Multiple intake distortion adaptive fan for gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12065258-B2
Application number	US-202318101567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2023
Priority date	Jan 25, 2023
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

An aircraft includes a duct system configured to receive a flow of air therethrough and a gas turbine engine. The duct system includes a main duct and inlet ducts arranged fluidly upstream of the main duct so as to conduct the flow of air from the inlet ducts into the main duct. The gas turbine engine in downstream fluid communication with the main duct.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising
a duct system configured to receive a flow of air therethrough, the duct system including a main duct, a first inlet duct in fluid communication with the main duct, and a second inlet duct in fluid communication with the main duct, the first inlet duct and the second inlet duct each being arranged fluidly upstream of the main duct so as to conduct the flow of air from the first inlet duct and the second inlet duct into the main duct,
a gas turbine engine in downstream fluid communication with the main duct, the gas turbine engine including a primary fan configured push air to provide thrust for the gas turbine engine, a compressor configured to rotate about an axis of the gas turbine engine to compress at least a portion of the air that flows from the primary fan, a combustor configured to receive the compressed air from the compressor, and a turbine coupled to the compressor and configured to rotate about the axis of the gas turbine engine in response to receiving hot, high-pressure products of the combustor to drive the compressor, and
an inlet distortion mitigation system including a plurality of auxiliary inlet fans having a first electric inlet fan arranged in the first inlet duct, a second electric inlet fan arranged in the second inlet duct, and a control unit configured to vary individually a rotation speed of each of the first electric inlet fan and the second electric inlet fan in response to a pressure differential in the flow path of the gas turbine engine to increase flow distribution uniformity at the primary fan of the gas turbine engine.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of auxiliary inlet fans includes a third electric inlet fan arranged in the first inlet duct downstream of the first electric inlet fan and a fourth electric inlet fan arranged in the second inlet duct downstream of the first electric inlet fan.

3. The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein the first and second electric inlet fans are each configured to rotate in a first direction about a corresponding fan axis and the third and fourth electric inlet fans are each configured to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction about a corresponding fan axis.

4. The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein the first and second, third, and fourth electric inlet fans are each configured to rotate in a first direction about a corresponding fan axis.

5. The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein the inlet distortion mitigation system further includes an auxiliary fan array located radially between the main duct of the duct system and the primary fan and located axially in line with the primary fan relative to the axis of the gas turbine engine, the auxiliary fan array including a plurality of auxiliary fans spaced apart around the axis of the gas turbine engine that are each configured to rotate about a corresponding fan axis that is parallel to the axis of the gas turbine engine.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electric inlet fans each includes a rotor configured to rotate about the corresponding fan axis and a plurality of variable pitch fan blades coupled to the rotor that extend radially outward away from the rotor relative to the corresponding fan axis, each of the variable pitch fan blades configured to rotate about a blade axis that extends radially from the corresponding fan axis.

7. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the inlet distortion mitigation system further includes an auxiliary fan array located radially between the main duct of the duct system and the primary fan and located axially in line with the primary fan relative to the axis of the gas turbine engine, the auxiliary fan array including a plurality of auxiliary fans spaced apart around the axis of the gas turbine engine that are each configured to rotate about a corresponding fan axis that is parallel to the axis of the gas turbine engine.

8. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of auxiliary fans included in the auxiliary fan array include a first set of electric fans having a first diameter, a second set of electric fans having the first diameter and spaced apart circumferentially from the first set of electric fans, a third set of electric fans having a second diameter and located circumferentially between the first set of electric fans and the second set of electric fans, and a fourth set of electric fans having the second diameter and located circumferentially between the first set of electric fans and the second set of electric fans, the second diameter being greater than the first diameter, and the fourth set of electric fans being spaced apart circumferentially from the third set of electric fans.

9. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the first set of electric fans and the second set of electric fans each have a rotor, blades, and a nacelle, the third set of electric fans and the fourth set of electric fans each have a rotor, blades, and a nacelle, the nacelles of the first set of electric fans and the second set of electric fans have a first axial length, and nacelles of the third set of electric fans and the fourth set of electric fans have a second axial length greater than the first axial length.

10. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the control unit further includes a memory coupled to the controller, the memory including a plurality of preprogrammed aircraft maneuvers that each correspond to a predetermined speed profile for the auxiliary fan array, and the controller is configured to detect a preprogrammed aircraft maneuver included in the plurality of preprogrammed aircraft maneuvers on the memory and vary a rotation speed of at least one of the first electric inlet fan and the second electric inlet fan in response to detecting the preprogrammed aircraft maneuver.

11. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the control unit further includes a plurality of sensors arranged to measure pressure within the flow path of the gas turbine engine upstream of the engine core, the controller is coupled to the plurality of sensors to receive pressure measurements from the plurality of sensors, and the controller is configured to increase the rotation speed of at least one of the first electric inlet fan and the second electric inlet fan in response to the pressure measurement being below a predetermined threshold.

12. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to decrease the rotation speed of at least one of the first electric inlet fan and the second electric inlet fan in response to the pressure measurement being above the predetermined threshold.

13. An aircraft comprising
a duct system including a main duct, a first inlet duct in fluid communication with the main duct, and a second inlet duct in fluid communication with the main duct, the first inlet duct and the second inlet duct each being arranged fluidly upstream of the main duct,
a gas turbine engine in downstream fluid communication with the main duct, the gas turbine engine including a primary fan configured push air to provide thrust for the gas turbine engine, and
an inlet distortion mitigation system including a plurality of auxiliary inlet fans having a first electric inlet fan arranged in the first inlet duct, a second electric inlet fan arranged in the second inlet duct, and a control unit configured to vary individually a rotation speed of each of the first electric inlet fan and the second electric inlet fan in response to a pressure differential in the flow path of the gas turbine engine.

14. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of auxiliary inlet fans includes a third electric inlet fan arranged in the first inlet duct downstre

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc
• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Heeter Robert W
• Molnar Jr Daniel E
• Sontag Kathryn A
• Meyer Michael G

Classifications

• B64D27/20

  within, or attached to, fuselages · CPC title

• B64D2033/0286

  for turbofan engines · CPC title

• B64D2033/0226

  comprising boundary layer control means · CPC title

• B64D33/02 Primary

  of combustion air intakes · CPC title