Gas turbine engine nozzle with variable area

A gas turbine engine comprising:

• a turbine section rotatable about an engine central longitudinal axis;
• and
• an exhaust nozzle disposed fluidly downstream of the turbine section, the exhaust nozzle having an exhaust nozzle flowpath;
• a nacelle at least partially enclosing the turbine section and defining an exhaust nozzle flow area of the exhaust nozzle, the nacelle extending axially along the engine central longitudinal axis of the gas turbine engine and circumferentially around the engine central longitudinal axis;
• and
• a shutter vector apparatus attached to the nacelle and operable between a stowed position and a deployed position, the shutter vector apparatus configured to modulate the exhaust nozzle flow area when the shutter vector apparatus is moved between the stowed position and the deployed position,
• the shutter vector apparatus including a plurality of shutter elements, each shutter element having at least one aerodynamic surface extending into the nozzle flowpath of the exhaust nozzle when the shutter vector apparatus is in the deployed position;
• wherein each shutter element includes:
• an element base;
• and
• an element arm extending axially forward from the element base;
• wherein the at least one aerodynamic surface extends from the element base radially outwardly and axially forward toward the element arm;
• wherein each shutter element is operably connected to an actuation apparatus configured to move the plurality of shutter elements between the stowed position and the deployed position and wherein each shutter element is configured to pivot about a pivot axis substantially parallel to the engine central longitudinal axis;
• and
• wherein in the stowed position the element arm is disposed radially outboard of the at least one aerodynamic surface;
• and
• wherein in the deployed position the element arm is disposed radially outboard of the at least one aerodynamic surface.

A method of operating a gas turbine engine, comprising:

• urging combustion products through a turbine section of the gas turbine engine to drive rotation of the turbine section about an engine central longitudinal axis of the gas turbine engine;
• directing the combustion products from the turbine section through an exhaust nozzle;
• and
• modulating an exhaust nozzle flow area via operation of a shutter vector apparatus disposed at the exhaust nozzle, the shutter vector apparatus including a plurality of shutter elements, each shutter element having at least one aerodynamic surface extending into a nozzle flowpath of the exhaust nozzle when the shutter vector apparatus is in a deployed position;
• wherein each shutter element includes:
• an element base;
• and
• an element arm extending axially forward from the element base;
• wherein the at least one aerodynamic surface extends from the element base radially outwardly and axially forward toward the element arm;
• wherein each shutter element is operably connected to an actuation apparatus configured to move the plurality of shutter elements between a stowed position and the deployed position and wherein each shutter element is configured to pivot about a pivot axis substantially parallel to the engine central longitudinal axis;
• and
• wherein in the stowed position the element arm is disposed radially outboard of the at least one aerodynamic surface;
• and
• wherein in the deployed position the element arm is disposed radially outboard of the at least one aerodynamic surface.