Engine having an open fan with reduced boundary layer induced distortion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12410749-B2
Application number	US-202418773663-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2024
Priority date	Feb 21, 2023
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

An engine includes a fan section having an open fan defining an axial centerline and a rotor. The rotor includes a plurality of fan blades mounted to a hub and being rotatable about the axial centerline. The engine also includes a turbomachine downstream of the fan section. The turbomachine includes a core cowl that defines an engine inlet and encloses turbomachinery. Further, the engine includes an airflow diverting assembly downstream of the fan section and upstream of the engine inlet. The airflow diverting assembly includes at least one fluid passageway formed into at least a portion of the hub for diverting at least a portion of a boundary layer on a surface of the hub away from the surface of the hub to reduce distortion caused by the boundary layer in the turbomachinery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for reducing a boundary layer of an open fan of a fan section of an engine, the method comprising:
forming an airflow diverting assembly downstream of the open fan and upstream of an engine inlet of a turbomachine of the engine, the airflow diverting assembly comprising at least one fluid passageway formed into at least a portion of a hub of the open fan; and
diverting, via the at least one fluid passageway, at least a portion of a boundary layer on a surface of the hub away from the surface of the hub to reduce distortion caused by the boundary layer in the turbomachine.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein diverting, via the at least one fluid passageway, at least the portion of the boundary layer on the surface of the hub away from the surface of the hub further comprises:
passively controlling the airflow diverting assembly to divert at least the portion of the boundary layer on the surface of the hub away from the surface of the hub.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein diverting, via the at least one fluid passageway, at least the portion of the boundary layer on the surface of the hub away from the surface of the hub further comprises:
actively controlling the airflow diverting assembly to divert at least the portion of the boundary layer on the surface of the hub away from the surface of the hub.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one fluid passageway comprises a variable geometry, wherein actively controlling the airflow diverting assembly to divert at least the portion of the boundary layer on the surface of the hub away from the surface of the hub further comprises:
actively controlling the variable geometry of the at least one fluid passageway via at least one of one or more fans, one or more actuators, or one or more valves based on a desired flow rate at different circumferential locations of the at least one fluid passageway.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising de-icing the at least one fluid passageway.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising directing the portion of the boundary layer diverted away from the surface of the hub to one or more electronic or mechanical components of the engine for cooling.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein directing the portion of the boundary layer diverted away from the surface of the hub to one or more electronic or mechanical components of the engine for cooling further comprises:
recirculating the portion of the boundary layer diverted away from the surface of the hub within at least a portion of a hub compartment, a mid-fan compartment, or a core compartment before being exhausted via one or more ventilation paths that act as flow sinks enabling a passive system.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising arranging one or more flow guides with at least one of the hub compartment, the mid-fan compartment, or the core compartment to direct flow to or away from the one or more electronic or mechanical components of the engine.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Bowden William Joseph
• Morris Steven B
• Jerez Fidalgo Vicente

Classifications

• F01D25/02

  De-icing means for engines having icing phenomena · CPC title

• F01D25/12 Primary

  Cooling · CPC title

• F02K3/06

  with front fan · CPC title

• F02C7/04

  Air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants · CPC title

• F02C7/042 Primary

  having variable geometry · CPC title