Patent ID: 6425554
Filing Date: 2002-07-30
Classification: B64C,B64D

Abstract:
A drainmast for discharging liquid from a moving aircraft, comprising a fairing and a drain tube within the fairing;the fairing including a mounting flange, a flow-controlling cap, and a mast extending therebetween; the mounting flange being adapted for attachment to the aircraft; the mast being aerodynamically advantageously shaped relative to an expected airflow direction; the flow-controlling cap having a lower surface defining an aft airflow-redirecting zone, a liquid-release zone forward of the airflow-redirecting zone, and a fore liquid-recirculation zone; the drain tube including an inlet adapted for connection to an waste water exit line of the aircraft and an outlet positioned to release liquid in a discharge direction into the liquid-release zone; the redirecting zone being shaped to redirect the airflow into the release zone in a direction parallel to the discharge direction; the release zone being shaped to encourage the redirected airflow to sweep a substantial portion of the released liquid away from the fairing in a primary flow path; and the recirculation zone being shaped to capture escaped liquid from the release zone and to recirculate the escaped liquid back into the release zone.