Asymmetric Fan Nozzle in High-BPR Separate-Flow Nacelle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016003194-A1
Application number	US-201314768830-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fan nozzle for an aircraft gas turbine engine is comprised of a core engine cowl that is disposed within a fan cowl so that an air flow area is defined therebetween. The core engine cowl and fan cowl are disposed around a horizontal central plane. The fan cowl has a substantially circular shape and is formed of an upper substantially semi-circular portion having a first radius and a lower substantially semi-circular portion having a second radius. The core engine cowl has a substantially circular shape and is formed of an upper substantially semi-circular portion having a third radius and a lower substantially semi-circular portion having a third radius. The upper substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl includes a left arcuate member and a right arcuate member. The second radius is less than the first radius and the third radius is less than the fourth radius.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fan nozzle for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a fan cowl having a substantially circular shape, the fan cowl being formed of an upper substantially semi-circular portion and a lower substantially semi-circular portion, the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the fan cowl having a first radius, the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the fan cowl having a second radius, the second radius being less than the first radius; a core engine cowl disposed within the fan cowl, the fan cowl and the core engine cowl positioned around a horizontal central plane, the core engine cowl having a substantially circular shape, the core engine cowl being formed of an upper substantially semi-circular portion and a lower substantially semi-circular portion, the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl having a third radius, the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl being formed of a left arcuate member and a right arcuate member, the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl having a fourth radius, the third radius being less than the fourth radius; and an air flow area being defined between the fan cowl and the core engine cowl.

2 . The fan nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the left and right arcuate members each have a cross-sectional area, the cross-sectional areas of the left and right arcuate members being approximately a quarter of a cross-sectional area of the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl.

3 . The fan nozzle of claim 2 , wherein the left and right arcuate members are gradually offset radially downwardly toward the horizontal central plane.

4 . The fan nozzle of claim 3 , wherein the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the fan cowl is gradually offset radially upwardly toward the horizontal central plane.

5 . The fan nozzle of claim 4 , wherein the first radius has a variable measurement taken along the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the fan cowl, the second radius has a variable measurement taken along the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the fan cowl, the third radius has a variable measurement taken along the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl and the fourth radius has a variable measurement taken along the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl.

6 . The fan nozzle of claim 4 , wherein the first radius has a uniform measurement taken along the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the fan cowl, the second radius has a variable measurement taken along the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the fan cowl, the third radius has a variable measurement taken along the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl and the fourth radius has a uniform measurement taken along the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl.

7 . The fan nozzle of claim 4 , wherein an air flow area above the horizontal central plane is approximately equal to an air flow area below the horizontal central plane.

8 . A fan nozzle for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a fan cowl having a substantially circular shape, the fan cowl being formed of an upper substantially semi-circular portion and a lower substantially semi-circular portion, the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the fan cowl having a first radius, the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the fan cowl being formed of a left arcuate member and a right arcuate member, the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the fan cowl having a second radius, the second radius being less than the first radius; a core engine cowl disposed within the fan cowl, the fan cowl and the core engine cowl positioned around a horizontal central plane, the core engine cowl having a substantially circular shape, the core engine cowl being formed of an upper substantially semi-circular portion and a lower substantially semi-circular portion, the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl having a third radius, the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl having a fourth radius, the third radius being less than the fourth radius; and an air flow area being defined between the fan cowl and the core engine cowl.

9 . The fan nozzle of claim 8 , wherein the left and right arcuate members each have a cross-sectional area, the cross-sectional areas of the left and right arcuate members being approximately a quarter of a cross-sectional area of the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the fan cowl.

10 . The fan nozzle of claim 9 , wherein the left and right arcuate members are gradually offset radially upwardly away the horizontal central plane.

11 . The fan nozzle of claim 10 , wherein the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl is gradually offset radially downwardly away from the horizontal central plane.

12 . The fan nozzle of claim 11 , wherein the first radius has a variable measurement taken along the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the fan, the second radius has a variable measurement taken along the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the fan cowl, the third radius has a variable measurement taken along the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl and the fourth radius has a variable measurement taken along the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl.

13 . The fan nozzle of claim 11 , wherein the first radius has a variable measurement taken along the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the fan, the second radius has a uniform measurement taken along the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the fan cowl, the third radius has a uniform measurement taken along the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl and the fourth radius has a variable measurement taken along the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the core engine cowl.

14 . The fan nozzle of claim 10 , wherein the air flow area above the horizontal central plane is approximately equal to the air flow area below the horizontal central plane.

15 . A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a fan; a fan cowl surrounding the fan; a core engine cowl disposed within the fan cowl, the core engine cowl surrounding a core engine, the core engine driving the fan, the fan cowl surrounding the core engine cowl and the fan, the fan cowl and the core engine cowl positioned around a horizontal central plane, the fan cowl having a first trailing rim, the core engine cowl having a second trailing rim, the first trailing rim having a substantially circular shape, the first trailing rim being formed of an upper substantially semi-circular portion and a lower substantially semi-circular portion, the upper semi-circular portion of the first trailing rim having a first radius, the lower substantially semi-circular portion of the first trailing rim having a second radius, the second radius being less than the first radius, the second trailing rim having a substantially circular shape, the second trailing rim being formed of an upper substantially semi-circular portion and a lower substantially semi-circular portion, the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the second trailing rim having a third radius, the upper substantially semi-circular portion of the second trailing rim being formed of a left arcuate member and a right arcuate member, the lower semi-circular portion of the second trailing rim having a fourth radius, the third radius being less than

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Lord Wesley K
• Malecki Robert E

Classifications

• F02C3/04

  having a turbine driving a compressor (power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16) · CPC title

• F05D2240/35

  Combustors or associated equipment · CPC title

• F05D2240/24

  for turbines · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F01D25/24

  Casings (modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14); Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings (casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M {; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045}) · CPC title