# US 10,371,095 B2 · Nacelle-integrated air-driven augmentor fan for increasing propulsor bypass ratio and efficiency > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,095 B2 - Document ID: US10371095B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/929,000 - Filed: 2015-10-30 - Published: 2017-05-04 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-30 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Mithra M. K. V. Sankrithi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371095B2 ## CPC - F02K 3/06: with front fan - F01D 5/02: Blade-carrying members, e.g. rotors (rotors of non-bladed type F01D1/34; stators F01D9/00 {; selecting particular materials F01D5/28}) - F02C 6/206: {the vehicles being airscrew driven} - F02K 3/072: with counter-rotating {, e.g. fan} rotors - F02K 3/077: the plant being of the multiple flow type, i.e. having three or more flows - F05D 2220/325: to drive unshrouded, high solidity propeller - F05D 2220/327: to drive shrouded, high solidity propeller - 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) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract Systems and methods are provided for an air-driven augmentor fan equipped aircraft propulsor. The augmentor fan may increase the effective bypass ratio of the aircraft propulsor and reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions of the aircraft. The augmentor fan may be driven by air energized by a ducted fan powered by the core engine of the aircraft propulsor. The energized air may be received by an inlet, flowed through a flow path, and exhausted out the outlet to drive the augmentor fan. The exhausted energized air may impart a torque on the augmentor fan or blades of the augmentor fan. One or more of the inlet, flow path, or outlet may be variable in size to control the volume of air flowed through the flow path. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An aircraft propulsor comprising: a nacelle; a turbofan engine comprising a core engine and a ducted fan driven by the core engine, the ducted fan circumscribed by the nacelle; an augmentor fan comprising a plurality of augmentor fan blades, the augmentor fan circumscribing the nacelle and configured to rotate mechanically independently of any turbofan engines; and at least one air flow path comprising: a duct at least partially housed within a portion of the nacelle, an inlet positioned to receive and pass air energized by the ducted fan to the duct, and an outlet positioned to exhaust the energized air from the duct to drive the augmentor fan. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein the augmentor fan blades comprise a front side and a back side and the outlet is located on the back side or rearward of the back side of the augmentor fan blades, and wherein the aircraft propulsor is configured to be mounted on an aircraft such that the front side is a side of the augmentor fan blade facing a nose of the aircraft, and the back side is a side of the augmentor fan blade facing a tail of the aircraft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein the outlet is configured to impart, by directing of the energized air, a torque on the augmentor fan. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The aircraft propulsor of claim 3, wherein the outlet is configured to impart the torque by directing the energized air with an azimuth component relative to the augmentor fan. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein the outlet is coupled to the augmentor fan. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein the core engine comprises one or more compressors and wherein the inlet receives energized air that bypasses the one or more compressors. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of air flow paths, each of the plurality of air flow paths comprising a duct connecting at least one inlet and at least one outlet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein the duct comprises a plurality of inlets fluidically connected to an outlet, each inlet configured to receive air energized by the ducted fan. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein the augmentor fan further comprises an augmentor hub ring circumscribing the nacelle and configured to allow rotation of the augmentor fan blades relative to the nacelle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein the inlet receives air before the core engine. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein the core engine comprises one or more compression stages and the inlet receives air after at least a first stage of the core engine. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein the flow path preserves 95 percent or more of the energized air's power. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein at least one of the inlet, the outlet, and/or the flow path is configured to be adjustable in size. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The aircraft propulsor of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the inlet, the outlet, and/or the flow path is adjustable in size through one or more of: opening or closing of a door, relaxing or constricting of a pathway, and opening and closing of additional pathways. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The aircraft propulsor of claim 1, wherein the augmentor fan blades are configured to be geometry adjustable. ### Claim 16 An aircraft comprising: an aircraft propulsor comprising: a nacelle, a turbofan engine comprising a core engine and a ducted fan driven by the core engine, the ducted fan circumscribed by the nacelle, an augmentor fan comprising a plurality of augmentor fan blades, the augmentor fan circumscribing the nacelle and configured to rotate mechanically independently of any turbofan engines, and at least one air flow path comprising: a duct at least partially housed within a portion of the nacelle; an inlet positioned to receive and pass air energized by the ducted fan to the duct; and an outlet positioned to exhaust the energized air from the duct to drive the augmentor fan; a fuselage; and a wing coupled to the fuselage, wherein the aircraft propulsor is coupled to at least one of the fuselage and the wing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The aircraft of claim 16, further comprising a controller communicatively connected to at least one of the inlet, the flow path, the outlet, and/or the augmentor fan. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The aircraft of claim 17, wherein at least one of the inlet, the outlet, and/or the flow path is configured to be adjustable in size and the controller is communicatively connected to the adjustable inlet, outlet, and/or flow path and configured to adjust the size of the adjustable inlet, outlet, and/or flow path. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The aircraft of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to detect an air speed of the aircraft, a core engine speed, and/or an augmentor fan speed and adjust the size of the adjustable inlet, outlet, and/or flow path responsive to the air speed, the core engine speed, and/or the augmentor fan speed. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the augmentor fan blades are configured to be geometry adjustable and the controller is communicatively connected to the augmentor fan and configured to adjust the geometry of the augmentor fan blades. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The aircraft of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to detect an air speed of the aircraft, a core engine speed, and/or an augmentor fan speed and adjust the geometry of the augmentor fan blades responsive to the air speed, the core engine speed, and/or the augmentor fan speed. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the augmentor fan of the engine is configured to rotate away from the fuselage at a bottom of rotation. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The aircraft of claim 16, wherein a first portion of the fuselage proximate the aircraft propulsor is strengthened compared to a second portion of the fuselage away from the aircraft propulsor. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) A method of operating the aircraft propulsor of claim 1, the method comprising: receiving, with the inlet, the energized air; flowing the energized air to the outlet; exhausting the energized air; and driving, with energy from the exhausted air, the augmentor fan. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein driving the augmentor fan includes imparting a torque on the augmentor fan with the energized air. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the torque is at least partially created by exhausting the energized air with an offset component relative to the augmentor fan. ### Claim 27 An aircraft propulsor comprising: a nacelle; a turbofan engine comprising a core engine and a ducted fan driven by the core engine, the ducted fan circumscribed by the nacelle; an augmentor fan comprising a plurality of augmentor fan blades, the augmentor fan circumscribing the nacelle and configured to rotate mechanically independently of any turbofan engines; and at least one air flow path with means for: receiving and passing air energized by the ducted fan, flowing the energized air to an outlet positioned to drive the augmentor fan, exhausting the energized air from the outlet, and driving, with energy from the energized air exhausted by the outlet, the augmentor fan. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The aircraft propulsor of claim 27, wherein the air flow path further includes means for imparting a torque on the augmentor fan with the energized air exhausted by the outlet. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The aircraft propulsor of claim 27, further comprising means for adjusting a volume of the energized air flowing through the air flow path.