| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 060771000 | Having variable area | 34 |
| 20080236167 | VARIABLE-SECTION FLOW MIXER FOR A DOUBLE-FLOW TURBOJET FOR A SUPERSONIC AIRPLANE - The invention relates to a variable-section flow mixer for a double-flow turbojet for a supersonic airplane, the mixer comprising a central body, a primary cover, a secondary cover, and a nozzle extending the secondary cover. The nozzle has a plurality of external-air admission openings having mounted therein lobes that are movable between two positions: a closed position in which they close the openings; and a deployed position in which they disengage said openings and deploy into the nozzle so as to allow external air to be admitted. All of the lobes present a common azimuth component in a common direction, and the mixer further includes a plurality of longitudinal grooves occupying at least a portion of the central body, all of the grooves presenting a common azimuth component in a common direction that is opposite to the direction of the azimuth component of the lobes. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20090133406 | FAN NOZZLE OF ADJUSTABLE SECTION - Varying the flowsection for air leaving the fan as a function of flying conditions. According to the invention, the nozzle has a ring of deformable panels arranged close to its trailing edge, each panel having a dual-strip type structure made up of two materials presenting different coefficients of expansion, together with controlled heater means that are thermally coupled to the set of panels. | 05-28-2009 |
| 20090173077 | Nozzle with Temperature-Responsive Throat Diameter - Nozzles that offer shape variability to maintain or purposely change the pressure drop across the throat are obtained by constructing the nozzles with components that change their shape, angle, or curvature in response to temperature changes that occur during the flow of combustion products through the nozzle. The temperature change may be the gradual heating of the nozzle wall from hot combustion gases, and the shape change may result in a decrease in the throat diameter or an expansion of the throat diameter. A decrease in throat diameter will be useful when the depletion of propellant as burning proceeds causes a drop in the pressure or flow rate of the combustion gas and there is a need to compensate for this drop to maintain the pressure drop across the throat. An increase in throat diameter will be useful when an initial high thrust is no longer needed and depletion of the fuel by itself is insufficient to lower the thrust to its desired reduced level. An example of a temperature-responsive material is a shape memory alloy; other examples are presented as well. | 07-09-2009 |
| 20090217671 | EXHAUST NOZZLE SEAL WITH SEGMENTED BASESHEET - An aircraft gas turbine engine exhaust nozzle basesheet includes longitudinally extending plurality of basesheet segments. Each of the basesheet segments includes a panel body between segment leading and trailing edges and slidable sealing joints with slidingly un-restrained center surfaces between adjacent segment leading and trailing edges. Segmented first and second basesheet side edges first and second segment side edges of the basesheet segments respectively. Slidably sealingly engaged overlapping flanges at the segment leading and trailing edges include tacked together transversely spaced apart first and second distal ends of the overlapping flanges. Leading and trailing edge ribs supporting the overlapping flanges are clipped together with longitudinally spaced apart and transversely extending forward and aft slits in retainers. A spine includes transverse stiffeners with first and second stiffener distal ends attached to longitudinally spaced apart sets of transversely extending first and second spine tabs of the spine. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20090241550 | Gas Turbine Engine Systems Involving Variable Nozzles with Flexible Panels - Gas turbine engine systems involving flexible panels are provided. In this regard, a representative flexible panel assembly for a gas turbine engine includes: a flexible panel operative to define at least one of a throat area and an exit area of a nozzle of a gas turbine engine, the panel being further operative to selectively exhibit a range of positions to regulate exhaust of the engine. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090255269 | Gas Turbine Engine Systems Involving Variable Nozzles with Sliding Doors - Gas turbine engine systems involving variable nozzles with sliding doors are provided. In this regard, a representative door assembly for a gas turbine engine includes: a door configured for alignment with an exit area of a nozzle and operative to variably open and close the nozzle exit area such that gas directed along a gas path defined, at least in part, by the nozzle exit area is regulated | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090301094 | GAS TURBINE ENGINE EXHAUST NOZZLE HAVING A COMPOSITE ARTICLE HAVING A SHAPE MEMORY MATERIAL MEMBER - A composite article includes a composite member, a flexible member and at least one shape memory material member. The composite member has longitudinally extending fibres in a matrix material. The at least one shape memory material member extends substantially parallel to the composite member and the flexible member is positioned between the composite member and the at least one shape memory material member to bond the at least one shape memory material member to the composite member. The composite article is particularly suitable for use as a tab for an exhaust nozzle of a turbofan gas turbine engine. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090313998 | AXIALLY SPLIT NOZZLE LINER FOR CONVERGENT NOZZLE - A convergent/divergent nozzle for a gas turbine engine includes liners that are attached to the convergent flaps and seals. The liner is formed of two separate plates. By splitting the liner into two separate plates, a thermal break is provided between the two. Thermal stresses on a downstream plate are not as readily transferred to an upstream plate. External stresses on the upstream plate are not transferred as readily to the downstream plate. The two liner plate portions, and a separate backing plate all have faces that abut and are riveted together. These faces provide a flow blocker to maintain a lower pressure downstream of the flow blocker. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20090320487 | Systems and methods for reducing noise from jet engine exhaust - Jet engine nozzles with projections (e.g., chevrons) and injected flow, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A method in accordance with one embodiment includes generating a first flow of gas with a jet engine, delivering the first flow through a nozzle having a trailing edge perimeter that includes multiple projections extending in an aft direction, and injecting a pressurized second flow of fluid into the first flow proximate to the projections. In other embodiments, other mixing enhancement devices (e.g., vortex generators) are carried by the projections. It is expected that the combination of the projections and the mixing enhancement devices will reduce engine exhaust noise levels below the levels achievable with either projections or injected flow individually. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20090320488 | GAS TURBINE ENGINE WITH NOISE ATTENUATING VARIABLE AREA FAN NOZZLE - A high-bypass gas turbine engine includes a variable area fan nozzle with an acoustic system having an acoustic impedance. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100000220 | FAN VARIABLE AREA NOZZLE WITH ELECTROMECHANICAL ACTUATOR - A fan variable area nozzle (FVAN) ( | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100011777 | MORPHING STRUCTURE AND METHOD - A method of controlling mixing of a flow exiting a nozzle associated with a jet engine. The method may involve pivotally supporting a mixing structure forming a hinge device at a downstream edge of the nozzle. A shape memory alloy (SMA) element may be used to couple to the mixing structure. Heat may be generated by a flow exiting the nozzle to induce a phase change in the SMA element. The phase change may cause an axial length of the SMA element to constrict, to cause a pivoting movement of the mixing structure into a path of the flow exiting the nozzle. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100018212 | DILATING FAN DUCT NOZZLE - A turbofan engine includes an engine core and a ducted fan assembly, with the ducted fan assembly including an annular cowling and a dilating fan duct nozzle. The nozzle includes continuous nozzle sections with intermeshing tiles. The tiles include drive tiles that are pivotal between nominal and dilated positions and driven tiles that intermesh with the drive tiles and shift with the drive tiles between the positions. The intermeshing tiles cooperatively adjust an orifice size of the nozzle by shifting between the positions and thereby affect the thrust and noise developed by the ducted fan assembly. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100018213 | GAS TURBINE ENGINE WITH ROTATIONALLY OVERLAPPED FAN VARIABLE AREA NOZZLE - A turbofan engine includes a fan variable area nozzle having a rotationally overlapped nozzle assembly having a first tab section and a second tab section rotationally mounted relative to the first tab section. The rotationally overlapped nozzle assembly changes the physical area and geometry of the bypass flow path during particular flight conditions. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100058769 | FAN VARIABLE AREA NOZZLE FOR A GAS TURBINE ENGINE FAN NACELLE WITH DRIVE RING ACTUATION SYSTEM - A fan variable area nozzle (FVAN) includes a flap assembly which varies a fan nozzle exit area. The flap assembly generally includes a multiple of flaps, flap linkages and an actuator system. The actuator system radially and axially translates a drive ring relative an engine centerline axis. A slot within the drive ring receives the flap linkages to asymmetrically and symmetrically vary the fan nozzle exit area in response to movement of the drive ring. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100107646 | SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY ACTUATED ADAPTIVE EXHAUST NOZZLE FOR JET ENGINE - The proposed adaptive exhaust nozzle features an innovative use of the shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators for actively control of the opening area of the exhaust nozzle for jet engines. The SMA actuators remotely control the opening area of the exhaust nozzle through a set of mechanism. An important advantage of using SMA actuators is the reduction of weight of the actuator system for variable area exhaust nozzle. Another advantage is that the SMA actuator can be activated using the heat from the exhaust and eliminate the need of other energy source. A prototype has been designed and fabricated. The functionality of the proposed SMA actuated adaptive exhaust nozzle is verified in the open-loop tests. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100115958 | RADIALLY TRANSLATING FAN NOZZLE NACELLE - A variable area nozzle system for a turbofan gas turbine engine comprises a fan duct inner wall, a fan duct outer wall and a fan nozzle. The fan duct outer wall is disposed in radially-spaced relation to the fan duct inner wall. The fan nozzle defines at least a portion of the fan duct outer wall and has a nozzle aft edge defining a fan duct throat area relative to the fan duct inner wall. The fan nozzle is configured to move outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis during axial aft translation thereof in order to vary the fan duct throat area. | 05-13-2010 |
| 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 |
| 20100170261 | ENGINE NOISE - In order to provide noise suppression, bumps or undulations are provided on a nozzle surface in order to vary the convergent-divergent ratio between that surface and an opposed nozzle surface. By such an approach, a circumferential variation in the shock cell pattern is created and the flow is deflected so as to enhance turbulent mixing thereby suppressing noise. | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100175383 | DILATING FAN DUCT NOZZLE - A turbofan engine includes an engine core and a ducted fan assembly, with the ducted fan assembly including an annular cowling and a dilating fan duct nozzle. The nozzle includes continuous nozzle sections with intermeshing tiles. The tiles include drive tiles that are pivotal between nominal and dilated positions and driven tiles that intermesh with the drive tiles and shift with the drive tiles between the positions. The intermeshing tiles cooperatively adjust an orifice size of the nozzle by shifting between the positions and thereby affect the thrust and noise developed by the ducted fan assembly. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100269511 | NACELLE FOR AIRCRAFT ENGINE HAVING A NOZZLE WITH A VARIABLE SECTION - The invention relates to a nacelle for an aircraft engine that comprises a front cowling ( | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100269512 | GAS TURBINE ENGINE HAVING SLIM-LINE NACELLE - A gas turbine engine system includes nacelle, a first boundary layer control device, a second boundary layer control device, at least one sensor, and a controller. The nacelle is defined about an axis and includes an inlet lip section, an inlet internal diffuser section, and a variable area fan nozzle moveable to influence a discharge airflow area of the nacelle. The first boundary layer control device is positioned near the inlet lip section and is actuable to introduce a first airflow at the inlet lip section. The second boundary layer control device is positioned near the inlet internal diffuser section and is actuable to introduce a second airflow at the inlet internal diffuser section. The sensor produces a signal that represents an operability condition. The controller receives the signal and simultaneously moves the variable area fan nozzle and actuates the first boundary layer control device and the second boundary layer control device in response to receiving the signal to achieve a slim-line nacelle. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20110030380 | HIGH STIFFNESS SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY ACTUATED AEROSTRUCTURE - A shape memory alloy (SMA) actuated aerostructure operable to dynamically change shape according to flight conditions is disclosed. Deformable structures are actuated by SMA actuators that are coupled to face sheets of the deformable structures. Actuating the SMA actuators produces complex shape changes of the deformable structures by activating shape changes of the SMA actuators. The SMA actuators are actuated via an active or passive temperature change based on operating conditions. The SMA actuated aerostructure can be used for morphable nozzles such as a variable area fan nozzle and/or a variable geometry chevron of a jet engine to reduce engine noise during takeoff without degrading fuel burn during cruise. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110088403 | NOZZLE-AREA RATIO FLOAT BIAS - A mechanism included in a convergent-divergent nozzle connected to an aft portion of a gas turbine engine, which mechanism includes a convergent flap configured to be kinematically connected to the aft portion of the gas turbine engine, a divergent flap pivotally connected to the convergent flap and configured to be kinematically connected to the aft portion of the gas turbine engine, at least one actuator configured to be connected to the aft portion of the gas turbine engine and to mechanically prescribe the position of the convergent flap and the divergent flap by moving through one or more positions, and at least one biasing apparatus. The biasing apparatus is configured to position at least one of the convergent flap and the divergent flap independent of the positions of the actuator by substantially balancing a force on the at least one of the convergent flap and the divergent flap produced by a gas pressure on the nozzle. | 04-21-2011 |
| 20110203288 | Jet Engine Exhaust Nozzle Flow Effector - A jet engine exhaust nozzle flow effector is a chevron formed with a radius of curvature with surfaces of the flow effector being defined and opposing one another. At least one shape memory alloy (SMA) member is embedded in the chevron closer to one of the chevron's opposing surfaces and substantially spanning from at least a portion of the chevron's root to the chevron's tip. | 08-25-2011 |
| 20110232291 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN EXHAUST DIFFUSER - An exhaust diffuser includes a shroud and a wall radially separated from the shroud to define a fluid passage between the shroud and the wall. A strut extends between the shroud and the wall, and the strut includes a first surface having an adjustable camber. A method for adjusting air flow across a strut having a first side camber and a second side camber includes determining an incidence angle between the air flow and the strut and adjusting the first side camber of the strut. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110271685 | VARIABLE FAN DUCT NOZZLE - An aircraft nacelle comprising an outer cowl and an inner cowl located inward of the outer cowl with an air flow path formed therebetween. The inner cowl may comprise a forward portion and an aft portion slidable in a forward-to-aft direction via one or more actuators. When translated aftward, the aft portion may decrease the area of the nacelle's fan duct nozzle. The greatest radial distance between the inner cowl and a center axis of the nacelle may occur at or forward of a location in which the forward and aft portions overlap each other. The forward portion may be comprised of a different material than the aft portion. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20120067052 | DEPLOYABLE DIVERGENT NOZZLE FOR A PROPULSIVE UNIT - The present invention relates to a deployable diverging bell ( | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120167575 | ROCKET ENGINE WITH EXTENDABLE DIVERGENT - A rocket engine with an extendible exit cone including an exhaust nozzle for gas from a combustion chamber, the nozzle presenting a longitudinal axis having a first portion defining a nozzle throat and a stationary first exit cone segment, at least one extendible second exit cone segment of section greater than the section of the stationary first exit cone segment, and an extension mechanism for extending the extendible second exit cone segment, the mechanism being located outside the first and second exit cone segments. A rigid thermal protection shield is interposed between the extension mechanism and the stationary first exit cone segment. The thermal protection shield presents a convex wall on its face facing towards the stationary first exit cone segment. | 07-05-2012 |
| 20130145768 | CASE ASSEMBLY WITH FUEL OR HYDRAULIC DRIVEN VAFN ACTUATION SYSTEMS - A variable area fan nozzle (VAFN) system for an aircraft is provided. The VAFN system includes a fluid-driven motor configured to receive a fluid; one or more actuators coupled to the fluid-driven motor; and a nozzle assembly coupled to the actuators such that the motor drives the nozzle assembly during operation. | 06-13-2013 |
| 20130327047 | GAS TURBINE ENGINE VARIABLE AREA EXHAUST NOZZLE - A gas turbine engine variable area exhaust nozzle has a plurality of first and second movable members arranged circumferentially around a fan casing extending in downstream. The first and second movable members alternate around the variable area nozzle. During cruise conditions the first and second movable members are in un-actuated positions. At take off conditions the first movable members are in an actuated position and the second movable members are in the un-actuated position. At top of climb conditions the first movable members are in the un-actuated position and the second movable members are in an actuated position. The first movable members move radially outwardly from the un-actuated position to the actuated position and the second movable members move radially inwardly from the un-actuated position to the actuated position. | 12-12-2013 |
| 20140026582 | ANTI-FIRE SEAL ASSEMBLY AND NACELLE COMPRISING SUCH A SEAL - A seal assembly for a turbojet nacelle includes a first end fastened to a first structure, and a second end contacting against a bearing zone of a second structure. The seal assembly further includes a plurality of adjacent blades arranged along the first end and extending longitudinally and perpendicularly thereto. In particular, a portion of the blades has an accordion-shaped structure. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140245743 | DOUBLE-ACTING LINEAR ACTUATOR - The present disclosure relates to a double-acting linear actuator for moving an inner part and an outer part of a cowl relative to a fixed frame. The linear actuator includes a first tubular body housing a first drive shaft and a second tubular body housing a second drive shaft. In particular, the first and second tubular bodies are mounted in series by the second drive shaft which is mounted on the first tubular body. The second drive shaft translates the second tubular body relative to the first tubular body when a lock of the first tubular body is in a locked position, and the first drive shaft translates both the first tubular and second tubular bodies when the lock is in an unlocked position. | 09-04-2014 |
| 20160003144 | Combined Two Engine Cycle With At Least One Recuperated Cycle Engine For Rotor Drive - A drive architecture comprises a rotor and a gearbox for driving the rotor. A pair of input gears provides rotational drive to the gearbox. A first recuperative cycle engine drives one of the pair of gears and a second engine drives the other of the pair of gears. The first recuperative cycle engine and the second engine are both gas turbine engines. A power takeoff from a drive shaft of the second engine supplies rotational drive to drive at least one component in the first recuperative cycle drive. | 01-07-2016 |
