Variable area nozzle and method for operating same
AssigneeRohr, Inc.
InventorTimothy Gormley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A variable area nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a nozzle disposed about a nozzle centerline and a fixed ring radially surrounding the nozzle. The nozzle includes a radially outer surface and a radially inner surface. The radially inner surface defines an outlet cross-sectional area of the nozzle. The nozzle is movable relative to the nozzle centerline between a first position of the radially inner surface defining a maximum area of the outlet cross-sectional area and a second position of the radially inner surface defining a minimum area of the outlet cross-sectional area. With the nozzle in the first position, the radially outer surface contacts the fixed ring. With the nozzle in the second position, the radially outer surface is spaced from the fixed ring.
Claims19
A variable area nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine, the variable area nozzle assembly comprising:
- a nozzle disposed about a nozzle centerline, the nozzle comprising a radially outer surface, a radially inner surface, an axially forward end, and an axially aft end, the radially outer surface extending from the axially forward end to the axially aft end, the radially inner surface defining an outlet cross-sectional area of the nozzle, the nozzle pivotable at the axially forward end relative to the nozzle centerline between a first position of the radially inner surface defining a maximum area of the outlet cross-sectional area and a second position of the radially inner surface defining a minimum area of the outlet cross-sectional area;
- and
- a fixed ring radially surrounding the nozzle such that with the nozzle in the first position the radially outer surface contacts the fixed ring, and with the nozzle in the second position the radially outer surface is radially spaced from the fixed ring, wherein the fixed ring is positioned axially between and axially spaced from the axially forward end and the axially aft end with the nozzle in the first position and the second position.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a fixed structure;
- a nozzle comprising an axially forward end, an axially aft end, a radially outer surface, and a radially inner surface, the nozzle hingedly mounted to the fixed structure at the axially forward end, the nozzle disposed about a nozzle centerline, the radially inner surface defining an outlet cross-sectional area of the nozzle, the nozzle movable relative to the nozzle centerline between a first position of the radially inner surface defining a maximum area of the outlet cross-sectional area and a second position of the radially inner surface defining a minimum area of the outlet cross-sectional area;
- and
- a fixed ring radially surrounding the nozzle such that with the nozzle in the first position the radially outer surface contacts the fixed ring, and with the nozzle in the second position the radially outer surface is radially spaced from the fixed ring, wherein the fixed ring is positioned axially between and axially spaced from the axially forward end and the axially aft end with the nozzle in the first position and the second position.
A method of operating a variable area nozzle for a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
- pivoting an axially forward end of a nozzle relative to a nozzle centerline of the nozzle from a first position toward a second position, the nozzle comprising a radially outer surface and a radially inner surface, the radially inner surface defining an outlet cross-sectional area of the nozzle,
- the radially inner surface with the nozzle in the first position defining a maximum area of the outlet cross-sectional area and the radially inner surface with the nozzle in the second position defining a minimum area of the outlet cross-sectional area, and
- the radially outer surface with the nozzle in the first position contacting a fixed ring radially surrounding the nozzle, and the radially outer surface with the nozzle in the second position being radially spaced from the fixed ring, wherein the fixed ring is positioned axially between and axially spaced from the axially forward end and an axially aft of the nozzle with the nozzle in the first position and the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.