Engine inlet configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9586692-B2
Application number	US-201414252236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2014
Priority date	Apr 14, 2014
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

An engine inlet assembly includes an inlet duct having a first inlet duct leg and a second inlet duct leg, the first inlet duct leg and the second inlet duct leg extending toward a common inlet duct outlet located at an engine inlet. The first inlet duct leg and the second inlet duct leg are fixedly secured to an airframe of an aircraft at an air inlet. The duct outlet has a floating interface with the engine inlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine inlet assembly comprising:
an inlet duct including a first inlet duct leg and a second inlet duct leg, the first inlet duct leg and the second inlet duct leg extending toward a common inlet duct outlet disposed at an engine inlet;
the first inlet duct leg and the second inlet duct leg fixedly secured to an airframe of an aircraft at an air inlet; and
the inlet duct outlet having a floating interface with the engine inlet, wherein the inlet duct extends through an opening in a firewall such that a free end of the common inlet duct outlet is located within an engine compartment of the aircraft at a position upstream of the engine inlet.

2. The engine inlet assembly of claim 1 , wherein the firewall has an airtight seal to the engine inlet radially outboard on the inlet duct via a flexible bellows seal to prevent ingestion of an engine compartment airflow into the engine inlet.

3. The engine inlet assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a bulb seal disposed at the firewall to seal between an exterior of the inlet duct and a firewall opening.

4. The engine inlet assembly of claim 3 , wherein the inlet duct is partially supported by the bulb seal at the firewall.

5. The engine inlet assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inlet duct at least partially surrounds an engine shaft and is sealed with a gasket to the shaft support to seal at the interior of the inlet duct.

6. The engine inlet assembly of claim 1 , wherein each inlet duct leg is segmented between air inlet and the duct outlet.

7. A rotary winged aircraft comprising:
an airframe;
a main rotor assembly;
an engine disposed at the airframe and operably connected to the main rotor assembly to drive the main rotor assembly; and
an inlet duct to direct an airflow to an engine inlet including:
a first inlet duct leg and a second inlet duct leg, the first inlet duct leg and the second inlet duct leg extending toward a common inlet duct outlet disposed at the engine inlet;
the first inlet duct leg and the second inlet duct leg fixedly secured to the airframe at an air inlet; and
the inlet duct outlet having a floating interface with the engine inlet, wherein the inlet duct extends through an opening in a firewall such that a free end of the common inlet duct outlet is located within an engine compartment of the aircraft at a position upstream of the engine inlet.

8. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the firewall has an airtight seal to the engine inlet radially outboard on the inlet duct via a flexible bellows seal to prevent ingestion of an engine compartment airflow into the engine inlet.

9. The aircraft of claim 7 , further comprising a bulb seal disposed at the firewall to seal between an exterior of the inlet duct and a firewall opening.

10. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the inlet duct at least partially surrounds and is sealed to an engine shaft support connecting the engine to main rotor assembly.

11. The aircraft or claim 7 , wherein the inlet duct is partially supported by a bulb seal disposed at the firewall.

12. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein each inlet duct leg is segmented between air inlet and the duct outlet.

13. The aircraft of claim 7 , wherein the first inlet duct leg and the second inlet duct leg are disposed at opposing sides of the main rotor assembly.

Assignees

• Sikorsky Aircraft Corp

Inventors

• Bofill Steven
• Chasen Scott A
• Simonetti Joseph Lawrence
• Lamb Jr Donald William

Classifications

• B64D2033/0253

  specially adapted for particular type of aircraft · CPC title

• B64D2033/0246

  comprising particle separators · CPC title

• B64D33/02 Primary

  of combustion air intakes · CPC title