Inlet assembly for an aircraft aft fan
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsKishore Ramakrishnan, Shourya Prakash Otta
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An engine for mounting in or to an aircraft includes a stage of compression airfoils rotatable about a central axis; a casing surrounding the stage of compression airfoils and defining an inlet; and a low-distortion inlet assembly mounted within the inlet. The inlet assembly includes one or more structural members mounted at predetermined locations around a circumference of the central axis within the inlet, the predetermined locations defining an airflow distortion exceeding a predetermined threshold; and at least one airflow modifying element configured within the inlet so as to reduce airflow distortion entering the stage of compression airfoils.
Claims20
An engine for mounting in or to an aircraft, the engine defining a central axis and comprising:
- a stage of compression airfoils rotatable about the central axis;
- a casing surrounding the stage of compression airfoils and defining an inlet, wherein the inlet is positioned upstream of the stage of compression airfoils;
- a low-distortion inlet assembly mounted within the inlet, the low-distortion inlet assembly comprising
- one or more structural members mounted at predetermined locations around a circumference of the central axis within the inlet, the predetermined locations defining an airflow distortion exceeding a predetermined threshold;
- and
- at least one airflow modifying element configured within the inlet so as to reduce airflow distortion entering the stage of compression airfoils;
- and
- an engine casing surrounding the casing.
A low-distortion inlet assembly for an engine of an aircraft having a stage of compression airfoils rotatable about a central axis, the engine further defining an inlet located upstream of the stage of compression airfoils, the inlet assembly comprising:
- a plurality of structural members mounted at one or more predetermined locations around a circumference of the central axis of the engine within the inlet, the one or more predetermined locations comprising an airflow distortion exceeding a predetermined threshold;
- at least one airflow modifying element configured within the inlet of the engine so as to reduce an airflow distortion entering the stage of compression airfoils;
- and
- an engine casing surrounding the engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.