Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080267762 | NACELLE ASSEMBLY HAVING INLET AIRFOIL FOR A GAS TURBINE ENGINE - A nacelle assembly includes an inlet lip section and an airfoil adjacent to the inlet lip section. The airfoil is selectively moveable between a first position and a second position to adjust the flow of oncoming airflow and to influence an effective boundary layer thickness of the nacelle assembly. | 10-30-2008 |
20080283676 | VARIABLE CONTRACTION RATIO NACELLE ASSEMBLY FOR A GAS TURBINE ENGINE - A nacelle assembly includes an inlet lip section having a highlight diameter and a throat diameter. One of the highlight diameter and the throat diameter is fixed and the other of the highlight diameter and the throat diameter is selectively adjustable in each of a first direction and a second direction relative to the inlet lip section to influence a contraction ratio associated with the inlet lip section. | 11-20-2008 |
20080317588 | MANAGING SPOOL BEARING LOAD USING VARIABLE AREA FLOW NOZZLE - A turbine engine provides a spool supporting a turbine. The spool is arranged in a core nacelle and includes a thrust bearing. A fan is arranged upstream from the core nacelle and is coupled to the spool. A fan nacelle surrounds the fan and core nacelle and provides a bypass flow path that includes a fan nozzle exit area. A flow control device is adapted to effectively change the fan nozzle exit area. A controller is programmed to monitor the thrust bearing and command the flow control device in response to an undesired load on the thrust bearing. Effectively changing the fan nozzle exit area with the flow control device actively manages the bearing thrust load to desired levels. | 12-25-2008 |
20090008508 | VARIABLE CONTOUR NACELLE ASSEMBLY FOR A GAS TURBINE ENGINE - A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section and a nacelle assembly which at least partially surrounds the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section. At least a portion of the nacelle assembly includes an adjustable contour. The portion of the nacelle assembly including the adjustable contour is selectively moveable between a first portion and a second position to influence the adjustable contour of the nacelle assembly. A controller identifies an abnormal aircraft operating condition and selectively moves the portion of the nacelle assembly including the adjustable contour between the first position and the second position in response to detecting the abnormal aircraft operating condition. | 01-08-2009 |
20090092482 | Systems and Methods for Altering Inlet Airflow of Gas Turbine Engines - Systems and methods for altering airflow to gas turbine engines are provided. In this regard, a representative system includes a gas turbine engine inlet having a slat, the slat being movable between a retracted position and an extended position. In the extended position, the slat increases an effective diameter of the inlet compared to the diameter of the inlet when in the retracted position. | 04-09-2009 |
20090139243 | GAS TURBINE ENGINE WITH PYLON MOUNTED ACCESSORY DRIVE - A gas turbine engine includes an accessory gearbox within an engine pylori. The accessory components may be mounted within the engine pylori to save weight and space within the core nacelle as well as provide a relatively lower temperature operating environment. | 06-04-2009 |
20090155072 | FAN NACELLE FLOW CONTROL - This disclosure relates to a gas turbine engine including a core engine that drives a fan. A fan nacelle surrounds the fan and provides an inner surface facing the fan. The fan nacelle includes an inlet lip adjoining the inner surface. A ring is arranged at the inner surface and is axially upstream from the fan. The ring includes a deployed position in which the ring is spaced radially inwardly from the inner surface to provide a gap therebetween through which air flows. The ring also includes a stowed position in which the ring is arranged radially inwardly from the deployed position and proximate to the inner surface. The ring is commanded to the deployed position in response to detecting a first condition, which corresponds to a flow separation condition at the fan nacelle inlet. The ring may be stowed during cruise conditions, for example. | 06-18-2009 |
20090235638 | VARIABLE AREA NOZZLE ASSISTED GAS TURBINE ENGINE RESTARTING - A turbofan engine starting system includes a core nacelle housing ( | 09-24-2009 |
20090252600 | ACTUATION OF A TURBOFAN ENGINE BIFURCATION TO CHANGE AN EFFECTIVE NOZZLE EXIT AREA - The invention relates to a turbine engine that includes a spool supporting at least one of a compressor and a turbine. A turbofan is coupled to the spool The spool is arranged in a core nacelle, and the turbofan is arranged upstream from the core nacelle. A fan nacelle surrounds the turbofan and the core nacelle and provides a bypass flow path. A structure extends radially between the core and fan nacelles to support the core nacelle relative to the fan nacelle. Surfaces are supported relative to the fixed structure and are moveable between closed and open positions to selectively obstruct bypass flow through the bypass flow path, thereby changing the effective area of the exit nozzle. A change in the effective area of the nozzle exit can be used to improve the efficiency and operation of the turbine engine. | 10-08-2009 |
20100043390 | CONTROLLING ICE BUILDUP ON AIRCRAFT ENGINE AND NACELLE STATIC AND ROTATING COMPONENTS - A turbofan engine deicing system includes a core nacelle ( | 02-25-2010 |
20100050596 | THRUST VECTORABLE FAN VARIABLE AREA NOZZLE FOR A GAS TURBINE ENGINE FAN NACELLE - A thrust vectorable fan variable area nozzle (FVAN) includes a synchronizing ring, a static ring, and a flap assembly mounted within a fan nacelle. An actuator assembly selectively rotates synchronizing ring segments relative the static ring to adjust segments of the flap assembly to vary the annular fan exit area and vector the thrust through asymmetrical movement of the thrust vectorable FVAN segments. In operation, adjustment of the entire periphery of the thrust vectorable FVAN in which all segments are moved simultaneously to maximize engine thrust and fuel economy during each flight regime. By separately adjusting the segments of the thrust vectorable FVAN, engine trust is selectively vectored to provide, for example only, trim balance or thrust controlled maneuvering. | 03-04-2010 |
20100068039 | TURBOFAN ENGINE WITH VARIABLE BYPASS NOZZLE EXIT AREA AND METHOD OF OPERATION - (A1)) A turbofan engine includes core and fan nacelles that provide a bypass flow path having a nozzle exit area. The bypass flow path carries a bypass flow to be expelled from the nozzle exit area. A turbofan is arranged within the fan nacelle and upstream from the core nacelle for generating the bypass flow. A flow control device includes a surface in the bypass flow path including an aperture. The flow device is adapted to introduce a fluid into the bypass flow path for altering a boundary layer of the bypass flow that effectively changes the nozzle exit area. In one example, bleed air is introduced through the aperture. In another example, pulses of fluid from a Helmholz resonator flow through the aperture. By decreasing the boundary layer, the nozzle exit area is effectively increased. By increasing the boundary layer, the nozzle exit area is effectively decreased. | 03-18-2010 |
20100139285 | THRUST VECTORABLE FAN VARIABLE AREA NOZZLE FOR A GAS TURBINE ENGINE FAN NACELLE - A thrust vectorable fan variable area nozzle (FVAN) includes a synchronizing ring, a static ring, and a flap assembly mounted within a fan nacelle. An actuator assembly selectively rotates synchronizing ring segments relative the static ring to adjust segments of the flap assembly to vary the annular fan exit area and vector the thrust through asymmetrical movement of the thrust vectorable FVAN segments. In operation, adjustment of the entire periphery of the thrust vectorable FVAN in which all segments are moved simultaneously to maximize engine thrust and fuel economy during each flight regime. By separately adjusting the segments of the thrust vectorable FVAN, engine trust is selectively vectored to provide, for example only, trim balance or thrust controlled maneuvering. | 06-10-2010 |
20100236216 | TURBOFAN ENGINE WITH VARIABLE AREA FAN NOZZLE AND LOW SPOOL GENERATOR FOR EMERGENCY POWER GENERATION AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING EMERGENCY POWER - A turbofan engine ( | 09-23-2010 |
20110000217 | MANAGING SPOOL BEARING LOAD USING VARIABLE AREA FLOW NOZZLE - A turbine engine provides a spool supporting a turbine. The spool is arranged in a core nacelle and includes a thrust bearing. A fan is arranged upstream from the core nacelle and is coupled to the spool. A fan nacelle surrounds the fan and core nacelle and provides a bypass flow path that includes a fan nozzle exit area. A flow control device is adapted to effectively change the fan nozzle exit area. A controller is programmed to monitor the thrust bearing and command the flow control device in response to an undesired load on the thrust bearing. Effectively changing the fan nozzle exit area with the flow control device actively manages the bearing thrust load to desired levels. | 01-06-2011 |
20110004388 | TURBOFAN TEMPERATURE CONTROL WITH VARIABLE AREA NOZZLE - A control system for a turbofan comprises a variable area nozzle for regulating core flow through the turbofan, an actuator, a temperature sensor, a flight controller and a nozzle control. The actuator is coupled to the variable area nozzle to regulate the core flow by positioning the variable area nozzle. The temperature sensor is positioned in the turbofan to sense a gas path temperature of the core flow. The flight controller is connected to the turbofan to make a thrust demand based on a flight condition of the turbofan. The nozzle control is connected to the flight controller and the actuator for directing the actuator based on the gas path temperature and the flight condition, such that the gas path temperature is controlled by adjusting the variable area nozzle to regulate the core flow while the turbofan meets the thrust demand. | 01-06-2011 |
20110072828 | GAS TURBINE ENGINE SYSTEM PROVIDING SIMULATED BOUNDARY LAYER THICKNESS INCREASE - A gas turbine engine system for an aircraft includes a nacelle having a fan cowl with an inlet lip section and a core cowl, at least one compressor and at least one turbine, at least one combustor between the compressor and the turbine, a bleed passage, and a controller. The bleed passage includes an inlet for receiving a bleed airflow and an outlet that discharges the bleed airflow in an upstream direction from the outlet. The controller identifies an operability condition and selectively introduces the bleed airflow near a boundary layer of the inlet lip section in response to the operability condition. | 03-31-2011 |
20120117940 | GAS TURBINE ENGINE WITH PYLON MOUNTED ACCESSORY DRIVE - A gas turbine engine includes an accessory gearbox within an engine pylon. The accessory components may be mounted within the engine pylon to save weight and space within the core nacelle as well as provide a relatively lower temperature operating environment. | 05-17-2012 |
20130125561 | GEARED TURBOFAN WITH DISTRIBUTED ACCESSORY GEARBOXES - A disclosed gas turbine engine includes a core engine defined about an engine centerline axis, the core engine including a compressor section driven through a shaft by a turbine section. A core nacelle surrounds the core engine and a fan nacelle is mounted at least partially around the core nacelle to define a fan bypass flow path for a bypass airflow. A fan section disposed within the fan nacelle is driven by the turbine section of the core engine through a geared architecture. An engine pylon supports the core nacelle and the fan nacelle. A towershaft is driven by the shaft of the core engine and drives a generator mounted within the core nacelle. The generator powers an electric motor mounted within the engine pylon. The electric motor drives a plurality of accessory components that are also mounted within the engine pylon. | 05-23-2013 |
20140000278 | TURBOMACHINE THERMAL ENERGY EXCHANGE | 01-02-2014 |