Exhaust nozzle with non-coplanar and/or non-axisymmetric shape

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9810178-B2
Application number	US-201514818596-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2015
Priority date	Aug 5, 2015
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A turbofan exhaust nozzle includes: a conical inner shell disposed coaxially inside a surrounding outer shell to define an annular flow duct therebetween terminating in an outlet at a trailing edge of the outer shell and the inner shell terminates in a trailing edge aft of the outlet; and a pylon interrupting circumferentially the duct, wherein at least a portion of the trailing edge of the outer shell is vertically non-coplanar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turbofan exhaust nozzle comprising:
a conical inner shell disposed coaxially inside a surrounding outer shell to define an annular flow duct therebetween terminating in an outlet at a trailing edge of the outer shell, the conical inner shell terminating in a trailing edge aft of the outlet, wherein the conical inner shell diverges aft inside the annular flow duct to a hump and then converges aft to the trailing edge aft of the outlet thereof, and an axial position of the hump vanes circumferentially therearound corresponding to an axial position of the trailing edge of the outer shell; and
a pylon interrupting circumferentially the annular flow duct, wherein at least a portion of the trailing edge of the outer shell is vertically non-coplanar.

2. The turbofan exhaust nozzle of claim 1 wherein a lower portion of the trailing edge of the outer shell located diametrically opposite the pylon is displaced axially upstream relative to a remainder of the trailing edge of the outer shell.

3. The turbofan exhaust nozzle of claim 2 wherein a displacement tapers away at positions away from the location of a maximum displacement.

4. The turbofan exhaust nozzle of claim 2 wherein an upper portion of the trailing edge immediately adjoining the pylon is shifted axially downstream relative to the remainder of the trailing edge.

5. The turbofan exhaust nozzle of claim 1 wherein an upper portion of the trailing edge immediately adjoining the pylon is shifted axially downstream relative to a remainder of the trailing edge.

6. The turbofan exhaust nozzle of claim 5 wherein a displacement tapers away at positions away from the location of a maximum displacement.

7. The turbofan exhaust nozzle of claim 1 wherein the axial position of the hump maintains a constant axial distance from the trailing edge around the circumference of a fan nozzle.

8. A turbofan exhaust nozzle comprising:
a conical inner shell disposed coaxially inside a surrounding outer shell to define an annular flow duct therebetween terminating in an outlet at a trailing edge of the outer shell, the conical inner shell terminating in a trailing edge aft of the outlet wherein the conical inner shell diverges aft inside the annular flow duct to a hump and then converges aft to the trailing edge aft of the outlet thereof; and an axial position of the hump varies circumferentially therearound corresponding to an axial position of the trailing edge of the outer shell; and
a pylon interrupting circumferentially the annular flow duet, wherein an axial position of the trailing edge of the outer shell varies circumferentially therearound.

9. The turbofan exhaust nozzle of claim 8 wherein a lower portion of the trailing edge of the outer shell located diametrically opposite the pylon is displaced axially upstream relative to a remainder of the trailing edge of the outer shell.

10. The turbofan exhaust nozzle of claim 9 wherein a displacement tapers away at positions away from the location of a maximum displacement.

11. The turbofan exhaust nozzle of claim 8 wherein an upper portion of the trailing edge immediately adjoining the pylon is shifted axially downstream relative to a remainder of the trailing edge.

12. The turbofan exhaust nozzle of claim 11 wherein a displacement tapers away at positions away from the location of a maximum displacement.

13. The turbofan exhaust nozzle of claim 9 wherein an upper portion of the trailing edge immediately adjoining the pylon is shifted axially downstream relative to the remainder of the trailing edge.

14. The turbofan exhaust nozzle of claim 8 wherein the axial position of the hump maintains a constant axial distance from the trailing edge around the circumference of a fan nozzle.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Dindar Mustafa
• Burton Scott Andrew
• Blodgett Keith Edward James
• Cedar Richard David

Classifications

• F02K1/08

  by axially moving or transversely deforming an internal member, e.g. the exhaust cone · CPC title

• F02K1/78 Primary

  Other construction of jet pipes · CPC title

• F01D25/24

  Casings (modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14); Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings (casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M {; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045}) · CPC title

• F02K1/00

  Plants characterised by the form or arrangement of the jet pipe or nozzle; Jet pipes or nozzles peculiar thereto (rocket nozzles F02K9/97) · CPC title

• F02K1/09

  by axially moving an external member, e.g. a shroud (F02K1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title