# US 10,767,559 B2 · Adaptive-area inertial particle separators

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- Number: US 10,767,559 B2
- Document ID: US10767559B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/020,251
- Filed: 2018-06-27
- Published: 2019-10-03
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-29
- Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
- Applicants: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Crawford F. Smith, III; Bryan H. Lerg; Kenneth M. Pesyna
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767559B2

## CPC

- F02C 7/052: with dust-separation devices
- B01D 45/08: by impingement against baffle separators
- B01D 45/16: generated by the winding course of the gas stream {, the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes}
- F02C 7/042: having variable geometry
- F02C 7/055: with intake grids, screens or guards
- F05D 2220/323: for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines
- F05D 2260/606: Bypassing the fluid
- 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)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

A particle separator adapted for use with a gas turbine engine includes an adaptive-area hub, an outer wall, and a splitter. The splitter cooperates with the adaptive-area hub and the outer wall to separate particles suspended in an inlet flow moving through the particle separator to provide a clean flow of air to the gas turbine engine.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A particle separator for use with a gas turbine engine, the particle separator comprising
an adaptive-area hub arranged circumferentially about an axis of the particle separator to define an inner profile of the particle separator, the adaptive-area hub includes an inner wall arranged circumferentially about the axis, a plurality of outer slats arranged circumferentially about the inner wall, and a plurality of inner slats located radially between the inner wall and the plurality of outer slats,
an outer wall arranged circumferentially about the adaptive-area hub to define an inlet passageway between the outer wall and the adaptive-area hub, the inlet passageway adapted to receive a mixture of air and particles suspended in the air, and
a splitter located aft of the adaptive-area hub and configured to separate the mixture of air and particles into a clean flow substantially free of particles and a dirty flow containing the particles during operation of the particle separator,
wherein the adaptive-area hub is configured to move between a non-austere position in which the plurality of inner slats is aligned circumferentially with the plurality of outer slats to cause the inner wall to provide the inner profile of the particle separator such that the inlet passageway has a first area and an austere position in which the plurality of inner slats is misaligned circumferentially with the plurality of outer slats to cause the plurality of inner slats and the plurality of outer slats to cooperate to provide the inner profile of the particle separator such that the inlet passageway has a second area smaller than the first area to encourage the particles into the dirty flow.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The particle separator of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of outer slats is spaced apart circumferentially from a neighboring outer slat of the plurality of outer slats by an outer gap such that the plurality of outer slats define a plurality of outer gaps.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The particle separator of claim 2, wherein the plurality of inner slats are positioned relative to the plurality of outer slats to close the plurality of outer gaps to block fluid flow radially through the plurality of outer gaps when the adaptive-area hub is in the austere position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The particle separator of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of outer slats has a first circumferential width and each of the plurality of inner slats has a second circumferential width and the first circumferential width is about equal to the second circumferential width.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The particle separator of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of outer slats is made of a strip of material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The particle separator of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of inner slats is made of a strip of material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The particle separator of claim 1, further comprising a control system configured to detect the presence of the particles suspended in the air and to move selectively the adaptive-area hub from the non-austere position to the austere position in response to detecting the presence of the particles suspended in the air.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The particle separator of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of outer slats and each of the plurality of inner slats are curvilinear.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The particle separator of claim 8, wherein the plurality of inner slats have a maximum radius relative to the axis and the inner wall is spaced apart from the plurality of inner slats at an axial position corresponding with the maximum radius.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The particle separator of claim 8, wherein the plurality of inner slats are coupled to the inner wall for rotational movement with the inner wall relative to the axis.

### Claim 11

A particle separator comprising
an adaptive-area hub that includes an inner wall, a plurality of outer slats spaced apart from the inner wall, and a plurality of inner slats located between the plurality of outer slats and the inner wall, each of the plurality of outer slats is spaced apart from a neighboring outer slat of the plurality of outer slats to define a plurality of outer gaps, each of the plurality of inner slats is spaced apart from a neighboring inner slat of the plurality of inner slats to define a plurality of inner gaps,
an outer wall spaced apart from the inner wall to locate the plurality of outer slats between the inner wall and the outer wall, and
a splitter located aft of the adaptive-area hub,
wherein the adaptive-area hub is movable between a non-austere position in which the plurality of inner slats and the plurality of outer slats are positioned relative to each other to cause the plurality of outer gaps and the plurality of inner gaps to be aligned and an austere position in which the plurality of inner slats and the plurality of outer slats are positioned relative to each other to cause the plurality of outer gaps and the plurality of inner gaps to be misaligned.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The particle separator of claim 11, wherein the adaptive-area hub is arranged circumferentially about an axis of the particle separator.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The particle separator of claim 11, wherein the plurality of inner slats are coupled to the inner wall for movement with the inner wall.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The particle separator of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of inner slats include side walls that extend away from the plurality of outer slats and toward the inner wall and the side walls are couple with the inner wall.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The particle separator of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of outer slats have a first width and each of the plurality of inner slats have a second width and the first width is about equal to the second width.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The particle separator of claim 11, wherein the inner wall is annular and continuous.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The particle separator of claim 11, further comprising a control system configured to move selectively the adaptive-area hub from the non-austere position to the austere position in response to detecting a presence of particles suspended in air flowing through the particle separator.

### Claim 18

A method comprising
providing a particle separator that includes an adaptive-area hub, an outer wall arranged around the adaptive-area hub to define an inlet passageway, and a splitter, the adaptive-area hub including an inner wall, a plurality of outer slats located between the inner wall and the outer wall, and a plurality of inner slats located between the plurality of outer slats and the inner wall, each of the plurality of outer slats is spaced apart from a neighboring outer slat of the plurality of outer slats to define a plurality of outer gaps between the plurality of outer slats, and each of the plurality of inner slats is spaced apart from a neighboring inner slat of the plurality of inner slats to define a plurality of inner gaps between the plurality of inner slats, and
moving the plurality of inner slats relative to the plurality of outer slats to cause the plurality of inner gaps to be misaligned with the plurality of outer gaps.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising moving the plurality of inner slats relative to the plurality of outer slats to cause the plurality of inner gaps to be aligned with the plurality of outer gaps.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the moving step includes rotating the plurality of inner slats relative to the plurality of outer slats.