# US 10,371,001 B2 · Variable fan nozzle using shape memory material

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- Number: US 10,371,001 B2
- Document ID: US10371001B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/008,508
- Filed: 2016-01-28
- Published: 2016-05-19
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-01-28
- Assignees: United Technologies Corporation
- Applicants: United Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: Constantine Baltas; Amr Ali
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371001B2

## CPC

- F02K 1/08: by axially moving or transversely deforming an internal member, e.g. the exhaust cone
- F01D 5/02: Blade-carrying members, e.g. rotors (rotors of non-bladed type F01D1/34; stators F01D9/00 {; selecting particular materials F01D5/28})
- F01D 9/02: Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits {, e.g. individual nozzles (nozzle boxes F01D9/047)}
- F01D 17/105: {by passing part of the fluid}
- F01D 17/14: varying effective cross-sectional area of nozzles or guide conduits
- F01D 25/24: Casings (modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14); Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings (casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M {; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045})
- F02C 3/04: having a turbine driving a compressor (power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16)
- F02K 1/085: {by transversely deforming an internal member}
- F02K 1/386: {mixing devices in the jet pipe, e.g. for mixing primary and secondary flow}
- F02K 3/075: controlling flow ratio between flows
- F03G 7/0614: {using shape memory elements}
- F03G 7/06143: {Wires}
- F03G 7/0641: {Motors; Energy harvesting or waste energy recovery}
- B64C 9/38: Jet flaps
- F02K 1/12: by means of pivoted flaps
- F02K 1/1207: {of one series of flaps hinged at their upstream ends on a fixed structure (F02K1/1215 - F02K1/1292 take precedence)}
- F02K 1/46: Nozzles having means for adding air to the jet or for augmenting the mixing region between the jet and the ambient air, e.g. for silencing (F02K1/28, F02K1/36, F02K1/38 take precedence)
- F02K 1/48: Corrugated nozzles
- F02K 3/00: Plants including a gas turbine driving a compressor or a ducted fan
- F02K 3/04: the plant including ducted fans, i.e. fans with high volume, low pressure outputs, for augmenting the jet thrust, e.g. of double-flow type
- F02K 3/06: with front fan
- F03G 7/066: {Actuator control or monitoring}
- F05D 2220/36: specially adapted for the fan of turbofan engines
- F05D 2240/128: Nozzles
- F05D 2240/24: for turbines
- F05D 2240/35: Combustors or associated equipment
- F05D 2260/606: Bypassing the fluid
- F05D 2300/174: Titanium alloys, e.g. TiAl
- F05D 2300/177: Ni - Si alloys
- F05D 2300/505: Shape memory behaviour
- F02K: JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (features of jet-propulsion plants common to gas-turbine plants, air intakes or fuel supply control of air-breathing jet-propulsion plants F02C7/00, F02C9/00)
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- F03G: SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (arrangements in connection with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60K16/00; electric propulsion with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60L8/00)
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a fan, a nacelle arranged about the fan, and an engine core at least partially within the nacelle. A fan bypass passage downstream of the fan between the nacelle and the gas turbine engine conveys a bypass airflow from the fan. A nozzle associated with the fan bypass passage is operative to control the bypass airflow. The nozzle includes a shape memory material having a first solid state phase that corresponds to a first nozzle position and a second solid state phase that corresponds to a second nozzle position.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gas turbine engine comprising:
a fan;
a nacelle arranged about the fan;
an engine core at least partially within the nacelle, the engine core having a compressor and a turbine;
a fan bypass passage downstream of the fan between the nacelle and the engine core, for conveying a bypass airflow from the fan;
a nozzle section for controlling the bypass airflow, wherein the nozzle section includes a shape memory material having a first solid state phase that corresponds to a first nozzle position and a second solid state phase that corresponds to a second nozzle position;
the nozzle section includes tabs that include the shape memory material;
the tabs extend from the nacelle in a generally axial direction relative to an axis of rotation of the fan;
wherein the tabs taper in a radial thickness from a forward end toward a trailing end; and
wherein the nozzle section includes a hollow section made of shape memory material, the hollow section defining a cavity therein and further comprising an actuator at least partially within the cavity.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The gas turbine engine recited in claim 1, wherein the actuator includes a heater having a heating element that includes wires that are operative to radiantly heat the hollow section.