Core cowl thrust reverser system and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9650992-B2
Application number	US-201314056772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2013
Priority date	Oct 17, 2013
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A thrust reverser system deployable from a core cowl is provided. The thrust reverser system may comprise one or more doors that are configured to overlap to reduce leakage and increate reverse thrust while deployed. The doors may be configured to vanes that are configured to split and/or direct airflow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thrust reverser system, comprising:
a first door deployable from a core cowl, wherein the core cowl is disposed within a fan cowl, and wherein the core cowl and the fan cowl define a bypass air duct configured to allow an airflow between the core cowl and the fan cowl, and wherein the first door is disposed at a first distance from the fan cowl, and wherein the first door, when in a deployed state, obstructs the airflow exiting the bypass air duct and directed to the first door;
a second door disposed at a second distance from the fan cowl and circumferentially offset from the first door and deployable from the core cowl, wherein the second door is disposed downstream from the first door, and wherein the second door, when in a deployed state, extends radially outward from the core cowl and obstructs the airflow exiting the bypass air duct and directed to the second door; and
a first vane installed on the first door, wherein the first vane obstructs the airflow aft of the bypass air duct in response to the thrust reverser system being activated.

2. The thrust reverser system of claim 1 , further comprising a second vane installed on the second door, wherein the second vane obstructs the airflow aft of the bypass air duct in response to the thrust reverser system being activated.

3. The thrust reverser system of claim 1 , wherein a first edge of the second door overlaps a first portion of the first door in an axial direction, in response to the first door and the second door being deployed.

4. The thrust reverser system of claim 1 , wherein the first door is deployed by an actuation mechanism.

5. The thrust reverser system of claim 1 , further comprising a third door deployable from the core cowl and located aft of the first door, wherein the third door obstructs the airflow exiting the bypass air duct in response to the thrust reverser system being activated.

6. The thrust reverser system of claim 5 , wherein a first end of the third door overlaps at least a second portion of the first door in an axial direction, in response to the first door and the third door being deployed.

7. The thrust reverser system of claim 5 , wherein a first end of the third door overlaps at least a first portion of the first door and a second end of the third door overlaps at least a first edge of the second door in an axial direction, in response to the first door, the second door, and the third door being deployed.

8. The thrust reverser system of claim 1 , wherein the first vane is configured to split an air flow from a fan.

9. A propulsion system, comprising:
a fan cowl;
a fan disposed within the fan cowl;
an engine core configured to drive the fan; and
a core cowl disposed within the fan cowl, wherein the core cowl is configured to surround at least a portion of the engine core, wherein the core cowl and the fan cowl define a bypass air duct configured to allow an airflow between the fan cowl and the core cowl, and
wherein the core cowl comprises:
a first door deployable from the core cowl and configured to obstruct the airflow exiting the bypass air duct in response to being deployed, and wherein the first door is disposed at a first distance from the fan cowl, and
a second door deployable from the core cowl, wherein the second door extends radially outward from the core cowl to obstruct the airflow exiting the bypass air duct in response to being deployed, wherein the second door is disposed at a second distance from the fan cowl and is circumferentially offset and downstream from the first door, and wherein a first portion of the first door overlaps a first edge of the second door in an axial direction, in response to the first door and the second door being deployed.

10. The propulsion system of claim 9 , wherein the first door comprises a vane.

11. The propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein the vane is configured to direct the airflow aft the bypass air duct to create reverse thrust, in response to the first door being deployed.

12. The propulsion system of claim 9 , wherein the first door comprises a first vane and the second door comprises a second vane.

13. The propulsion system of claim 12 , wherein the first door and the second door are configured to obstruct the airflow in response to being deployed, and wherein the first vane and the second vane are configured to split and direct the airflow.

14. The propulsion system of claim 9 , wherein the fan cowl comprises a variable area nozzle installed on an aft portion of the fan cowl.

15. The propulsion system of claim 14 , wherein the variable area nozzle is configured to reduce the area of the bypass air duct to direct the airflow to the first door and the second door, in response to the first door being deployed.

16. A thrust reverser system, comprising:
a core cowl disposed within a fan cowl, wherein the core cowl and the fan cowl define a bypass air duct configured to allow an airflow between the core cowl and the fan cowl;
a first plurality of doors circumferentially displaced about a first radius of the core cowl, and configured to obstruct the airflow exiting the bypass air duct in response to being deployed; and
a second plurality of doors circumferentially displaced about a second radius of the core cowl downstream of the first radius, wherein the second plurality of doors extends radially outward from the core cowl to obstruct the airflow exiting the bypass air duct in response to being deployed, wherein the second plurality of doors are circumferentially offset from the first plurality of doors to minimize leakage of the thrust reverser system.

17. The thrust reverser system 16 , wherein a door of the first plurality of doors comprises a vane.

18. The thrust reverser system 17 , wherein the vane is configured to divert the airflow to create reverse thrust.

19. The thrust reverser system 16 , wherein each of the first plurality of doors comprises a vane.

Assignees

• Rohr Inc

Inventors

• Aten Michael

Classifications

• Y02T50/671

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02K1/74

  Reversing at least one flow in relation to at least one other flow in a plural- flow engine · CPC title

• F02K1/70 Primary

  using thrust reverser flaps or doors mounted on the fan housing · CPC title

• F02K1/68 Primary

  Reversers mounted on the engine housing downstream of the fan exhaust section · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title