Nacelle inlet lip fuse structure
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsPaul C. Wittman, Dongming Dominic Gao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inlet lip structure includes: an annular inner barrel with forward and aft ends; an annular outer barrel with forward and aft ends; an annular aft bulkhead interconnecting the aft ends of the inner and outer barrels; an annular forward bulkhead interconnecting the forward ends of the inner and outer barrels; an annular lip skin interconnecting the forward ends of the inner and outer barrels, the lip skin having a C-shaped cross-section comprising a nose with inner and outer legs extending therefrom, the lip skin having opposed inner and outer surfaces; and wherein the outer leg of the lip skin incorporates a fuse element having an ultimate strength which is lower than an ultimate strength of the remainder of the lip skin.
Claims20
An inlet lip structure, comprising:
- an annular inner barrel with forward and aft ends;
- an annular outer barrel with forward and aft ends;
- an annular aft bulkhead interconnecting the aft ends of the inner and outer barrels;
- an annular forward bulkhead interconnecting the forward ends of the inner and outer barrels;
- an annular lip skin interconnecting the forward ends of the inner and outer barrels, the lip skin having a C-shaped cross-section comprising a nose with inner and outer legs extending therefrom, the lip skin having opposed inner and outer surfaces;
- and
- wherein the outer leg of the lip skin incorporates a fuse element having an ultimate strength which is lower than an ultimate strength of the remainder of the lip skin.
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a turbomachinery core operable to produce a flow of combustion gases;
- a nacelle surrounding the turbomachinery core, the nacelle having an inlet lip structure which includes:
- an annular inner barrel with forward and aft ends;
- an annular outer barrel with forward and aft ends;
- an annular aft bulkhead interconnecting the aft ends of the inner and outer barrels;
- an annular forward bulkhead interconnecting the forward ends of the inner and outer barrels;
- an annular lip skin interconnecting the forward ends of the inner and outer barrels, the lip skin having a C-shaped cross-section comprising a nose with inner and outer legs extending therefrom, the lip skin having opposed inner and outer surfaces;
- and
- wherein the outer leg of the lip skin incorporates a fuse element having an ultimate strength which is lower than an ultimate strength of the remainder of the lip skin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.