Splitter nose with a sheet that forms a surface to guide the flow and acts as a de-icing duct

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9657640-B2
Application number	US-201414323886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2014
Priority date	Jul 5, 2013
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

The present application relates to a splitter nose of an axial turbomachine configured to separate an annular flow into the turbomachine into a primary flow and a secondary flow, and including: a generally circular leading edge, an annular wall extending from the leading edge and bounding the secondary flow, and at least one duct for a de-icing fluid for the splitter nose extending substantially axially along the wall and opening out into the primary flow. The external surface of the wall is formed by a sheet bounding the de-icing duct.

First claim

We claim:

1. A splitter nose of an axial turbomachine configured to separate a flow entering the axial turbomachine into a primary flow and a secondary flow, the splitter nose comprising:
a generally circular leading edge;
an outer annular wall extending from the generally circular leading edge and bounding the secondary flow said outer annular wall comprising a support wall and a constant thickness sheet attached to the support wall at an aft edge of the constant thickness sheet;
an inner annular wall extending from the generally circular leading edge and bounding the primary flow, said inner annular wall connecting with said outer annular wall proximal to the generally circular leading edge;
wherein the constant thickness sheet defines an outer boundary of at least one duct for a de-icing fluid for the splitter nose extending substantially axially along the outer annular wall and opening into the primary flow;
wherein an inner boundary of the at least one duct is substantially parallel to the constant thickness sheet, the inner boundary of the at least one duct comprising one of the support wall or a second annular sheet; and
wherein the generally circular leading edge of the splitter nose is formed by the constant thickness sheet.

2. A splitter nose of an axial turbomachine configured to separate a flow entering the axial turbomachine into a primary flow and a secondary flow, the splitter nose comprising:
a generally circular leading edge;
an outer annular wall extending from the generally circular leading edge and bounding the secondary flow, said outer annular wall comprising a support wall and a constant thickness sheet attached to the support wall at an aft edge of the constant thickness sheet;
an inner annular wall extending from the generally circular leading edge and bounding the primary flow, said inner annular wall connecting with said outer annular wall proximal to the generally circular leading edge;
wherein the constant thickness sheet defines an outer boundary of at least one duct for a de-icing fluid for the splitter nose, the at least one duct extending substantially axially along the outer annular wall and opening into the primary flow;
wherein an inner boundary of the at least one duct is substantially parallel to the constant thickness sheet, the inner boundary of the at least one duct comprising one of the support wall or a second annular sheet; and
wherein a portion of an external surface of the outer annular wall is formed by the constant thickness sheet.

3. The splitter nose in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one duct has a major part of a length along the annular wall and a substantially constant thickness over said major part of the length of the at least one duct.

4. The splitter nose in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the constant thickness sheet is an annular sheet and has a profile with an aft portion that is substantially straight and a curved forward portion which forms the generally circular leading edge.

5. The splitter nose in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the constant thickness sheet includes an exterior surface, wherein the support wall is the inner boundary of the at least one duct, and wherein
the support wall comprises an exterior surface with a step facing the aft edge of the constant thickness sheet so that the exterior surface of the constant thickness sheet is level with the exterior surface of the support wall at the step.

6. The splitter nose in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the outer annular wall forms an annular hook at the generally circular leading edge with an annular groove open axially aftward.

7. The splitter nose in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the inner annular wall is an external shell of a bladed stator, and wherein the external shell includes a forward edge comprising:
an annular centering surface mating with a corresponding centering surface on the outer annular wall configured to ensure concentricity between the outer annular wall and the external shell.

8. The splitter nose in accordance with claim 7 , wherein both the external shell and the outer annular wall comprise:
respective flanges extending radially, aft of the annular centering surface and the corresponding centering surface on the outer annular wall;
the flange of the external shell and the flange of the outer annular wall being attached to each other and axially and/or radially overlapping each other.

9. The splitter nose in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising: at least one manifold for supplying the de-icing fluid in communication with the at least one duct and through the flange of the external shell and through the flange of the outer annular wall.

10. The splitter nose in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one duct comprises a plurality of ducts which extend axially and which are distributed along a periphery of the outer annular wall.

11. The splitter nose in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the plurality of ducts is formed by the constant thickness sheet and the support wall, the support wall comprising:
cavities distributed along a circumference of the support wall on an external surface of the support wall, the cavities corresponding to the plurality of ducts.

12. The splitter nose in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising:
an annular plenum chamber configured to distribute the de-icing fluid to the plurality of ducts, the annular plenum chamber being connected to the plurality of ducts by passageways through the support wall.

13. The splitter nose in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one duct comprises:
an outlet formed as an annular gap, said annular gap being opened radially inward and pointing axially aftward.

14. The splitter nose in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the constant thickness sheet is an annular sheet, and wherein the inner boundary of the at least one duct is the second annular sheet, the second annular sheet being configured to fit inside the first annular sheet.

15. The splitter nose in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising:
partitioning strips extending substantially axially between the constant thickness sheet and the second annular sheet so as to form a plurality of de-icing ducts including the at least one duct.

16. An axial turbomachine, comprising:
a compressor having an inlet and a first annular row of stator blades at the inlet; and
a splitter nose configured to separate a flow entering the axial turbomachine into a primary flow and a secondary flow, said splitter nose configured to support said first annular row of stator blades, wherein said splitter nose comprises:
a generally circular leading edge;
an external annular wall extending from the generally circular leading edge and bounding the secondary flow, said external annular wall comprising a support wall and a constant thickness sheet attached to the support wall at an aft edge of the constant thickness sheet;
an internal annular wall extending from the generally circular leading edge and bounding the primary flow, said internal annular wall connecting with said external annular wall proximal to the generally circular leading edge;
wherein the constant thickness sheet defines an outer boundary of at least one duct for a de-icing fluid for the splitter nose, the at least one duct extending substantially axially along the external annular wall and opening into the primary flow;
wherein an inner boundary of the at least one duct is substantially parallel to the constant thickness sheet, the inner boundary of the at least one duct comprising one of the support wall or a secon

Assignees

• Techspace Aero Sa
• Safran Aero Boosters Sa

Inventors

• Herbaut Ghislain
• Baldewijns Benoît

Classifications

• F02C6/08

  the gas being bled from the gas-turbine compressor · CPC title

• F02C7/047 Primary

  Heating to prevent icing · CPC title

• B64D2033/0233

  comprising de-icing means · CPC title

• Y10T137/0536

  Highspeed fluid intake means [e.g., jet engine intake] · CPC title

• F01D25/02

  De-icing means for engines having icing phenomena · CPC title