Segmented variable fan outlet guide vane with pass through actuation mechanisms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12480422-B2
Application number	US-202418600604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2024
Priority date	Mar 17, 2023
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A fan assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a fan duct, a fan, and an outlet guide vane assembly located in the fan duct axially downstream of the fan. The outlet guide vane assembly includes a first variable leading edge outlet guide vane that extends radially relative to the central axis and includes a leading edge portion and a fixed aft portion, the leading edge portion including a tip segment configured to rotate about a leading edge pitch axis and a hub segment located radially inward of and separate from the tip segment, the hub segment configured to independently rotate about the leading edge pitch axis relative to the tip segment. The assembly further includes an actuation assembly having a pass through actuation rod enabling the single actuation assembly to rotate both of the tip and hub segments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fan assembly for a gas turbine engine, the fan assembly comprising
a fan duct arranged circumferentially around a central axis, a fan comprising a plurality of fan blades that extend radially outward relative to the central axis and that are adapted to rotate about the central axis to force fan exit air toward an aft end of the fan duct, and an outlet guide vane assembly located in the fan duct axially downstream of the fan and configured to adjust a direction of incoming fan exit air received from the plurality of fan blades and reduce incidence between the outlet guide vane assembly and the fan exit air, the outlet guide vane assembly including a first variable leading edge outlet guide vane that extends radially relative to the central axis and includes a leading edge portion and a fixed aft portion, the leading edge portion including a first tip segment configured to rotate about a leading edge pitch axis and a first hub segment located radially inward of and separate from the first tip segment, the first hub segment configured to independently rotate about the leading edge pitch axis relative to the first tip segment, and a first actuation assembly arranged radially outward of the leading edge portion and including a first actuation head coupled to the first tip segment, a second actuation head, and a first actuation rod coupled to the second actuation head and to the first hub segment, wherein the first actuation head is configured to selectively rotate the first tip segment about the leading edge pitch axis to a first pitch angle relative to the incoming fan exit air and the second actuation head is configured to selectively rotate the first hub segment via the first actuation rod independent of the first tip segment about the leading edge pitch axis to a second pitch angle relative to the incoming fan exit air, and wherein the fixed aft portion extends from a forward edge adjacent to the leading edge portion to an aft edge, and from a radially outer side to a radially inner side of the first variable leading edge outlet guide vane, the aft edge being an aft terminal edge of the first variable leading edge outlet guide vane.

2 . The fan assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first actuation assembly is configured to rotate the first tip segment and the first hub segment to the first pitch angle and the second pitch angle which is different than the first pitch angle.

3 . The fan assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first actuation head is coupled to a radially outer side of the first tip segment and is aligned with the leading edge pitch axis such that rotation of the first actuation head rotates the first tip segment about the leading edge pitch axis.

4 . The fan assembly of claim 3 , wherein the second actuation head is arranged radially outward of the first actuation head and is aligned with the leading edge pitch axis, wherein the first actuation head includes a first cavity extending therethrough, wherein the first tip segment includes a second cavity extending therethrough, wherein the first actuation rod extends from the second actuation head, through the first cavity of the first actuation head, through the second cavity first tip segment, and to a radially outer side of the first hub segment so as to couple thereto, and wherein rotation of the second actuation head rotates the first hub segment about the leading edge pitch axis.

5 . The fan assembly of claim 4 , further comprising:
a first actuator configured to rotate the second actuation head.

6 . The fan assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first actuation assembly further includes a first actuation arm coupled to the first actuation head, wherein rotation of the first actuation arm causes rotation of the first actuation head which causes rotation of first tip segment.

7 . The fan assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first actuation arm is fixedly coupled to the first actuation head at a first end of the first actuation arm and extends axially away from the first actuation head, wherein a second end of the first actuation arm opposite the first end is configured to be moved circumferentially relative to the first actuation head such that the first actuation arm is configured to be pivoted about the leading edge pitch axis along with the first actuation head.

8 . The fan assembly of claim 7 , wherein the outlet guide vane assembly further includes:
a first annular ring extending circumferentially about the central axis, wherein the second end of the first actuation arm is connected to the first annular ring, and wherein circumferential movement of the first annular ring causes movement of the first actuation arm circumferentially relative to the first actuation head.

9 . The fan assembly of claim 8 , wherein the outlet guide vane assembly further includes a plurality of variable leading edge outlet guide vanes that include the first variable leading edge outlet guide vane, each variable leading edge outlet guide vane of the plurality of variable leading edge outlet guide vanes including a respective tip segment and hub segment, and wherein the tip segment of each variable leading edge outlet guide vane of the plurality of variable leading edge outlet guide vanes is connected to the first annular ring via a respective actuation arm such that movement of the first annular ring causes movement of the respective actuation arms circumferentially which causes the respective actuation arms to pivot about the rotation axes of the respective actuation heads such that the tip segments of each variable leading edge outlet guide vane of the plurality of variable leading edge outlet guide vanes are rotated about respective leading edge axes.

10 . The fan assembly of claim 7 , wherein the outlet guide vane assembly further includes:
a first annular ring segment extending partially circumferentially about the central axis, wherein the second end of the first actuation arm is connected to the first annular ring segment, and wherein circumferential movement of the first annular ring segment causes movement of the first actuation arm circumferentially relative to the first actuation head.

11 . The fan assembly of claim 10 , wherein the outlet guide vane assembly further includes:
a second annular ring segment radially aligned with the first annular ring segment, extending partially circumferentially about the central axis, and circumferentially offset from the first annular ring, wherein the outlet guide vane assembly further includes a plurality of variable leading edge outlet guide vanes that include the first variable leading edge outlet guide vane, each variable leading edge outlet guide vane of the plurality of variable leading edge outlet guide vanes including a respective tip segment and hub segment, wherein a first group of the tip segments of the variable leading edge outlet guide vanes are connected to the first annular ring segment via a respective actuation arm, wherein a second group of the tip segments of the variable leading edge outlet guide vanes different from the first group are connected to the second annular ring segment via a respective actuation arm, wherein movement of the first annular ring segment causes movement of the respective actuation arms of the first group of tip segments circumferentially such that the first group of tip segments of each of the variable leading edge outlet guide vanes are rotated about respective leading edge axes, and wherein movement of the second annular ring segment causes movement of the respective actuation arms of the second group of tip segments circumferentially which causes the respective actuation arms to pivot about the rotation axes of the

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• Molnar Jr Daniel E
• Heeter Robert W
• Hebert Gregory J

Classifications

• F05D2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• F05D2240/12

  Fluid guiding means, e.g. vanes · CPC title

• F05D2260/60

  Fluid transfer · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · 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