Dual inlets for a turbofan precooler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9803546-B2
Application number	US-201314068447-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2013
Priority date	Oct 31, 2013
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for supplying air to a precooler. Air flow is created through a fan duct in an engine system. A first portion of the air flow is directed into a first inlet of an inlet system to feed a first half of the precooler. A second portion of the air flow is directed through the fan duct into a second inlet of the inlet system to feed a second half of the precooler.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a member located radially between an engine core and a nacelle, the nacelle surrounding the engine core;
an inlet system located on an outer surface of the member in a fan duct that guides a flow of air from a fan in an engine;
the inlet system further comprising:
a first inlet located on a sidewall of the member, such that the first inlet comprises a first leading edge and a first sweep,
wherein the first leading edge comprises a number of portions, configured such that a first portion of the number of portions of the first leading edge, nearest to a center axis of the fan, lies further upstream in the flow of air from the fan than a second portion of the number of portions of the first leading edge, furthest from the center axis of the fan;
a second inlet;
a first duct configured to fluidly connect the first inlet to a precooler; and

a second duct configured to fluidly connect the second inlet to the precooler.

2. The inlet system of claim 1 , further comprising the first inlet configured such that a total pressure at each portion, in the number of portions of the first leading edge, remains substantially equal to a total pressure at each other portion of the first leading edge.

3. The inlet system of claim 2 , further comprising the first duct configured to physically separate air in the first duct from air in the second duct until rejoined in the precooler.

4. The inlet system of claim 2 , further comprising the first duct configured to mix air in the first duct with air in the second duct before the precooler.

5. The inlet system of claim 1 , wherein the first inlet comprises:
the first leading edge; and
a first vane that comprises a first vane leading edge parallel to the first leading edge of the first inlet, wherein the first vane leading edge lies further upstream relative to the first leading edge with respect to the flow of air from the fan.

6. The inlet system of claim 5 , further comprising the first leading edge configured such that an equalized total pressure along the first leading edge precludes a back flow from inlet that disrupts the flow of air from the fan.

7. The inlet system of claim 5 , further comprising the first vane leading edge comprising a number of first vane portions and a first vane sweep configured to equalize a total pressure at each portion in the number of portions of the first vane leading edge.

8. The inlet system of claim 5 , wherein the second inlet comprises:
a second leading edge; and
a second vane that comprises a second vane leading edge.

9. The inlet system of claim 8 , wherein the second leading edge comprises a number of portions of the second leading edge and a second sweep configured such that:
a total pressure at each portion, in the number of portions of the second leading edge, remains substantially equal to a total pressure at each other , in the number of portions of the second leading edge; and
a portion, nearest to the center axis of the fan, of the second leading edge lies further upstream, in the flow of air from the fan, than a second portion, furthest from the center axis of the fan, in the number of portions of the second leading edge.

10. The inlet system of claim 8 , further comprising the second vane leading edge comprising a number of second vane portions and a second vane sweep configured to equalize a total pressure at each portion in the number of portions of the second vane leading edge.

11. The inlet system of claim 1 , wherein the first inlet is configured to be mounted substantially flush with a first bifurcation surface of an engine system and wherein the second inlet is configured to be mounted substantially flush with a second bifurcation surface of the engine system.

12. The inlet system of claim 1 , wherein the first duct and the second duct each comprise a length configured such that a position of the precooler lies closer to an engine inlet of an engine system than a functional precooler for a single duct inlet system in the same engine system.

13. The inlet system of claim 1 , further comprising:
the first sweep of the first leading edge being substantially equal to a first vane sweep of a first vane in the first inlet; and
a second sweep of a second leading edge being substantially equal to a second vane sweep of a second vane in the second inlet.

14. The inlet system of claim 1 , further comprising the first sweep comprising an angle of approximately 15 degrees relative to a plane normal to a direction of the flow of air from the fan.

15. A turbofan engine comprising:
a member located radially between an engine core and a nacelle, the nacelle surrounding the engine core;
wherein an inlet system is located on an outer surface of the member in a fan duct that guides a flow of air from a fan in the turbofan engine system;
wherein the fan is configured to generate the flow of air by a first inlet located on a sidewall of the member, and a second inlet, such that the first inlet comprises a first leading edge and a first sweep,
wherein the first leading edge comprises a number of portions, configured such that a first portion of the number of portions of the first leading edge, lies nearest a center axis of the fan and further upstream in the flow of air, than a second portion of the first leading edge, located further from the center axis of the fan;
responsive to a low-flow state of the flow of air, from the fan, through the first inlet, a total pressure at the first portion of the number of portions of the first leading edge substantially equals a total pressure at each portion in the number of portions of the first leading edge; the inlet system further comprising:
a precooler;
a first duct configured to fluidly connect the first inlet to the precooler; and
a second duct configured to fluidly connect the second inlet to the precooler; and

wherein the second inlet comprises a second leading edge that comprises a second sweep.

16. The turbofan engine system of claim 15 , further comprising:
the first inlet configured such that, responsive to a low-flow state of the flow of air, from the fan, through the first inlet, a total pressure at the first portion substantially equals a total pressure at each portion in the number of portions of the first leading edge; and wherein
the first inlet and the second inlet each comprise, respectively, a vane that comprises a vane leading edge that comprises a vane leading edge sweep that comprises a first portion of the vane leading edge located further upstream relative to the flow of air through the first inlet than a second portion of the vane leading edge located further from the center axis of the fan than the first portion of the vane leading edge.

17. The turbofan engine system of claim 16 further comprising:
a fan duct, wherein the respective leading edges and the vanes of the first and second inlet are each configured to reduce undesired spillage from the first inlet and the second inlet back out into the fan duct to within selected tolerances.

18. A method for reducing spillage from an inlet system supplying air to a precooler, the method comprising:
creating an air flow from a fan through a fan duct in an engine system, the engine system comprising the inlet system, a member located radially between an engine core and a nacelle, the nacelle surrounding the engine core;
wherein the inlet system is located on an outer surface of the member in a fan duct that guides a flow of air from a fan in an engine;
the method further comprising:
directing a first

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Willie Robert Henry
• Tretow Paul R

Classifications

• F02C7/04 Primary

  Air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants · CPC title

• Y10T137/0536

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

• Y02T50/675

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64D13/02

  the air being pressurised · CPC title

• F04D29/584

  cooling or heating the machine (F04D29/5846, F04D29/5853 take precedence) · CPC title