Aircraft comprising a rear fairing propulsion system with inlet stator comprising a blowing function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10975803-B2
Application number	US-201615745932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2016
Priority date	Jul 22, 2015
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

An aircraft comprising a fuselage and a propulsion assembly, the propulsion assembly comprising at least one fan rotor located at the rear of the fuselage in the extension thereof along a longitudinal axis, and a nacelle forming a fairing of the at least one fan rotor into which a flow of air passes. The aircraft also comprises a plurality of radial stator arms mounted upstream of the at least one fan rotor and extending between the fuselage and the nacelle, the radial arms comprising blowing means configured for blowing, into the environment of a trailing edge of the radial arms, an additional air flow adding to the airflow in the extension of the trailing edge.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a fuselage having a rear,
a propulsion assembly, said propulsion assembly comprising a power turbine, at least two distinct gas generators each arranged in a respective primary flow duct, at least one fan rotor placed at the rear of the fuselage, in an extension of the fuselage, along a longitudinal axis, the at least one fan rotor being driven by the power turbine, and a nacelle forming a fairing for said at least one fan rotor through which an air flow passes, the nacelle being centered on the longitudinal axis, wherein each primary flow duct converges towards a central duct that supplies the power turbine; and
a plurality of radial stator arms mounted upstream of said at least one fan rotor and extending between the fuselage and the nacelle, said radial stator arm of said plurality of radial stator arms extending from the fuselage to the nacelle, each said radial stator arm having a substantially trapezoidal shape, in an axial plane containing the longitudinal axis, with a foot positioned at an intersection with the fuselage, a head positioned at an intersection with the nacelle, a leading edge which connects the fuselage and the nacelle, and a trailing edge, a radial distance between the foot and the head of the radial stator arms at the leading edge is equal to or less than a length of the trailing edge, the leading edge of each radial stator arm extending in a direction substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis,
wherein the nacelle is annular and comprises an upstream edge, a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface, the leading edge of each radial stator arm having a surface continuity with an outer surface of the fuselage and the radially outer surface of the nacelle,
wherein the leading edge of each radial stator arm is linked to said upstream edge and to the fuselage such that each radial stator arm extends upstream of a forward-most portion of the nacelle,
each radial stator arm of said plurality of radial stator arms comprising blowers configured to blow, in a vicinity of the trailing edge of said respective radial stator arm of said plurality of radial stator arms, an additional air flow adding to said air flow in an extension of the trailing edge,
wherein each radial stator arm of said plurality of radial arms comprises at least one air supply conduit extending inside the respective radial stator arm and supplying said blowers, said blowers being provided along a span of the radial stator arm.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the blowers are arranged to differentially distribute a flow of the additional air flow along the span of a radial arm, by providing a greater flow in a part that is close to an external radial end than in a part that is close to an internal radial end.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the blowers are arranged to vary a flow of the additional air flow over time according to an operating condition of the propulsion assembly.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each radial stator arm of said plurality of radial stator arms comprises two lateral faces extending radially either side of a mean profile, and wherein the blowers comprise orifices arranged on said lateral faces to blow the additional air flow upstream of the trailing edge.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein two grids placed at an output of said orifices, one sliding relative to another, form an adjuster configured to adjust the additional air flow.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein each of said orifices has an extension along the longitudinal axis that is between 5% and 10% of a chord length of the respective radial stator arm of said plurality of radial stator arms in relation to a radial distance at which said orifice is located.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of radial stator arms comprises at least a plurality of retention arms configured to retain the nacelle.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a distance separating the trailing edge of said radial stator arms and the fan rotor located immediately downstream along said air flow, measured at a radial distance substantially corresponding to 70% of a span of a vane of said fan rotor, is at least substantially equal to three twentieths of an external diameter of said fan rotor.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of radial stator arms comprises at least a plurality of arms comprising a variable-pitch movable part configured to axially deflect said air flow.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein each radial stator arm of said plurality of radial stator arms comprises two lateral faces extending radially either side of a mean profile, wherein the blowers comprise orifices arranged on said lateral faces to blow the additional air flow upstream of the trailing edge, and wherein the orifices are located upstream of said variable-pitch movable parts.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the blowers comprise a plurality of nozzles distributed along the trailing edges.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one air supply conduit includes a plurality of air supply conduits, and wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles is supplied by a respective air supply conduit of the plurality of air supply conduits.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein each nozzle is retractable.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one air supply conduit emerge in an internal cavity that communicates with the blower.

15. An apparatus comprising:
a fuselage having a rear and a propulsion assembly, said propulsion assembly comprising a power turbine, at least two distinct gas generators each arranged in a respective primary flow duct, at least one fan rotor placed at the rear of the fuselage, in an extension of the fuselage, along a longitudinal axis, the at least one fan rotor being driven by the power turbine, and a nacelle forming a fairing for said at least one fan rotor through which an air flow circulating along the fuselage passes, wherein each primary flow duct converges towards a central duct that supplies the power turbine:
a plurality of radial stator arms mounted upstream of said at least one fan rotor and extending between the fuselage and the nacelle, each radial stator arm has a substantially trapezoidal shape in an axial plane containing the longitudinal axis, a leading edge of each radial stator arm extending in a direction substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis,
wherein the nacelle is annular and comprises an upstream edge, a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface, the leading edge of each radial stator arm having a surface continuity with an outer surface of the fuselage and the radially outer surface of the nacelle,
wherein the leading edge of each radial stator arm is linked to said upstream edge and to the fuselage such that each radial stator arm extends upstream of a forward-most portion of the nacelle,
each radial stator arm of said plurality of radial stator arms comprising blowers configured to blow, in a vicinity of a trailing edge of said radial stator arms of said plurality of radial stator arms, an additional air flow adding to said air flow entering into the nacelle in an extension of the trailing edge,
wherein each radial stator arm of said plurality of radial arms comprises at least an air supply conduit extending inside the radial stator arm and supplying said blowers, said blowers being provided along a span of the radial stator arm,
wherein the plurality

Assignees

• Romano Pascal
• Gruber Mathieu Simon Paul
• Safran Aircraft Engines

Inventors

• Romano Pascal
• Gruber Mathieu Simon Paul

Classifications

• F04D29/563

  specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F02K3/072

  with counter-rotating {, e.g. fan} rotors · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

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

• F01D17/162

  for axial flow, i.e. the vanes turning around axes which are essentially perpendicular to the rotor centre line (F01D17/167 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2220/327

  to drive shrouded, high solidity propeller · CPC title