Aircraft nozzle system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9856824-B2
Application number	US-201414199612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2014
Priority date	Mar 7, 2013
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A nozzle is provided that is capable providing flowpaths for a combined cycle aircraft propulsion system that in one form includes a gas turbine engine and a ramjet. The gas turbine engine produces an exhaust flow that is offset from an exhaust flow from the ramjet. The two streams can be flowed independent of each other or together depending on the application and relevant portion of a flight envelope. The nozzle includes a movable portion that can selectively open and close an exhaust flowpath for the gas turbine engine. The nozzle includes a surface that provides expansion for both low speed (gas turbine engine) flow and high speed (ramjet) flow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an aircraft having a combined cycle powerplant and the combined cycle powerplant includes:
a gas turbine engine operable to provide propulsive power in a first configuration and having a gas turbine engine centerline;
a ramjet operable to provide propulsive power in a second configuration and having a ramjet centerline offset from the gas turbine engine centerline;
an engine partition structure located between the gas turbine engine and the ramjet and oriented to define part of a flowpath of the gas turbine engine, the engine partition structure being fixed relative to the gas turbine engine centerline; and
a nozzle having a movable nozzle assembly, the movable nozzle assembly configured to translate axially relative to the gas turbine engine centerline to vary an exhaust of the flowpath of the gas turbine engine, the movable nozzle assembly having a convergent upstream portion forming a surface of the flowpath of the gas turbine engine in the first configuration, the movable nozzle assembly also having a divergent portion downstream of the convergent upstream portion that permits an expansion of an exhaust flow for the combined cycle powerplant,
wherein the convergent upstream portion of the movable nozzle assembly moves relative to the engine partition structure and cooperates with the engine partition structure to open and close the exhaust of the flowpath of the gas turbine engine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the combined cycle powerplant is capable of operating the gas turbine engine and the ramjet at the same time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the divergent portion of the movable nozzle assembly forms part of the flowpath of the gas turbine engine in the first configuration.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the divergent portion of the movable nozzle assembly forms part of the flowpath of the gas turbine engine in the first configuration, and forms a flowpath for the ramjet in the second configuration when the movable nozzle assembly is operated to close the exhaust of the flowpath of the gas turbine engine.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , which further includes a linear actuator coupled with the movable nozzle assembly, wherein the linear actuator is capable of producing an axial movement of the movable nozzle assembly to cause the movable nozzle assembly to translate axially relative to the gas turbine engine centerline.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an exit of the gas turbine engine is partially annular and extends around less than a periphery of an exit of the ramjet.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the convergent upstream portion is curvilinear.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the divergent portion is curvilinear.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the movable nozzle assembly is a unitary structure such that the convergent upstream portion and the divergent portion remain fixed relative to one another during movement of the movable nozzle assembly.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the movable nozzle assembly is a partially annular shape.

11. A method of operating the apparatus of claim 1 comprising:
generating propulsive power from the combined cycle powerplant by exhausting the exhaust flow out of the nozzle;
flowing a gas turbine engine exhaust flow from the gas turbine engine along the movable nozzle assembly; and
closing the exhaust of the flowpath of the gas turbine engine by axially translating the movable nozzle assembly.

12. The method of claim 11 , which further includes generating a ramjet exhaust flow from the ramjet, the exhaust flow out of the nozzle including the gas turbine engine exhaust flow from the gas turbine engine and the ramjet exhaust flow from the ramjet.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the closing includes engaging the convergent upstream portion of the movable nozzle assembly with the engine partition structure to substantially close off the exhaust of the flowpath of the gas turbine engine.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc
• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• Lerg Bryan H
• Bergeron Stephen A
• Harding Benjamin R

Classifications

• F02K7/16

  Composite ram-jet/turbo-jet engines · CPC title

• F02K1/42 Primary

  the means being movable into an inoperative position · CPC title