Gas turbine engine systems involving variable nozzles with flexible panels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9267463-B2
Application number	US-5476208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2008
Priority date	Mar 25, 2008
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A flexible panel assembly for a gas turbine engine selectively exhibits a range of positions to regulate exhaust of the engine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising:
a flexible panel adjacent a two dimensional secondary nozzle in communication with a secondary flow path for a secondary flow, said second flow path adjacent to a primary flow path for a primary flow, said flexible panel operable to selectively define a range of positions to regulate said two dimensional secondary nozzle;
a cavity on a non-gas side of said flexible panel; and
an actuator located in said cavity, said actuator configured to deflect said flexible panel, said actuator oriented in a direction that is non-parallel to an axis of rotation of the gas turbine engine.

2. The nozzle assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a stiffening rib configured to provide a desired aerodynamic shape to the flexible panel.

3. The nozzle assembly of claim 2 , wherein said actuator is connected to the stiffening rib and is operative to position the stiffening rib such that the flexible panel is deflected.

4. The nozzle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible panel is configured to be placed in at least one of a throat area and an exit area of a third stream exhaust nozzle to variably open and close the exit area of the third stream exhaust nozzle and operatively regulate a third stream exhaust.

5. The nozzle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible panel is formed at least partially of an elastomeric material.

6. The nozzle assembly as recited in claim 5 , wherein said secondary flow is selectively sourced only from a fan section of the gas turbine engine and said primary flow includes at least a combustion core gas exhaust flow sourced from a turbine section of the gas turbine engine and a flow from said fan section.

7. The nozzle assembly as recited in claim 5 , wherein said secondary flow is selectively sourced only from a fan section of the gas turbine engine and said primary flow includes at least a combustion core gas exhaust flow sourced from a turbine section of the gas turbine engine and a flow from a compressor section.

8. The nozzle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible panel is formed at least partially of an organic matrix composite.

9. The nozzle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible panel further comprises a stiffening stay operative to maintain a profile of a throat area.

10. The nozzle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible panel further comprises a support structure operative to support the flexible panel.

11. The nozzle assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said secondary flow is selectively sourced only from a fan section of the gas turbine engine and said primary flow includes at least a combustion core gas exhaust flow sourced from a turbine section of the gas turbine engine and a flow from said fan section.

12. The nozzle assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said secondary flow is selectively sourced only from a fan section of the gas turbine engine and said primary flow includes at least a combustion core gas exhaust flow sourced from a turbine section of the gas turbine engine and a flow from a compressor section.

13. A nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine, the nozzle assembly comprising:
a two-dimensional secondary nozzle having a throat area and an exit area;
a flexible panel operative to variably alter at least one of the throat area and the exit area to regulate a secondary flow from the two-dimensional secondary nozzle, said secondary flow different than a combustion core gas exhaust flow sourced from a turbine section of the gas turbine engine;
a cavity on a non-gas side of said flexible panel; and
an actuator located in said cavity, said actuator configured to deflect said flexible panel, said actuator oriented in a direction that is non-parallel to an axis of rotation of the gas turbine engine.

14. The nozzle assembly of claim 13 , further comprising:
a stiffening rib operative to deflect the flexible panel such that at least one of the throat area and the exit area is altered.

15. The nozzle assembly of claim 14 , wherein said actuator is connected to the stiffening rib and is operative to deflect the flexible panel by positioning the stiffening rib.

16. The nozzle assembly of claim 13 , wherein the panel is operative to symmetrically affect the secondary flow with respect to yaw.

17. The nozzle assembly of claim 13 , wherein the nozzle assembly further comprises a support structure operative to support the flexible panel.

18. The nozzle assembly of claim 13 , wherein said cavity is operative to reduce an actuation load associated with positioning of the panel by reducing pressure imbalances on the non-gas side and a gas path side of the flexible panel.

19. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a secondary flow duct with a two-dimensional secondary nozzle to communicate a secondary flow therethrough;
a primary flow duct with a two-dimensional primary nozzle to communicate primary flow therethrough, said two-dimensional primary nozzle adjacent to said two-dimensional secondary nozzle, wherein said primary flow includes at least a combustion core gas exhaust flow sourced from a turbine section of the gas turbine engine, and wherein said secondary flow is different than said combustion core gas exhaust flow;
a flexible panel adjacent said two-dimensional secondary nozzle, said flexible panel operable to selectively define a range of positions to regulate said two-dimensional secondary nozzle;
a cavity on a non-gas side of said flexible panel; and
an actuator located in said cavity, said actuator configured to deflect said flexible panel, said actuator oriented in a direction that is non-parallel to an axis of rotation of the gas turbine engine.

20. The gas turbine engine of claim 19 , further comprising a stiffening rib configured to deflect the flexible panel.

21. The gas turbine engine of claim 20 , wherein said actuator is connected to the rib and is configured to operatively rotate the stiffening rib and deflect the flexible panel in a throat area and an exit area of the two-dimensional secondary nozzle.

22. The gas turbine engine of claim 20 , wherein the two-dimensional secondary nozzle is a third stream exhaust nozzle assembly.

23. The gas turbine engine of claim 20 , wherein further comprising a stiffening stay configured to maintain a profile of a throat area of said two-dimensional secondary nozzle.

24. The gas turbine engine of claim 19 , wherein said flexible panel is located on one side of said two-dimensional secondary nozzle opposite said two-dimensional primary nozzle.

25. The gas turbine engine of claim 19 , wherein said two-dimensional secondary nozzle is downstream of said two dimensional primary nozzle.

26. The gas turbine engine of claim 19 , wherein said two-dimensional secondary nozzle is adjacent to said two-dimensional primary nozzle.

Assignees

• Petty Dale William
• Swanson Timothy A
• Mcmahon Shawn M
• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Petty Dale William
• Swanson Timothy A
• Mcmahon Shawn M

Classifications

• F05D2300/501

  Elasticity · CPC title

• F02K1/1207 Primary

  of one series of flaps hinged at their upstream ends on a fixed structure (F02K1/1215 - F02K1/1292 take precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2300/603

  Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced · CPC title

• F05D2300/604

  Amorphous · CPC title

• F02K1/82

  Jet pipe walls, e.g. liners · CPC title