Translatable guide vanes for aircraft propulsion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12467384-B1
Application number	US-202418948970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 15, 2024
Priority date	Nov 15, 2024
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

An assembly is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This assembly includes an open propulsor rotor and an open guide vane structure. The open propulsor rotor is configured to rotate about a rotational axis. The open guide vane structure is axially next to the open propulsor rotor. The open guide vane structure includes a plurality of open guide vanes arranged circumferentially about the rotational axis. The open guide vanes include a first open guide vane. The first open guide vane includes a first vane leading edge, a first vane trailing edge and a fixed first vane chord length measured from the first vane leading edge to the first vane trailing edge. The first open guide vane is configured to translate axially along the rotational axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An assembly for an aircraft propulsion system, comprising:
an open propulsor rotor configured to rotate about a rotational axis; and an open guide vane structure axially next to the open propulsor rotor, the open guide vane structure including a plurality of open guide vanes arranged circumferentially about the rotational axis, and the plurality of open guide vanes comprising a first open guide vane; the first open guide vane comprising a first vane leading edge, a first vane trailing edge and a fixed first vane chord length measured from the first vane leading edge to the first vane trailing edge, and the first open guide vane configured to translate axially along the rotational axis.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the open guide vane structure is configured to condition air propelled by the open propulsor rotor.

3 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a track extending axially along the rotational axis; a carriage mated with the track, wherein the first open guide vane is connected to the carriage; and an actuator configured to move the carriage along the track, wherein movement of the carriage along the track translates the first open guide vane axially along the rotational axis.

4 . The assembly of claim 3 , wherein
the plurality of open guide vanes further comprise a second open guide vane; the second open guide vane is connected to the carriage; and the movement of the carriage along the track further translates the second open guide vane axially along the rotational axis.

5 . The assembly of claim 3 , wherein
the plurality of open guide vanes are arranged circumferentially about the rotational axis in an annular array; each of the plurality of open guide vanes is connected to the carriage; and the movement of the carriage along the track further translates each of the plurality of open guide vanes axially along the rotational axis.

6 . The assembly of claim 3 , further comprising:
a blade pivot apparatus mounted with the carriage; the blade pivot apparatus configured to pivot the first open guide vane about a pivot axis.

7 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first open guide vane is further configured to pivot about a first vane pivot axis.

8 . The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first vane pivot axis is coplanar with the rotational axis.

9 . The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first vane pivot axis is non-coplanar with the rotational axis.

10 . The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first vane pivot axis is perpendicular to the rotational axis when viewed in a reference plane parallel with the rotational axis.

11 . The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first vane pivot axis is angularly offset from the rotational axis by an acute angle when viewed in a reference plane parallel with the rotational axis.

12 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the open propulsor rotor includes a plurality of open propulsor blades arranged circumferentially about the rotational axis; the plurality of open propulsor blades comprise a first open propulsor blade; and the first open propulsor blade is configured to pivot about a first blade pivot axis.

13 . The assembly of claim 12 , wherein
the first open propulsor blade comprises a first blade leading edge, a first blade trailing edge and a first blade chord length measured from the first blade leading edge to the first blade trailing edge; a blade reference plane is axially aligned with the first blade trailing edge and perpendicular to the rotational axis; a vane reference plane is axially aligned with the first vane leading edge and perpendicular to the rotational axis; and the assembly further comprises a vane actuation system configured to move the first open guide vane to maintain an axial gap between the blade reference plane and the vane reference plane as the first open propulsor blade pivots about the first blade pivot axis, an axial dimension of the axial gap changes no more than one-quarter of the first blade chord length during the movement of the first open guide vane, and the movement of the first open guide vane comprises the axial translation of the first open guide vane along the rotational axis.

14 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the open propulsor rotor includes a plurality of open propulsor blades arranged circumferentially about the rotational axis, the plurality of open propulsor blades comprise a first open propulsor blade, the first open propulsor blade comprises a first blade leading edge, a first blade trailing edge and a first blade chord length measured from the first blade leading edge to the first blade trailing edge, and a blade reference plane is axially aligned with the first blade trailing edge and perpendicular to the rotational axis; a vane reference plane is axially aligned with the first vane leading edge and perpendicular to the rotational axis; and the assembly further comprises a vane actuation system configured to move the first open guide vane to maintain an axial distance between the blade reference plane and the vane reference plane that is between one-quarter of the first blade chord length and five times the first blade chord length, and the movement of the first open guide vane comprises the axial translation of the first open guide vane along the rotational axis.

15 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the open propulsor rotor includes a plurality of open propulsor blades arranged circumferentially about the rotational axis, the plurality of open propulsor blades comprise a first open propulsor blade, and the first open propulsor blade comprises a first blade leading edge, a first blade trailing edge and a first blade chord length measured from the first blade leading edge to the first blade trailing edge; the first open guide vane is further configured to pivot about a first vane pivot axis; and the assembly further comprises a vane actuation system configured to translate the first vane pivot axis no more than two times the first blade chord length during the axial translation of the first open guide vane along the rotational axis.

16 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gas generator configured to drive rotation of the open propulsor rotor about the rotational axis; the gas generator including a flowpath, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section; the flowpath extending through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section from an inlet into the flowpath to an exhaust from the flowpath; and the open propulsor rotor and the open guide vane structure are disposed outside of the gas generator.

17 . An assembly for an aircraft propulsion system, comprising:
a propulsor rotor configured to rotate about a rotational axis; a guide vane structure axially next to the propulsor rotor, the guide vane structure including a plurality of guide vanes arranged circumferentially about the rotational axis, the plurality of guide vanes comprising a first guide vane; and a vane actuation system configured to pivot the first guide vane about a first vane pivot axis, and the vane actuation system configured to translate the first vane pivot axis axially along the rotational axis.

18 . The assembly of claim 17 , further comprising:
a blade actuation system; the propulsor rotor including a plurality of propulsor blades arranged circumferentially about the rotational axis, and the plurality of propulsor blades comprising a first propulsor blade; and the blade actuation system configured to pivot t

Assignees

• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Morton Jeffrey T
• Yazici Murat
• Clark Thomas E
• Giannakopoulos Konstantinos P

Classifications

• F04D29/563

  specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F01D5/141

  Shape, i.e. outer, aerodynamic form (F01D5/148 - F01D5/20 take precedence; blade construction F01D5/147) · CPC title

• F01D5/148

  Blades with variable camber, e.g. by ejection of fluid · CPC title

• F01D17/162 Primary

  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

• F04D29/541

  Specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps (F04D29/56 takes precedence) · CPC title