Nozzle and vane system for nacelle anti-icing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167085-B2
Application number	US-201615008046-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2016
Priority date	Jan 27, 2016
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

An aircraft anti-icing system includes an inlet lip that includes an outer shell attached to a bulkhead. The inlet lip encloses an annular housing volume. The system further includes one or more vanes extending from the bulkhead into the annular housing volume. Each vane of the one or more vanes includes a first end coupled to the bulkhead, a free end extending into the annular housing volume, and a vane body extending therebetween. The one or more vanes are positioned downstream from a nozzle configured to direct a high temperature gas stream into the annular housing volume in a first direction. The one or more vanes are configured to redirect the high temperature gas stream through a first turn angle from the first direction to a second direction. The second direction is configured to reduce a direct impingement of the high temperature gas stream on an inner surface of the inlet lip.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft anti-icing system comprising:
an inlet lip comprising an outer shell attached to a bulkhead, said inlet lip enclosing an annular housing volume; and
one or more vanes extending from said bulkhead into said annular housing volume, said one or more vanes including a first vane and a second vane, said first vane is positioned closer to an inner circumference of said annular housing volume relative to said second vane, each of said first vane and said second vane comprising a first end coupled to said bulkhead, a free end extending into said annular housing volume, and a vane body extending between said first end and said free end;
said first and second vanes are positioned downstream from a nozzle configured to direct a high temperature gas stream into said annular housing volume in a first direction, said first vane having a first leading edge aligned with said first direction and positioned downstream of said nozzle and a first trailing edge aligned with a second direction and positioned downstream of said first leading edge, said second vane having a second leading edge aligned with said first direction and positioned downstream of said nozzle and a second trailing edge aligned with a third direction and positioned downstream of said second leading edge, wherein:
said first vane is configured to redirect said high temperature gas stream through a first turn angle from said first direction to said second direction towards an inner circumference of said annular housing volume, said second direction configured to reduce a direct impingement of said high temperature gas stream on an inner surface of said inlet lip;
said second vane is configured to redirect said high temperature gas stream through a second turn angle from said first direction to said third direction toward the inner circumference of said annular housing volume; and
said second turn angle is directed more toward the inner circumference relative to said first turn angle.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said free end of the first vane and said free end of the second vane extends from the bulkhead to a vane height that is higher than a corresponding height of said high temperature gas stream from said bulkhead as said high temperature gas stream impinges said one or more vanes.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first and second vanes each comprise an airfoil profile extending from said first leading edge to said first trailing edge for said first vane and from said second leading edge to said second trailing edge for said second vane.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said first and second leading edges are separated by a leading edge gap, said leading edge gap configured to capture said high temperature gas stream between said first and second vanes.

5. The system in accordance with claim 4 , wherein said first and second trailing edges are separated by a trailing edge gap that is narrower than said leading edge gap.

6. A method for preventing icing of an inlet lip of an aircraft engine, said method comprising:
directing a high temperature gas stream at a first direction from a nozzle into an inlet lip comprising an outer shell attached to a bulkhead, the inlet lip enclosing an annular housing volume;
redirecting the high temperature gas stream through a first turn angle from the first direction to a second direction using a first vane positioned downstream from the nozzle, the second direction directed toward an inner circumference of the inlet lip and configured to reduce a direct impingement of the high temperature gas stream on an inner surface of the inlet lip;
redirecting the high temperature gas stream through a second turn angle from the first direction to a third direction using a second vane positioned downstream from the nozzle, wherein:
the second vane is positioned farther from the inner circumference of the inlet lip relative to the first vane; and
the second turn angle is directed more toward the inner circumference relative to the first turn angle.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the first and second vanes each comprise a first end coupled to the bulkhead, a free end extending into the annular housing volume, and a vane body extending between said first end and said free end.

8. The method in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the free end of each of the first and second vanes extends from the bulkhead to a vane height that is higher than a corresponding height of the high temperature gas stream from the bulkhead as the high temperature gas stream impinges the one or more vanes.

9. The method in accordance with claim 6 , wherein:
the first vane includes a first leading edge aligned with the first direction and positioned downstream of the nozzle and a first trailing edge aligned with the second direction and positioned downstream of the first leading edge; and
the second vane includes a second leading edge aligned with the first direction and positioned downstream of the nozzle and a second trailing edge aligned with the third direction and positioned downstream of said second leading edge.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the first and second vanes further comprise an airfoil profile extending from the first leading edge to the first trailing edge for the first vane and the second leading edge to the second trailing edge for the second vane.

11. The method in accordance with claim 6 , further capturing the high temperature gas stream between the first and second vanes prior to the redirecting the high temperature gas stream.

12. A jet aircraft comprising an anti-icing system, said anti-icing system comprising;
an inlet lip comprising an outer shell attached to a bulkhead, said inlet lip enclosing an annular housing volume; and
one or more vanes extending from said bulkhead into said annular housing volume, said one or more vanes including a first vane and a second vane, said first vane is positioned closer to an inner circumference of said annular housing volume relative to said second vane, each of said first and second vanes comprising a first end coupled to said bulkhead, a free end extending into said annular housing volume, and a vane body extending between said first end and said free end;
said first and second vanes are positioned downstream from a nozzle and configured to direct a high temperature gas stream into said annular housing volume in a first direction, said first vane having a first leading edge aligned with said first direction and positioned downstream of said nozzle and a first trailing edge aligned with a second direction and positioned downstream of said first leading edge, said second vane having a second leading edge aligned with said first direction and positioned downstream of said nozzle at a same downstream position as said first leading edge and a second trailing edge aligned with a third direction and positioned downstream of said second leading edge; and
said first vane is configured to redirect said high temperature gas stream through a first turn angle from said first direction to said second direction, said second direction configured to reduce a direct impingement of said high temperature gas stream on an inner surface of said inlet lip; and
said second vane configured to redirect said high temperature gas stream through a second turn angle from said first direction to said third direction, wherein said second turn angle is directed more toward the inner circumference relative to the first turn angle.

13. The jet aircraft in accordance with claim 12 , wherein said free end of the first vane and said free end

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Wiberg Clark George
• Mukherjee Shiladitya

Classifications

• B64D15/04 Primary

  Hot gas application · CPC title

• B64D27/16

  of jet type · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

  for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines · CPC title

• F02C7/047

  Heating to prevent icing · CPC title

• B64D29/00

  Power-plant nacelles, fairings or cowlings · CPC title