Tailoring aircraft powerplant split line with inflatable bladder(s)
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorMichael D. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This assembly includes a propulsor rotor and a flowpath wall. The propulsor rotor is rotatable about an axis. The propulsor rotor includes a plurality of propulsor blades and an inner platform. The propulsor blades are arranged circumferentially about the axis and project radially out from the inner platform. The flowpath wall is next to and downstream of the inner platform. The flowpath wall includes an inflatable bladder and a radial outer surface. The inflatable bladder is configured to change a geometry of the radial outer surface.
Claims19
An assembly for an aircraft propulsion system, comprising:
- a propulsor rotor rotatable about an axis, the propulsor rotor including a plurality of propulsor blades and an inner platform, and the plurality of propulsor blades arranged circumferentially about the axis and projecting radially out from the inner platform;
- and
- a flowpath wall next to and downstream of the inner platform, the flowpath wall comprising an inflatable bladder and a radial outer surface, and the inflatable bladder configured to change a geometry of the radial outer surface.
An assembly for an aircraft propulsion system, comprising:
- a bladed rotor rotatable about an axis;
- an inner flowpath wall downstream of the bladed rotor, the inner flowpath wall comprising an inner inflatable bladder and a radial outer surface, the inner inflatable bladder configured to change a geometry of the radial outer surface, and the radial outer surface forming a radial inner peripheral boundary of a flowpath;
- and
- an outer flowpath wall axially overlapping and circumscribing the inner flowpath wall, the outer flowpath wall comprising an outer inflatable bladder and a radial inner surface, the outer inflatable bladder configured to change a geometry of the radial inner surface, and the radial inner surface forming a radial outer peripheral boundary of the flowpath.
An assembly for an aircraft propulsion system, comprising:
- a propulsor rotor rotatable about an axis;
- and
- a flowpath wall next to an outer periphery of the propulsor rotor, the flowpath wall comprising an inflatable bladder and a radial inner surface that is downstream of the propulsor rotor, and the inflatable bladder configured to change a geometry of the radial inner surface;
- wherein, when viewed in a reference plane parallel with the axis, the radial inner surface has a convex geometry or a straight line geometry with the inflatable bladder deflated;
- further comprising:
- a splitter downstream of the propulsor rotor, the splitter forming an outer peripheral boundary of an inlet into a core flowpath, and the splitter forming an inner peripheral boundary of an inlet into a bypass flowpath;
- at least an axial majority of the inflatable bladder is arranged upstream of the splitter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.