Lateral propulsion unit for aircraft comprising a turbine engine support arch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9328630-B2
Application number	US-201314016296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2013
Priority date	Sep 6, 2012
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A propulsion unit for an aircraft, comprising one turbine engine and a mounting device for a turbine engine designed to be added laterally on an aircraft structure and comprising a rigid mounting structure. The rigid mounting structure supports at least one arch which is concave towards the longitudinal axis of the propulsion unit and which has a distal end at an angular distance of between 45 and 120 degrees from a vertical plane passing through the axis, on the other side of the structure, and supporting a distal connecting element connecting the turbine engine to the arch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A propulsion unit for an aircraft, comprising:
a turbine engine with a longitudinal axis parallel to a longitudinal direction of said turbine engine, and
an engine mounting device designed to be added laterally on an aircraft structure,
said mounting device comprising a rigid mounting structure with a proximal end that will be connected to the aircraft structure and with a distal end arranged facing the turbine engine,
said rigid mounting structure supporting connecting means connecting said turbine engine to said rigid mounting structure, in which:
said connecting means comprise at least one arch with a proximal end connected to said rigid mounting structure and an opposite distal end;
said arch being concave towards said longitudinal axis;
said proximal end and distal end of said arch extend on each side of a longitudinal plane containing said longitudinal axis, said longitudinal plane extending vertically when said propulsion unit is fitted on an aircraft parked on the ground; and
when said arch is seen in a sectional view on a transverse plane orthogonal to said longitudinal axis, a first half-line and a second half-line delimit a first angular sector with an angle of between 45 degrees and 120 degrees, wherein the first half line starts from said longitudinal axis and passes through the distal end of said arch, and the second half-line starts from said longitudinal axis, is contained in said longitudinal plane, and intercepts said arch,
wherein said connecting means comprise a distal connecting element connecting the turbine engine to a distal mounting part of said arch and arranged on the same side as said distal end of said arch relative to said longitudinal plane, said distal mounting part being arranged such that when said arch is seen in a sectional view on said transverse plane, said distal mounting part extends outside a second angular sector defined such that:
the longitudinal axis is a vertex of the second angular sector,
the second angular sector forms an angle equal to between 25 degrees and 100 degrees,
the angular sector extends from said second half-line towards said distal end of said arch.

2. The propulsion unit according to claim 1 , wherein said connecting means also comprise a proximal connecting element connecting the turbine engine to a proximal mounting part of said arch, said proximal mounting part being arranged such that when said arch is seen in a sectional view on said transverse plane, said proximal mounting part extends outside a third angular sector defined such that:
the longitudinal axis is a vertex of the third angular sector,
the third angular sector forms an angle equal to between 25 degrees and 100 degrees,
the third angular sector extends from said second half-line towards said rigid mounting structure.

3. The propulsion unit according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said distal connecting element and said proximal connecting element is a mechanical energy dissipation element arranged to damp turbine engine vibrations.

4. The propulsion unit according to claim 1 , wherein:
said rigid mounting structure is in the form of a box,
said arch prolongs a spar which forms a first end of said rigid mounting structure along the longitudinal direction,
said connecting means comprise a second arch that prolongs a spar forming a second end of said rigid mounting structure, opposite said first end of said rigid mounting structure,
said second arch being concave towards said longitudinal axis of the turbine engine and having a distal end extending on the side of said longitudinal plane opposite said rigid mounting structure, and
when said second arch is seen in a sectional view on said transverse plane, a first half-line starting from said longitudinal axis and passing through the distal end of said second arch delimits a fourth angular sector with an angle between 45 degrees and 120 degrees, with a second half-line starting from said longitudinal axis, contained in said longitudinal plane, and intercepting said other arch.

5. The propulsion unit according to claim 1 , wherein said connecting means comprise a longitudinal beam supported by each arch connected to said rigid mounting structure.

6. The propulsion unit according to claim 5 , in which said longitudinal beam is centered relative to said longitudinal plane and supports a second additional arch offset along the longitudinal direction, from said rigid mounting structure, and centered relative to said longitudinal plane, said second arch supporting two lateral engine mountings arranged on each side of said longitudinal plane and designed to resist forces oriented along a vertical direction parallel to said longitudinal plane and orthogonal to said longitudinal direction, and a central engine mounting that is centered relative to said longitudinal plane and designed to at least resist forces oriented along a transverse direction orthogonal to said longitudinal and vertical directions.

7. The propulsion unit according to claim 6 , wherein said central engine mounting supported by said second arch is also designed to resist forces oriented along the longitudinal direction.

8. The propulsion unit according to claim 6 , wherein said rigid mounting structure supports an engine mounting at its distal end, designed to resist forces oriented along the longitudinal direction.

9. The propulsion unit according to claim 6 , wherein said longitudinal beam supports an engine mounting arranged on the longitudinal side opposite said second arch relative to the rigid mounting structure, and designed at least to resist forces oriented along the vertical direction.

10. The propulsion unit according to claim 9 , wherein said rigid mounting structure comprises an engine mounting at its distal end, designed to resist forces oriented along the transverse direction.

11. The propulsion unit according to claim 9 , wherein said engine mounting, supported by said longitudinal beam and arranged on the longitudinal side opposite said second arch, is also designed to resist forces oriented along the transverse direction.

12. The propulsion unit according to claim 1 , further comprising an external aerodynamic fairing, and in which:
said external aerodynamic fairing comprises a structural skin that covers and is fixed to each arch connected to said rigid mounting structure, extending at least as far as the distal end of the arch, and
said connecting means are designed such that part of the connection forces between the turbine engine and said rigid mounting structure is resisted by said structural skin of the external aerodynamic fairing.

13. An aircraft comprising at least one propulsion unit according to claim 1 , wherein each arch connected to said rigid mounting structure comprises a part extending above the turbine engine of said propulsion unit when said aircraft is parked on the ground.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Brochard Wolfgang
• Terral Romain

Classifications

• F01D25/24 Primary

  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

• B64D27/402

  comprising box like supporting frames, e.g. pylons or arrangements for embracing the power plant · CPC title

• B64D27/20 Primary

  within, or attached to, fuselages · CPC title

• B64D29/06

  Attaching of nacelles, fairings or cowlings · CPC title

• Y02T50/44

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic