Nose cone with actuated debris deflection flow
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsIoannis Alvanos, David A. Welch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nose cone for debris deflection comprising a deflector formed in the nose cone, and an actuator in operative communication with the deflector, the actuator configured to engage the deflector configured to create a deflection air stream; the deflection air stream being configured to manipulate a fan inlet air flow such that any debris entrained in the fan inlet air flow has a trajectory line directed away from a core flow of a gas turbine engine and toward a bypass flow of the gas turbine engine.
Claims19
A nose cone for debris deflection comprising:
- a deflector formed in the nose cone;
- and
- an actuator in operative communication with the deflector, the actuator configured to engage the deflector configured to create a deflection air stream;
- the deflection air stream being configured to manipulate a fan inlet air flow such that any debris entrained in the fan inlet air flow has a trajectory line directed away from a core flow of a gas turbine engine and toward a bypass flow of the gas turbine engine;
- wherein the deflector comprises an inlet formed in the nose cone, the inlet configured to receive a portion of the fan inlet airflow into a deflector flow passage;
- the deflector flow passage fluidly coupled with an outlet, the outlet configured to direct the deflection air stream into the fan inlet air flow, wherein the actuator is configured to move the nose cone to open and close at least one of the inlet of the deflector and the outlet of the deflector.
A gas turbine engine having a nose cone for debris deflection comprising:
- a fan section including a fan blade upstream from a bypass duct and a core separated by a splitter;
- a deflector formed in the nose cone, the deflector comprising an inlet fluidly coupled with a deflector flow passage, the deflector flow passage fluidly coupled with an outlet;
- the deflector being located upstream of the fan blade and arrayed circumferentially around the nose cone relative a centerline axis of the nose cone;
- and
- an actuator in operative communication with the deflector, the actuator configured to open and close at least one of the inlet and the outlet;
- wherein the actuator is configured to move the nose cone to open and close at least one of the inlet and the outlet.
A process for forming a nose cone for debris deflection comprising:
- a fan section including a fan blade upstream from a bypass duct and a core separated by a splitter;
- forming a deflector in the nose cone, the deflector comprising an inlet;
- fluidly coupling the inlet with a deflector flow passage;
- fluidly coupling the deflector flow passage with an outlet;
- locating the deflector upstream of the fan blade;
- arraying the deflector circumferentially around the nose cone relative a centerline axis of the nose cone;
- coupling an actuator in operative communication with the deflector;
- configuring the actuator to open and close at least one of the inlet and the outlet;
- and
- configuring the actuator to move the nose cone to open and close at least one of the inlet and the outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.