 42 figure 3a, which eroded away.

Figure 4a, a lay out of a task for a streamlining procedure, referred to by numerical 58, having an exhaust port 62 in a cylinder head 60 (only a break away section of it is shown here), and an exhaust pipe 64 with a passage 66, which requires a streamline connecting duct to the exhaust port 62.

Figure 4b, an arrangement 68, facilitates the creating of a connecting duct from exhaust port 62, to exhaust pipe passage 66, by having a building chamber 76, which is enclosed by walls 74. The walls 74 have an inlet opening 72 and an outlet opening 78, which facilitate the flow of a streamlining fluid 70, from the exhaust port 62, into and through the building chamber 76, and through the exhaust pipe passage 66. The streamlining fluid 70 has matter with filling and adhering properties in its suspension, and some of that matter has started to create a connecting duct 80, by filling up turbulent areas 82.

Figure 4c, a streamlining arrangement 84, in an intermediate stage of creating a streamline duct 86.

Figure 4d, a streamlining arrangement 88, in an advanced stage of creating a streamline duct 90.

The streamlining examples described with The Accumulating Method may be adapted to suit this creating method. There may also be matter with erosive properties in the streamlining fluid 70.

The pressures and velocities of the streamlining fluid 70 may be simulating the flow of intake and/or exhaust gases of a piston engine.

The building chamber 76 may have obstacles inside to force the creation of a duct around it. The obstacles may be resistant to erosion.

The temperature of the building chamber 76 may be controllable to cause condensing and/or freezing of matter.

An arrangement described with figures 4a to 4d, may have a multiple of inlet ports, and a single outlet port, to facilitate the creating of streamline ducts for a multi-cylinder exhaust manifold, or, it may have a single inlet port, and a multiple of outlet ports, to facilitate the creating of streamline ducts for an intake manifold.

Note:

Variations and modifications of the streamlining arrangements and methods disclosed herein will be evident to those skilled in the art. It is intended that such modifications and variations be included within the scope of this provisional patent application.

Franz Hofer, Cape Town, 2004

Comments and/or opinions are welcome.

Franz.Hofer@gmail.com