Immersed core flow inlet between rotor blade and stator vane for an unducted fan gas turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10399664-B2
Application number	US-201615145894-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2016
Priority date	May 11, 2015
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

An unducted thrust producing system is provided that can include a rotating element having an axis of rotation about a central longitudinal axis and comprising a plurality of blades attached to a spinner; a stationary element positioned aft of the rotating element; and an inlet positioned between the rotating element and the stationary element such that the inlet passes radially inward of the stationary element. The rotating element defines an annular valley positioned between a first annular crown and a second annular crown, and the inlet defines an open area positioned aft of the second annular crown.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unducted thrust producing system, comprising:
a rotating element having an axis of rotation about a central longitudinal axis and comprising a plurality of blades attached to a spinner, wherein the rotating element defines an annular valley positioned between a first annular crown and a second annular crown;
a stationary element positioned aft of the rotating element, the stationary element comprising a plurality of vanes; and
an inlet positioned between the rotating element and the stationary element such that the inlet passes radially inward of the stationary element, wherein the inlet defines an open area positioned aft of the second annular crown.

2. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blades are attached to the spinner at the annular valley.

3. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 1 , wherein the stationary element comprises a housing defining an inlet lip.

4. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 3 , wherein the first annular crown has a first radius (R 1 ) measured to the central longitudinal axis, and wherein the inlet lip defines a forward tip having a lip radius (R L ) measured from the forward tip to the central longitudinal axis;
wherein the inlet lip has a degree of immersion of about 50% to 125%, where the degree of immersion is calculated according to the formula:
degree of immersion=( R 1 ) 2 /( R L ) 2 ×100.

5. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 4 , wherein the inlet lip has a degree of immersion that is about 70% to about 100%.

6. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 4 , wherein the inlet lip has a degree of immersion that is about 75% to about 90%.

7. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 4 , wherein the inlet lip has a degree of immersion that is about 100%, such that the first radius is substantially equal to the lip radius.

8. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 3 , wherein the inlet is defined between the inlet lip of the housing and an opposite inner surface.

9. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 8 , further comprising: a plurality of inlet deswirl vanes within the inlet.

10. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 8 , further comprising: a plurality of inlet struts within the inlet.

11. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 8 , wherein the housing defines an exterior surface aft of the inlet lip, and wherein the exterior surface of the housing defines a housing crown and a housing valley sequentially from the inlet lip.

12. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 11 , wherein at least one vane is attached to the housing at the housing valley.

13. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 11 , further comprising:
a gas turbine engine within the housing, wherein an airstream passing through the inlet is directed to the gas turbine engine.

14. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 11 , further comprising:
a gas generator within the housing; and
a low-pressure turbine, wherein an airstream passing through the inlet is directed to the gas generator.

15. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 1 , wherein the first annular crown has a first radius measured to the central longitudinal axis, and wherein the second annular crown has a second radius measured to the central longitudinal axis; and further wherein the first radius is greater than the second radius.

16. An unducted thrust producing system, comprising:
a rotating element having an axis of rotation about a central longitudinal axis and comprising a plurality of blades attached to a spinner, wherein the rotating element defines an annular valley positioned between a first annular crown and a second annular crown, the first annual crown having a first radius (R 1 ) measured to the central longitudinal axis;
a stationary element positioned aft of the rotating element, wherein the stationary element comprises a plurality of vanes and a housing defining an inlet lip such that an inlet is positioned between the rotating element and the stationary element to pass radially inward of the stationary element, wherein the inlet lip defines a forward tip having a lip radius (R L ) measured from the forward tip to the central longitudinal axis;
wherein the inlet lip has a degree of immersion of about 50% to 125% with respect to the first radius of the first spinner crown, where the degree of immersion is calculated according to the formula:
degree of immersion=( R 1 ) 2 /( R L ) 2 ×100.

17. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 16 , wherein the inlet lip has a degree of immersion that is about 70% to about 100%.

18. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 16 , wherein the inlet lip has a degree of immersion that is about 75% to about 90%.

19. The unducted thrust producing system as in claim 16 , wherein the plurality of blades are attached to the spinner at the annular valley.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Bowden William Joseph
• Breeze-Stringfellow Andrew
• Cedar Richard David
• Khalid Syed Arif
• Lonneman Patrick John
• Pasieczny Aleksander Piotr
• Tweedt Daniel Lawrence

Classifications

• F05D2260/607

  Preventing clogging or obstruction of flow paths by dirt, dust, or foreign particles · CPC title

• F05D2240/80

  Platforms for stationary or moving blades · CPC title

• F05D2220/325

  to drive unshrouded, high solidity propeller · CPC title

• F02C7/05

  having provisions for obviating the penetration of damaging objects or particles · CPC title

• F02C6/206

  the vehicles being airscrew driven · CPC title