Integrated pusher turbofan for aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9950800-B2
Application number	US-201414555340-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2014
Priority date	Nov 26, 2014
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A propulsion system for a transport aircraft employs a gas turbine core coupled to a wing. A ducted fan is coupled to the core gas turbine extending downstream from and integrated in a trailing edge of the airplane wing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A propulsion system for a transport aircraft comprising:
an engine core coupled to an airplane wing; and,
a ducted fan coupled to the engine core and extending downstream from the wing, said ducted fan located between a pair of movable wing surfaces, and having a fairing integrated with structural support in a trailing edge of the airplane wing.

2. The propulsion system as defined in claim 1 wherein the ducted fan has a bypass ratio greater than 15.

3. The propulsion system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a gearbox coupling the ducted fan to the engine core.

4. The propulsion system as defined in claim 1 wherein the engine core is substantially axially aligned with the ducted fan.

5. The propulsion system as defined in claim 1 wherein the engine core is offset from the ducted fan.

6. The propulsion system as defined in claim 1 wherein the engine core is mounted on a lower surface of the wing.

7. A propulsion system for a transport aircraft comprising:
an engine core coupled to an airplane wing; and,
a ducted fan coupled to the engine core and extending downstream from the wing and having a fairing integrated with structural support in a trailing edge of the airplane wing, wherein the engine core is at least partially integrated within the wing.

8. The propulsion system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a supplemental injection system for energizing the boundary layer adjacent the fan duct.

9. The propulsion system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a boundary layer removal system to extract the boundary layer adjacent the fan duct.

10. A method of fabricating an airplane propulsion system comprising:
coupling a ducted fan to an engine core such that the ducted fan extends downstream from the engine core in a pusher configuration;
locating the ducted fan between a pair of movable wing surfaces on an airplane wing to extend downstream from the airplane wing; and,
integrating a fairing for a duct of the ducted fan into a trailing edge structure of the airplane wing.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 further comprising:
coupling the engine core to the wing.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the ducted fan has a bypass ratio greater than 15.

13. The method as defined in claim 11 further comprising coupling the ducted fan with a gearbox to the engine core.

14. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the engine core is substantially axially aligned with the ducted fan.

15. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the engine core is offset from the ducted fan.

16. The method as defined in claim 11 further comprising mounting the engine core at least partially integrated within the wing.

17. The method as defined in claim 11 further comprising mounting the engine core to the wing with a pair of pylons.

18. The method as defined in claim 11 further comprising attaching the pair of pylons to the forward and aft spars in the wing.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Golshany Sina
• Erickson Todd W
• Holtorf Christopher R
• Alderks Derek R

Classifications

• B64D27/18 Primary

  within, or attached to, wings · CPC title

• B64C11/001

  Shrouded propellers · CPC title

• Y02T50/66

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64D29/02

  associated with wings · CPC title

• B64C3/32

  specially adapted for mounting power plant · CPC title