Vortex generators for turbine engine exhaust

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11268390-B2
Application number	US-201816039865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2018
Priority date	Jul 19, 2018
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

An exhaust system for an engine includes an exhaust nozzle located adjacent an outlet end of the engine to receive a primary flow of exhaust gasses expelled from the engine, an inlet opening formed between the exhaust nozzle and the outlet end of the engine through which a secondary flow is provided to the exhaust nozzle, and a vortex generator arranged within the exhaust system at a position where both the primary flow and the secondary flow are present. The vortex generator interrupts at least one of the primary flow and the secondary flow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of cooling engine exhaust gasses of an engine having an exhaust system, comprising:
expelling the engine exhaust gasses from an engine outlet, through an exhaust nozzle, and to an exhaust duct, the exhaust duct positioned radially outward from the exhaust nozzle and disposed to receive a primary flow of the engine exhaust gasses, the exhaust duct comprising an outlet;
drawing a secondary flow into the exhaust duct through an inlet defined by an opening between the exhaust nozzle and the exhaust duct; and
interrupting at least one of the primary flow of the engine exhaust gasses or the secondary flow within the exhaust duct via a plurality of vortex generators, the plurality of vortex generators being arranged in pairs within the exhaust system, each pair including a first vortex generator and a second vortex generator adjacent to the first vortex generator, wherein the pairs spaced from each other such that a circumferential distance between each adjacent pair is greater than a distance between the first vortex generator and the second vortex generator within each pair, wherein the plurality of vortex generators are disposed at positions where both the primary flow and the secondary flow are present during operation of the engine, and the plurality of vortex generators being further configured such that:
(i) each pair is disposed along a common surface within the exhaust system, the common surface being an interior surface of the exhaust duct, each pair being located closer to the inlet than to the outlet of the exhaust duct;
(ii) a base of the first vortex generator and a base of the second vortex generator are respectively arranged at a first angle and a second angle relative to a central axis of the exhaust system; and
(iii) the first vortex generator is angled toward the second vortex generator to increase at least one of an amount of primary flow or secondary flow interacting with the first and second vortex generators;
wherein each vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators is triangular in shape, having a first vertex, a second vertex, and a third vertex positioned away from the interior surface of the exhaust duct;
wherein the base of the vortex generator is defined between the first vertex and the second vertex, the first vertex and the second vertex being disposed to contact the interior surface of the exhaust duct; and
wherein among each pair of vortex generators, a distance between the second vertex of the first vortex generator and the second vertex of the second vortex generator is less than a distance between the first vertex of the first vortex generator and the first vertex of the second vortex generator.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein interrupting at least one of the primary flow or the secondary flow within the exhaust duct includes creating vortices within one of the primary flow or the secondary flow.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein interrupting at least one of the primary flow or the secondary flow mixes the primary flow and the secondary flow.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing a speed of the exhaust gasses within the exhaust duct.

5. A system comprising an engine having an exhaust system, the exhaust system comprising:
an exhaust nozzle positioned adjacent an outlet end of the engine to receive a primary flow of exhaust gasses expelled from the engine;
an exhaust duct positioned radially outward from the exhaust nozzle, the exhaust duct comprising an outlet;
an inlet defined by an opening between the exhaust nozzle and the exhaust duct through which a secondary flow is provided to the exhaust duct; and
a plurality of vortex generators arranged in pairs within the exhaust system, each pair including a first vortex generator and a second vortex generator adjacent to the first vortex generator, wherein the pairs are spaced from each other such that a circumferential distance between each adjacent pair is greater than a distance between the first and second vortex generators within each pair, wherein the plurality of vortex generators are disposed at positions where both the primary flow and the secondary flow are present during operation of the engine, the plurality of vortex generators configured to interrupt at least one of the primary flow or the secondary flow, and the plurality of vortex generators being further configured such that:
(i) each pair is disposed along a common surface within the exhaust system, the common surface being an interior surface of the exhaust duct, each pair being located closer to the inlet than to the outlet of the exhaust duct;
(ii) a base of the first vortex generator and a base of the second vortex generator are respectively arranged at a first angle and a second angle relative to a central axis of the exhaust system; and
(iii) the first vortex generator is angled toward the second vortex generator to increase at least one of an amount of primary flow or secondary flow interacting with the first and second vortex generators;
wherein each vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators is triangular in shape, having a first vertex, a second vertex, and a third vertex positioned away from the interior surface of the exhaust duct;
wherein the base of the vortex generator is defined between the first vertex and the second vertex, the first vertex and the second vertex being disposed to contact the interior surface of the exhaust duct; and
wherein among each pair of vortex generators, a distance between the second vertex of the first vortex generator and the second vertex of the second vortex generator is less than a distance between the first vertex of the first vortex generator and the first vertex of the second vortex generator.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a center body extending at least partially into the exhaust nozzle.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the engine is disposed within an aircraft and wherein the secondary flow is external air drawn from at least one of a region outside the aircraft or from an engine bay of the aircraft.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of vortex generators are arranged at an angle to the central axis that is between 0° and 45°.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the exhaust duct is linear.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the exhaust duct includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end being arranged within a first plane, and the second end being arranged within a second plane, the exhaust duct comprising a bend region such that the second plane is oriented at an angle to the first plane.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first vortex generator is angled toward the second vortex generator such that when viewed in an aft direction of the exhaust duct, an edge of the first vortex generator that is a closest edge to the second vortex generator is the longest edge of the first vortex generator, and an edge of the second vortex generator that is a closest edge to the first vortex generator is the longest edge of the second vortex generator.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the angle between the first plane and the second plane is between 70° and 110°.

13. The system of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of the vortex generators is substantially identical in shape.

14. The system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of vortex generators vary in shape.

15. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators has a first orientation and the second vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators has a second orientation, d

Assignees

• Sikorsky Aircraft Corp

Inventors

• Simonetti Joseph Lawrence
• Lamb Jr Donald W
• Bowles Patrick Ormande

Classifications

• F02K1/46 Primary

  Nozzles having means for adding air to the jet or for augmenting the mixing region between the jet and the ambient air, e.g. for silencing (F02K1/28, F02K1/36, F02K1/38 take precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2240/127

  Vortex generators, turbulators, or the like, for mixing · CPC title

• F05D2250/11

  triangular · CPC title

• F01D9/02 Primary

  Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits {, e.g. individual nozzles (nozzle boxes F01D9/047)} · CPC title

• F02K1/36

  having an ejector · CPC title