US 11,306,681 B2Granted

Sheared exhaust nozzle

AssigneeThe Boeing Company

InventorsKurt E. Acheson, David F. Cerra, Robert H. Willie

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Abstract

Conventional commercial engine exhaust systems are defined with axi-symmetric surfaces (e.g., conical or nearly conical surfaces), which create an annular exhaust for the fan (bypass) nozzle of roughly constant duct-height around the circumference. In one example configuration, the fan sleeve has been sheared upward (towards the wing or pylon) causing a larger area and duct height near the pylon relative to the portion away from the pylon. For a given thrust generated by the turbofan engine housed in the nacelle, the shear toward the pylon mount realigns the thrust in the direction of flight which may, in some examples, reduce noise experienced downstream of the turbofan engine and decreases fuel consumed in the engine core.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An aircraft comprising:

a wing and an engine,
the engine comprising:
a nacelle comprising an inlet;
a pylon attached to the nacelle;
an engine core housed in the nacelle, the engine core connected to a core exhaust;
a fan housed in the nacelle so as to draw a first portion of air through the inlet into the engine core and draw a second portion of the air through the inlet into a fan duct between the engine core and the nacelle;
and wherein:
the fan duct has an outer flow surface on the nacelle and an inner flow surface opposite the outer flow surface, the outer flow surface and the inner flow surface bounding a flow of the second portion of the air;
the first portion of air is used to burn fuel in the engine core so as to form a first exhaust gas exhausted through the core exhaust;
the fan duct comprises a fan exhaust and the second portion of the air is exhausted as a second exhaust gas through the fan exhaust, wherein the second exhaust gas generates a thrust comprising a thrust vector;
and
the outer flow surface comprises a curved portion such that:
a first distance between a first point at a trailing edge on the outer flow surface and a second point on the inner flow surface is larger than a second distance between a third point on the trailing edge of the outer flow surface and a fourth point on the inner flow surface,
the first distance is in a first region between the pylon and the core exhaust;
the second distance is in a second region between the core exhaust and a section of the nacelle facing away from an aircraft propelled using the engine;
and
the curved portion applies a shift to the second exhaust gas in a first direction counteracting:
a first deflection of the second exhaust gas away from a second direction propelling the aircraft in a direction of flight, the first deflection caused by an aircraft structure including the pylon, wherein the second direction is aligned with the direction of flight, and
a second deflection of the second exhaust gas downwards from the second direction, the second deflection due to an incidence of the wing relative to the direction of flight,
so as to increase alignment the thrust vector with the second direction and compensate for a wing upwash.

17 more elements

A method of making an aircraft comprising:

attaching a wing and an engine, the engine comprising:
a nacelle comprising an inlet;
a pylon attached to the nacelle;
an engine core housed in the nacelle, the engine core connected to a core exhaust;
a fan housed in the nacelle so as to draw a first portion of air through the inlet into the engine core and draw a second portion of the air through the inlet into a fan duct between the engine core and the nacelle;
and wherein:
the fan duct has an outer flow surface on the nacelle and an inner flow surface opposite the outer flow surface, the outer flow surface and the inner flow surface bounding a flow of the second portion of the air;
the first portion of air is used to burn fuel in the engine core so as to form a first exhaust gas exhausted through the core exhaust;
the fan duct comprises a fan exhaust and the second portion of the air is exhausted as a second exhaust gas through the fan exhaust, wherein the second exhaust gas generates a thrust comprising a thrust vector;
and
the outer flow surface comprises a curved portion such that:
a first distance between a first point at a trailing edge on the outer flow surface and a second point on the inner flow surface is larger than a second distance between a third point on the trailing edge of the outer flow surface and a fourth point on the inner flow surface,
the first distance is in a first region between the pylon and the core exhaust;
the second distance is in a second region between the core exhaust and a section of the nacelle facing away from an aircraft propelled using the engine;
and
the curved portion applies a shift to the second exhaust gas in a first direction counteracting:
a first deflection of the second exhaust gas away from a second direction propelling the aircraft in the direction of flight, the first deflection caused by an aircraft structure including the pylon and wherein the second direction is aligned with the direction of flight, and
a second deflection of the second exhaust gas downwards from the second direction,
the second deflection due to an incidence of the wing relative to the direction of flight,
so as to increase alignment of the thrust vector with the second direction and compensate for a wing upwash.

17 more elements

A method of operating an aircraft comprising:

operating the aircraft comprising a wing and an engine, the engine comprising:
a nacelle comprising an inlet;
a pylon attached to the nacelle;
an engine core housed in the nacelle, the engine core connected to a core exhaust;
a fan housed in the nacelle so as to draw a first portion of air through the inlet into the engine core and draw a second portion of the air through the inlet into a fan duct between the engine core and the nacelle;
and wherein:
the fan duct has an outer flow surface on the nacelle and an inner flow surface opposite the outer flow surface, the outer flow surface and the inner flow surface bounding a flow of the second portion of the air;
the first portion of air is used to burn fuel in the engine core so as to form a first exhaust gas exhausted through the core exhaust;
the fan duct comprises a fan exhaust and the second portion of the air is exhausted as a second exhaust gas through the fan exhaust, wherein the second exhaust gas generates a thrust comprising a thrust vector;
and
the outer flow surface comprises a curved portion such that:
a first distance between a first point at a trailing edge on the outer flow surface and a second point on the inner flow surface is larger than a second distance between a third point on the trailing edge of the outer flow surface and a fourth point on the inner flow surface,
the first distance is in a first region between the pylon and the core exhaust;
the second distance is in a second region between the core exhaust and a section of the nacelle facing away from an aircraft propelled using the engine;
and
the curved portion applies a shift to the second exhaust gas in a first direction counteracting:
a first deflection of the second exhaust gas away from a second direction propelling the aircraft in the direction of flight, the first deflection caused by an aircraft structure including the pylon and wherein the second direction is aligned with the direction of flight, and
a second deflection of the second exhaust gas downwards from the second direction,
the second deflection due to an incidence of the wing relative to the direction of flight,
so as to increase alignment of the thrust vector with the second direction and compensate for a wing upwash.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/248,342Filed 15 Jan 2019
Published: US 2020/0224605 A116 Jul 2020
Granted: 19 Apr 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

B64D 33/04
Arrangement in aircraft of power plant parts or auxiliaries not otherwise provided for: of exhaust outlets or jet pipes
F02K 1/46
Plants characterised by the form or arrangement of the jet pipe or nozzle; Jet pipes or nozzles peculiar thereto: nozzles having means for adding…
F02K 3/06
The plant including ducted fans, i.e. fans with high volume, low pressure outputs, for augmenting the jet thrust, e.g. of double-flow type: with…
F05D 2260/96
Function: preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise

Family

US 2020/0224605 A1Pre-grant publication · published 16 Jul 2020
US 11,306,681 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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