Aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016332741-A1
Application number	US-201615135040-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 21, 2016
Priority date	May 13, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An aircraft including trailing edge flaps, a wing mounted propulsor positioned such that the flaps are located in a slipstream of the first propulsor in use when deployed. The aircraft further including a thrust vectorable propulsor configured to selectively vary the exhaust efflux vector of the propulsor in at least one plane. The thrust vectorable propulsor includes a ducted fan configurable between a first mode, in which the fan provides net forward thrust to the aircraft, and a second mode in which the fan provides net drag to the aircraft. The fan is positioned to ingest a boundary layer airflow in use when operating in the first mode.

First claim

1 . An aircraft comprising:
a thrust vectorable propulsor configured to selectively vary the exhaust efflux vector of the propulsor in at least one plane and configurable between a first mode, in which the thrust vectorable propulsor provides net forward thrust to the aircraft, and a second mode in which the thrust vectorable propulsor provides net drag to the aircraft, the thrust vectorable propulsor being positioned to ingest a boundary layer airflow in use when operating in the first mode.

2 . An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft comprises a deployable high lift device comprising at least one of one or more flaps located at a trailing edge of the wing, and one or more slats located at a leading edge of the wing.

3 . An aircraft according to claim 2 , wherein the aircraft comprises a further propulsor located such that the high lift device is located in a slipstream of the further propulsor in use when deployed.

4 . An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the thrust vectorable propulsor and the further propulsor comprises an electrically or mechanically driven propeller or ducted fan.

5 . An aircraft according to claim 3 , wherein the further propulsor comprises an intake located ahead of a leading edge of the wing.

6 . An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft comprises at least one of an internal combustion engine such as a gas turbine engine arranged to provide power to at least the thrust vectorable propulsor, and an electrical power source such as a battery or a hydrogen fuel cell arranged to provide power to at least the thrust vectorable propulsor.

7 . An aircraft according to claim 6 , wherein the aircraft comprises a plurality of further propulsors powered by each internal combustion engine.

8 . An aircraft according to claim 6 , wherein the aircraft comprises at least one of an internal combustion engine driven electrical generator, the electrical generator being electrically coupled to one or propulsor driving electrical motors to thereby power the first propulsors, and an internal combustion engine driven gearbox configured to drive at least one propulsor.

9 . An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the thrust vectorable propulsor comprises an intake positioned at an aft end of a fuselage of the aircraft.

10 . An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the thrust vectorable propulsor comprises a variable pitch fan located within a duct.

11 . An aircraft according to claim 10 , wherein the thrust vectorable propulsor comprises at least one of an inlet guide vane positioned upstream of the fan, and an outlet guide vane positioned downstream of the fan.

12 . An aircraft according to claim 11 , wherein one or both of the inlet and outlet guide vanes are variable pitch.

13 . An aircraft according to claim 4 , wherein the thrust vectorable propulsor comprises at least one of a variable area inlet arrangement, and a variable area outlet arrangement

14 . An aircraft according to claim 13 , wherein the thrust vectorable propulsor comprises a duct wall having a translatable section configured to open an annular gap in the duct wall when in an open position, and close the annular gap when in a closed position.

15 . An aircraft according to claim 13 , wherein the second propulsor comprises a translatable plug nozzle configured to increase the outlet area when in a first position and decrease the outlet area when in a second position.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Moxon Matthew

Classifications

• B64D27/32

  within, or attached to, fuselages · CPC title

• B64D27/31

  within, or attached to, wings · CPC title

• B64D27/33

  Hybrid electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/10

  of gas-turbine type  (jet aircraft B64D27/16) · CPC title

• B64D27/24

  using steam or spring force (jet aircraft B64D27/16) · CPC title