Engine nacelle inlet having a turbulator segment
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJason Christopher Parsons, Thomas Chlaupek, Rocco Tomasso, Jeremiah D. Langston, Taurus Brackett, II, Patrick James Macko, Jeffrey Scott Harasha, Daniel Joseph Goering, Andrew David Clark
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A nacelle inlet for an engine. The nacelle inlet includes an inner flow surface, an outer flow surface, and a turbulator segment positioned along the inner flow surface. The turbulator segment extends outward beyond the inner flow surface and is configured to transition laminar airflow along the inner flow surface upstream from the turbulator segment to turbulent airflow downstream from the turbulator segment.
Claims20
A nacelle inlet for an engine, the nacelle inlet comprising:
- an inner flow surface;
- an outer flow surface;
- a turbulator segment positioned along the inner flow surface, wherein the turbulator segment comprises a plurality of fasteners, the plurality of fasteners comprising heads that extend outward beyond the inner flow surface;
- and
- wherein the turbulator segment extends outward beyond the inner flow surface and is configured to transition laminar airflow along the inner flow surface upstream from the turbulator segment to turbulent airflow downstream from the turbulator segment.
A nacelle inlet for an engine, the nacelle inlet comprising:
- a lipskin positioned at a forward end of the nacelle inlet, the lipskin comprising a lipskin inner flow surface that extends to an inner lipskin edge;
- an inner barrel positioned downstream from the lipskin inner flow surface;
- a joint formed between the inner lipskin edge and a leading edge of the inner barrel;
- and
- a turbulator segment positioned at the lipskin inner flow surface upstream from the joint, the turbulator segment configured to transition laminar airflow to turbulent airflow downstream from the joint to draw heat from the inner barrel.
A method of cooling a section of an inner flow surface of a nacelle inlet, the method comprising:
- directing air through the nacelle inlet with laminar flow along an upstream section of the inner flow surface;
- directing the air over a raised turbulator segment on the inner flow surface after the air has passed over the upstream section and transitioning the air to turbulent flow, the turbulator surface comprising one or more strips and fasteners that extend through the one or more strips;
- and
- directing the air with turbulent flow over a downstream section of the inner flow surface of the nacelle inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.