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US 11,125,157 B2Granted
Advanced inlet design
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsHolly J. Thomas, Brian L. Riedel, Alexandre D. Curaudeau, David W. Foutch, Steve G. Mackin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A compact inlet design including a single bulkhead and/or an acoustic panel extending into nacelle lip region for noise reduction. The compact inlet is used with a low power fluid ice protection system capable of preventing ice build-up on the acoustic panel in the nacelle lip region.
Claims21
An inlet for a turbofan engine, the inlet comprising:
- an inner barrel and an outer barrel configured to form an inlet cowl, wherein the inner barrel includes an acoustic panel and the inlet cowl includes:
- a lipskin disposed at a forward end of the inlet cowl;
- and
- a bulkhead disposed between the inner barrel and the outer barrel;
- and
- a porous panel combined with the lipskin;
- wherein:
- the porous panel comprises orifices and an ice-protection fluid flows from the porous panel onto the acoustic panel so as to reduce or prevent ice build-up on the acoustic panel;
- and
- the acoustic panel extends past a forward most edge of a fan case connected to the inlet and the porous panel is part of a fluid ice protection system comprising a pump connected to a reservoir, the pump pumping the ice-protection fluid from the reservoir to the porous panel.
7 more elements
An inlet for a turbofan engine, the inlet comprising:
- an inner barrel and an outer barrel configured to form an inlet cowl;
- the inner barrel including an acoustic panel and
- the inlet cowl including:
- a lipskin disposed at a forward end of the inlet cowl;
- a bulkhead disposed between the inner barrel and the outer barrel;
- and
- a porous panel combined with the lipskin;
- wherein:
- the outer barrel has a length (L3) extending aft of an interface between the inner barrel and a fan case connected to the inner barrel, thereby causing a location of an aerodynamic transition between laminar flow and turbulent flow of airflow to move aft of the interface;
- the porous panel comprises orifices and an ice-protection fluid flows from the porous panel onto the acoustic panel so as to reduce or prevent ice build-up on the acoustic panel;
- and
- the acoustic panel extends past a forward most edge of the fan case connected to the inlet and the porous panel is part of a fluid ice protection system comprising a pump connected to a reservoir, the pump pumping the ice-protection fluid from the reservoir to the porous panel.
9 more elements
A method of operating a turbofan engine, comprising:
- obtaining a turbofan engine disposed in a nacelle comprising an inner barrel and an outer barrel configured to form an inlet cowl, wherein:
- the inner barrel includes an acoustic panel, and
- the inlet cowl includes:
- a lipskin disposed at a forward end of the inlet cowl,
- a bulkhead disposed between the inner barrel and the outer barrel, and
- a porous panel combined with the lipskin;
- operating a fluid ice protection system comprising the porous panel comprising orifices and combined with the lipskin;
- wherein ice-protection fluid flowing from the orifices onto the acoustic panel reduces or prevents ice build-up on the acoustic panel;
- and
- operating the turbofan engine with reduced fuel consumption as compared to the turbofan engine disposed in the nacelle without the fluid ice protection system;
- wherein:
- the acoustic panel extends past a forward most edge of a fan case connected to the inlet and the porous panel is part of the fluid ice protection system comprising a pump connected to a reservoir, the pump pumping the ice-protection fluid from the reservoir to the porous panel.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.