Propulsion system using large scale vortex generators for flow redistribution and supersonic aircraft equipped with the propulsion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9884688-B2
Application number	US-201414172560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2014
Priority date	Feb 14, 2013
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A propulsion system for a supersonic aircraft includes an engine including an engine core and an engine bypass, a compression surface upstream of the engine, a shroud surrounding the engine configured to direct airflow passing over the compression surface towards the engine, and a plurality of vortex generators positioned upstream of the engine. The vortex generators have a height such that when the supersonic aircraft is flown at a predetermined altitude and predetermined speed, the plurality of vortex generators create vortices that propagate partially outside of a boundary layer formed proximate a surface of a supersonic inlet. The vortices cause a high-velocity portion of the airflow to move towards the engine core and a low-velocity portion of the airflow to move towards the engine bypass. The plurality of vortex generators are disposed aft of a terminal shock and have a height greater than the thickness of the boundary layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A propulsion system for a supersonic aircraft, the propulsion system comprising:
an engine including an engine core and an engine bypass, the engine core having a higher sensitivity than the engine bypass to a change in stagnation pressure;
a compression surface disposed upstream of the engine;
a shroud partially surrounding the engine and configured to direct an airflow passing over the compression surface towards the engine; and
a plurality of vortex generators positioned upstream of the engine, each vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators having a height such that when the supersonic aircraft is flown at a predetermined altitude and at a predetermined cruise speed, the predetermined cruise speed being greater than Mach 1, the plurality of vortex generators create a plurality of vortices that propagate at least partially outside of a boundary layer formed proximate a surface of a supersonic inlet, the plurality of vortices causing a high-velocity portion of the airflow to move towards the engine core and a low-velocity portion of the airflow to move towards the engine bypass prior to the airflow reaching a face of the engine, the plurality of vortex generators being disposed aft of a terminal shock formed when the supersonic aircraft is flown at the predetermined cruise speed, and each vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators having a height greater than a thickness of the boundary layer at the location of each vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators.

2. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the height of each vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators does not exceed one hundred and twenty-five percent of the thickness of the boundary layer at the location of each vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators.

3. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vortex generators are arranged circumferentially about the surface of the supersonic inlet.

4. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vortex generators are arranged circumferentially about an inner surface of the shroud.

5. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vortex generators are arranged circumferentially about both the surface of the supersonic inlet and an inner surface of the shroud.

6. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vortex generators are disposed aft of a leading edge of the shroud.

7. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the shroud comprises a splitter configured to divide air entering an inlet of the propulsion system into the airflow and a secondary airflow, the secondary airflow being routed by the splitter around the engine.

8. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein each vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators has a substantially rectangular configuration.

9. The propulsion system of claim 8 , wherein each vortex generator has an aspect ratio of two.

10. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vortex generators are arranged in pairs of vortex generators.

11. The propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein each vortex generator of each pair of vortex generators is oriented with respect to the airflow so as to have an angle of attack.

12. The propulsion system of claim 11 , wherein the angle of attack is between sixteen degrees and twenty-four degrees.

13. The propulsion system of claim 11 , wherein each vortex generator of each pair of vortex generators is oriented at opposite angles of attack to each other.

14. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vortex generators are arranged such that the vortices generate both an up-wash and a downwash.

15. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined altitude comprises a predetermined cruise altitude.

16. A propulsion system for a supersonic aircraft, the propulsion system comprising:
an engine including an engine core and an engine bypass, the engine core having a higher sensitivity than the engine bypass to a change in stagnation pressure;
a center body disposed upstream of the engine;
a shroud partially surrounding the engine and the center body, the shroud configured to direct an airflow passing over the center body towards the engine; and
a plurality of vortex generators positioned upstream of the engine and arranged circumferentially about at least one of the center body and an inner surface of the shroud, the plurality of vortex generators being arranged in pairs, each vortex generator of each pair of vortex generators having an equal and opposite angle of attack with respect to one another, the vortex generators configured to create a plurality of vortices that propagate at least partially outside of a boundary layer formed proximate the center body when the supersonic aircraft is flown at a predetermined altitude and at a predetermined cruise speed, the predetermined cruise speed being greater than Mach 1, the plurality of vortices causing a high-velocity portion of the airflow to move towards the engine core and a low-velocity portion of the airflow to move away from the engine core prior to the airflow reaching a face of the engine, each vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators having a height greater than a thickness of the boundary layer at the location of each vortex generator, each vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators having a substantially rectangular configuration having an aspect ratio of between one and four, and the plurality of vortex generators being disposed aft of a terminal shock formed when the supersonic aircraft is flown at the predetermined speed.

17. The propulsion system of claim 16 , wherein the predetermined altitude comprises a predetermined cruise altitude.

18. A supersonic aircraft comprising:
a fuselage; and
a propulsion system for propelling the fuselage at supersonic speeds, the propulsion system comprising:
an engine including an engine core and an engine bypass, the engine core having a higher sensitivity than the engine bypass to a change in stagnation pressure;
a compression surface disposed upstream of the engine;
a shroud partially surrounding the engine and configured to direct an airflow passing over the compression surface towards the engine; and
a plurality of vortex generators positioned upstream of the engine, each vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators having a height such that when the supersonic aircraft is flown at a predetermined altitude and at a predetermined cruise speed, the predetermined cruise speed being greater than Mach 1, the plurality of vortex generators create a plurality of vortices that propagate at least partially outside of a boundary layer formed proximate a surface of a supersonic inlet, the plurality of vortices causing a high-velocity portion of the airflow to move towards the engine core and a low-velocity portion of the airflow to move towards the engine bypass prior to the airflow reaching a face of the engine, the plurality of vortex generators being disposed aft of a terminal shock formed when the supersonic aircraft is flown at the predetermined cruise speed, and each vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators having a height greater than a thickness of the boundary layer at the location of each vortex generator of the plurality of vortex generators.

19. The propulsion system of claim 18 , wherein the predetermined altitude comprises a predetermined cruise altitude.

Assignees

• Gulfstream Aerospace Corp

Inventors

• Rybalko Michael
• Conners Timothy R
• Wayman Thomas R

Classifications

• F05D2210/33

  Turbulent flow · CPC title

• B64C30/00

  Supersonic type aircraft · CPC title

• F05D2220/10

  in ram-jet engines or ram-jet driven vehicles · CPC title

• B64D27/00

  Arrangement or mounting of power plants in aircraft; Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants · CPC title

• B64D33/02

  of combustion air intakes · CPC title