Gas turbine engine with embedded distributed fans

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9771863-B2
Application number	US-201514600304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2015
Priority date	Feb 7, 2014
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

An aircraft body comprises a support structure. A gas turbine engine comprises a gas generator having at least one compressor rotor, at least one gas generator turbine rotor, and a combustion section. A fan drive turbine is positioned downstream of at least one gas generator turbine rotor, and is configured to drive a shaft. The shaft engages gears to drive a plurality of fan rotors. The gas turbine engine is embedded into the support structure such that there is an inlet leading through the support structure to the fan rotors to deliver air to the fan rotors. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft body comprising:
a support structure; and
a gas turbine engine comprising:
a gas generator having at least one compressor rotor;
at least one gas generator turbine rotor;
a combustion section;
a fan drive turbine positioned downstream of said at least one gas generator turbine rotor, said fan drive turbine configured to drive a shaft and said shaft engaging gears to drive a plurality of fan rotors; and
said gas turbine engine being embedded into said support structure such that there is an inlet leading through said support structure to said fan rotors to deliver air to said fan rotors;
said body is a wing of said aircraft;
a flap is associated with an exhaust downstream of each of said fan rotors, and said flap being movable; and
said flap is moved in one direction to increase an area of said exhaust to provide a higher propulsion power at take-off, and is moved to a location where it decreases said area to reduce the propulsion power at cruise.

2. The body as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said flap can be pivoted to block an exhaust of said plurality of fan rotors to provide a thrust reverser effect.

3. The body as set forth in claim 2 , wherein a second flap is positioned outwardly on said wing and is configured to pivot to a location to block airflow to provide additional thrust reverse effect.

4. The body as set forth in claim 1 , wherein an exhaust for the product of combustion downstream of said fan drive turbine is configured to mix with exhaust from said fan rotors.

5. The body as set forth in claim 1 , wherein there are at least four of said plurality of fan rotors.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Suciu Gabriel L
• Epstein Alan H
• Lord Wesley K
• Chandler Jesse M
• Pixton Stephen G

Classifications

• B64D35/04

  characterised by the transmission driving a plurality of propellers or rotors · CPC title

• F02C7/36

  Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user ({F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and} F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H) · CPC title

• F02C3/10 Primary

  with another turbine driving an output shaft but not driving the compressor · CPC title

• F02K1/54

  Nozzles having means for reversing jet thrust (reversing jet thrust using fluid jets F02K1/32) · CPC title

• F02C6/206

  the vehicles being airscrew driven · CPC title