Variable effective area fan nozzle
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMatthew Timothy Franer, Brandon Wayne Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A turbofan engine is provided having a fan and a core in flow communication with the fan. The turbofan engine also includes a nacelle assembly enclosing the fan and at least a portion of the core to define a bypass passage with the core. The nacelle assembly includes a fan cowl extending around the fan and a thrust reverser system. The thrust reverser system is movable between a fully stowed position, a partially deployed position, and a fully deployed position. The thrust reverser system is configured to be held in the partially deployed position to allow an additional amount of airflow to exit from the bypass passage.
Claims11
A method for operating a gas turbine engine comprising a fan, a core in flow communication with the fan, and a nacelle assembly enclosing the fan and at least a portion of the core to define a bypass passage with the core, the nacelle assembly including a thrust reverser system moveable between a fully stowed position and a fully deployed position, the method comprising:
- operating the fan at a fan pressure ratio of less than about two (2);
- moving the thrust reverser system from the fully stowed position to a partially deployed position, the partially deployed position located between the fully stowed position and the fully deployed position;
- and
- holding the thrust reverser system in the partially deployed position to allow an additional amount of airflow to exit the bypass passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.