Crosswind performance aircraft engine spinner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167088-B2
Application number	US-201514886262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2015
Priority date	Oct 19, 2015
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

Spinner axial cross-section may have longer spinner axial distance compared to baseline axial distance of baseline cross-section and spinner aspect ratio greater than baseline aspect ratio of baseline cross-section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spinner for mounting to a rotor of an aircraft gas turbine engine, the spinner comprising:
a conical upstream or forward spinner section extending aftwardly from a spinner tip, the conical upstream or forward spinner section having a decreasing slope which transitions directly into a convex downstream or aft spinner section, the convex downstream or aft spinner section initially having a decreasing slope and subsequently having an increasing slope extending aftwardly to a spinner end which transitions directly into a leading edge of a fan blade platform,
the spinner circumscribed about a centerline axis,
the spinner having a spinner aspect ratio greater than 1.8, and
wherein the spinner aspect ratio is an axial distance between the spinner tip and a spinner end divided by a radial distance from the engine axial centerline axis to the spinner end.

2. The spinner as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the spinner aspect ratio being in a range of 2.0-2.2.

3. The spinner as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the spinner aspect ratio being in a range of 2.2-2.8.

4. The spinner as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the aft spinner section substantially tangential to platform leading edges of platforms of the fan blades.

5. The spinner as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the aft spinner section having a cambered or an elliptical axially curved cross-section.

6. The spinner as claimed in claim 5 further comprising the forward spinner section substantially tangential to the aft spinner section at their intersection.

7. The spinner as claimed in claim 6 further comprising the spinner aspect ratio being in a range of 2.0-2.2.

8. The spinner as claimed in claim 6 further comprising the spinner aspect ratio being in a range of 2.2-2.8.

9. The spinner as claimed in claim 6 further comprising the aft spinner section substantially tangential to platform leading edges of platforms of the fan blades.

10. The spinner as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a spinner axial cross-section having a longer spinner axial distance as compared to a baseline axial distance of a baseline cross-section and the spinner aspect ratio greater than a baseline aspect ratio of the baseline cross-section.

11. The spinner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a slope at the conical upstream or forward spinner section exceeds a slope at the convex downstream or aft spinner section, and wherein a slope at a leading edge of a fan blade platform exceeds the slope at the convex downstream or aft spinner section.

12. An aircraft gas turbine engine fan assembly comprising:
a fan casing surrounding an array of fan blades mounted to and extending radially outwardly from a rotor circumscribed about a centerline axis,
a nacelle surrounding the fan casing,
a spinner circumscribing the centerline axis and mounted to the rotor,
the spinner including a conical upstream or forward spinner section extending aftwardly from a spinner tip, the conical upstream or forward spinner section having a decreasing slope which transitions directly into a convex downstream or aft spinner section, the convex downstream or aft spinner section initially having a decreasing slope and subsequently having an increasing slope extending aftwardly to a spinner end which transitions directly into a leading edge of a fan blade platform,
the spinner circumscribed about a centerline axis,
the spinner having a spinner aspect ratio greater than 1.8, and
wherein the spinner aspect ratio is an axial distance between the spinner tip and a spinner end divided by a radial distance from the engine axial centerline axis to the spinner end.

13. The assembly as claimed in claim 12 further comprising the spinner aspect ratio being in a range of 2.0-2.2.

14. The assembly as claimed in claim 12 further comprising the spinner aspect ratio being in a range of 2.2-2.8.

15. The assembly as claimed in claim 12 further comprising the aft spinner section substantially tangential to platform leading edges of platforms of the fan blades.

16. The assembly as claimed in claim 12 further comprising the aft spinner section having a cambered or an elliptical axially curved cross-section.

17. The assembly as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the forward spinner section substantially tangential to the aft spinner section at their intersection.

18. The assembly as claimed in claim 17 further comprising the spinner aspect ratio being in a range of 2.0-2.2 and the aft spinner section substantially tangential to platform leading edges of platforms of the fan blades.

19. The assembly as claimed in claim 17 further comprising the spinner aspect ratio being in a range of 2.2-2.8 and the aft spinner section substantially tangential to platform leading edges of platforms of the fan blades.

20. The assembly as claimed in claim 12 , wherein a slope at the conical upstream or forward spinner section exceeds a slope at the convex downstream or aft spinner section, and wherein a slope at a leading edge of a fan blade platform exceeds the slope at the convex downstream or aft spinner section.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Clark Adam Wayne
• Cedar Richard David
• Riddle David Baker

Classifications

• B64C11/14

  Spinners · CPC title

• F01D25/24

  Casings (modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14); Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings (casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M {; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045}) · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

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

• B64D33/02 Primary

  of combustion air intakes · CPC title

• F05D2250/51

  Inlet · CPC title