US 12,735,188 B2Granted

Aircraft with an unducted fan propulsor

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsSara Elizabeth Carle, Daniel L. Tweedt, Syed Arif Khalid, Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow, William Bowden, Randy M. Vondrell, Keith A. Miedema

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

The present disclosure is generally related to aircraft having one or more unducted fan propulsors at locations within specific regions relative to an airfoil, such as a wing or horizontal stabilizer. More specifically, the specific regions are located where there is a relatively higher pressure air flow beneath the wings or above a horizontal stabilizer. That higher pressure air flow can be utilized to provide increased thrust from the unducted fan propulsor.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;
an airfoil extending from the fuselage, the airfoil having an airfoil section defining a quarter-chord location (QC);
an unducted fan propulsor mounted relative to the airfoil section on a high pressure side thereof, the unducted fan propulsor having a centerline (CL), a plurality of blades arranged in a forward array and a plurality of blades arranged in a rearward array, wherein only one of the forward and rearward array of blades are rotating blades and the rotating blades define a maximum outer diameter (D);
a point (P) located at an intersection of the CL and a line HP perpendicular to the CL that passes through an axial midpoint between a rearward trailing edge at a root of a blade of the rearward array and a forward leading edge at a root of a blade of the forward array when the forward leading edge and rearward trailing edge of the respective blades are aligned with each other;
and
a positioning line (R) having a length (RL) and extending from the QC to the point P of the unducted fan propulsor at an angle θ measured positive in a counter-clockwise direction when the high pressure side of the airfoil section is below the airfoil section when viewed looking from an outboard position towards an inboard position of the wing;
wherein 0.07≤RL/D≤2.0 and θ is between 187° and 342°,
wherein the unducted fan propulsor includes:
a fan having the plurality of blades of the forward array or the rearward array coupled to a fan shaft having one or more fan bearings, each of the plurality of blades of the fan being rotatable about a pitch axis and extending from a fan hub;
and
a fan actuation system disposed within the fan hub for rotating the plurality of blades about the pitch axis and having one or more radial thrust bearings, wherein the fan actuation system is characterized by a fan actuation system length envelope in a range of 8.5 to 24, the fan actuation system length envelope being given by:
N
FB
×
D
FT
L
AXIAL
×
(
R
TB
N
FB
)
wherein NFB is a number of the plurality of blades of the fan, DFT is a fan tip diameter of the plurality of blades, RTB is a thrust bearing radius of the one or more radial thrust bearings, and LAXIAL is an axial length from a fan hub tip of the fan hub to the one or more fan bearings.

23 more elements

An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;
an airfoil extending from the fuselage, the airfoil having an airfoil section defining an effective quarter chord point (QC);
an unducted fan propulsor mounted relative to the airfoil section on a high pressure side thereof, the unducted fan propulsor having a centerline (CL), a plurality of blades arranged in a forward array and a plurality of blades arranged in a rearward array, wherein only one of the forward and rearward array of blades are rotating blades and the rotating blades define a maximum outer diameter (D);
a point (P) located at an intersection of the CL and a line HP perpendicular to the CL that passes through an axial midpoint between a rearward trailing edge at a root of a blade of the rearward array and a forward leading edge at a root of a blade of the forward array when the forward leading edge and rearward trailing edge of the respective blades are aligned with each other;
and
an ellipse origin positioning line (EOR) having a length (EORL) extending from the QC to an ellipse origin (OR) at an angle θ measured positive in a counter-clockwise direction when the high pressure side of the airfoil section is below the airfoil section, and measured positive in a clockwise direction when the high pressure side of the airfoil section is above the airfoil section, when viewed looking for an outboard position towards an inboard position;
wherein the P of the unducted fan propulsor is located within a first ellipse having a first major axis length (1MajAL) and a first minor axis length (1MinAL) with a first ellipse origin defined by EORL/D of 0.938 and θ of 253.6°, and where 1MajAL/D is 2.8 and 1MinAL/D is 1.7,
wherein the unducted fan propulsor includes:
a fan having the plurality of blades of the forward array or the rearward array coupled to a fan shaft having one or more fan bearings, each of the plurality of blades of the fan being rotatable about a pitch axis and extending from a fan hub;
and
a fan actuation system disposed within the fan hub for rotating the plurality of blades about the pitch axis and having one or more radial thrust bearings, wherein the fan actuation system is characterized by a fan actuation system length envelope in a range of 8.5 to 24, the fan actuation system length envelope being given by:
N
FB
×
D
FT
L
AXIAL
×
(
R
TB
N
FB
)
wherein NFB is a number of the plurality of blades of the fan, DFT is a fan tip diameter of the plurality of blades, RTB is a thrust bearing radius of the one or more radial thrust bearings, and LAXIAL is an axial length from a fan hub tip of the fan hub to the one or more fan bearings.

23 more elements

An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;
an airfoil extending from the fuselage, the airfoil having an airfoil section defining an effective quarter-chord point (QC);
an unducted fan propulsor mounted relative to the airfoil section on a high pressure side thereof, the unducted fan propulsor having a centerline (CL), a plurality of blades arranged in a forward array and a plurality of blades arranged in a rearward array, wherein one of the forward and rearward array of blades are rotating blades and the rotating blades define a maximum outer diameter (D);
a point (P) located at an intersection of the CL and a line HP perpendicular to the CL that passes through an axial midpoint between a rearward trailing edge at a root of a blade of the rearward array and a forward leading edge at a root of a blade of the forward array when the forward leading edge and rearward trailing edge of the respective blades are aligned with each other;
and
a positioning line (R) having a length (RL) and extending from the QC to the point P of the unducted fan propulsor at an angle θ measured positive in a counter-clockwise direction when the high pressure side of the airfoil section is below the airfoil section, and measured positive in a clockwise direction when the high pressure side of the airfoil section is above the airfoil section, when viewed looking from an outboard position towards an inboard position (e.g. the fuselage) OR when viewed with the LE to the left of the TE;
wherein 0.065<RL/D<1.98 and θ is between 187° and 340°;
and wherein RL/D and θ of the P of the unducted fan propulsor adhere to the following expressions:
R
⁢
L
D
+
(
1.4161
*
[
1.88978
*
sin
2
⁢
(
θ
)
-
0.0875
*
cos
2
⁢
(
θ
)
+
0.477
*
sin
⁢
(
θ
)
*
cos
⁢
(
θ
)
]
+
1.764
*
sin
⁢
(
θ
)
+
0
.
1
⁢
9
⁢
1
⁢
4
⁢
6
*
cos
⁢
(
θ
)
)
1.96
*
sin
2
(
θ
)
+
0
.
7
⁢
2
⁢
2
⁢
5
*
cos
2
(
θ
)
>
0
and
R
⁢
L
D
+
(
-
1.4161
*
[
1.88978
*
sin
2
⁢
(
θ
)
-
0.0875
*
cos
2
⁢
(
θ
)
+
0.477
*
sin
⁢
(
θ
)
*
cos
⁢
(
θ
)
]
+
1.764
*
sin
⁢
(
θ
)
+
0
.
1
⁢
9
⁢
1
⁢
4
⁢
6
*
cos
⁢
(
θ
)
)
1.96
*
sin
2
(
θ
)
+
0
.
7
⁢
2
⁢
2
⁢
5
*
cos
2
(
θ
)
<
0
wherein the unducted fan propulsor includes:
a fan having the plurality of blades of the forward array or the rearward array coupled to a fan shaft having one or more fan bearings, each of the plurality of blades of the fan being rotatable about a pitch axis and extending from a fan hub;
and
a fan actuation system disposed within the fan hub for rotating the plurality of blades about the pitch axis and having one or more radial thrust bearings, wherein the fan actuation system is characterized by a fan actuation system length envelope in a range of 8.5 to 24, the fan actuation system length envelope being given by:
N
FB
×
D
FT
L
AXIAL
×
(
R
TB
N
FB
)
wherein NFB is a number of the plurality of blades of the fan, DFT is a fan tip diameter of the plurality of blades, RTB is a thrust bearing radius of the one or more radial thrust bearings, and LAXIAL is an axial length from a fan hub tip of the fan hub to the one or more fan bearings.

212 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/330,645Filed 16 Sep 2025 · continuation in part
Priority: 4 Aug 2023
Published: US 2026/0015090 A115 Jan 2026
Granted: 15 Sep 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

B64D 27/12
Of gas-turbine type: within, or attached to, wings
B64D
Equipment for fitting in or to aircraft

Family

Application18/230,609Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Aug 2023
Application18/652,052Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 1 May 2024
PCT/US2024/040754Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 Aug 2024
US 12,365,471 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 Jul 2025
US 12,384,522 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 12 Aug 2025
US 2026/0015090 A1Pre-grant publication · published 15 Jan 2026
US 2025/0042537 A1Published application
US 2025/0042558 A1Published application
US 12,735,188 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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Abstract

An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;
an airfoil extending from the fuselage, the airfoil having an airfoil section defining a quarter-chord location (QC);
an unducted fan propulsor mounted relative to the airfoil section on a high pressure side thereof, the unducted fan propulsor having a centerline (CL), a plurality of blades arranged in a forward array and a plurality of blades arranged in a rearward array, wherein only one of the forward and rearward array of blades are rotating blades and the rotating blades define a maximum outer diameter (D);
a point (P) located at an intersection of the CL and a line HP perpendicular to the CL that passes through an axial midpoint between a rearward trailing edge at a root of a blade of the rearward array and a forward leading edge at a root of a blade of the forward array when the forward leading edge and rearward trailing edge of the respective blades are aligned with each other;
and
a positioning line (R) having a length (RL) and extending from the QC to the point P of the unducted fan propulsor at an angle θ measured positive in a counter-clockwise direction when the high pressure side of the airfoil section is below the airfoil section when viewed looking from an outboard position towards an inboard position of the wing;
wherein 0.07≤RL/D≤2.0 and θ is between 187° and 342°,
wherein the unducted fan propulsor includes:
a fan having the plurality of blades of the forward array or the rearward array coupled to a fan shaft having one or more fan bearings, each of the plurality of blades of the fan being rotatable about a pitch axis and extending from a fan hub;
and
a fan actuation system disposed within the fan hub for rotating the plurality of blades about the pitch axis and having one or more radial thrust bearings, wherein the fan actuation system is characterized by a fan actuation system length envelope in a range of 8.5 to 24, the fan actuation system length envelope being given by:
N
FB
×
D
FT
L
AXIAL
×
(
R
TB
N
FB
)
wherein NFB is a number of the plurality of blades of the fan, DFT is a fan tip diameter of the plurality of blades, RTB is a thrust bearing radius of the one or more radial thrust bearings, and LAXIAL is an axial length from a fan hub tip of the fan hub to the one or more fan bearings.

23 more elements

Facts

Application

19/330,645Filed 16 Sep 2025 · continuation in part

Priority

4 Aug 2023

Published

US 2026/0015090 A115 Jan 2026

Granted

15 Sep 2026

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

B64D 27/12
Of gas-turbine type: within, or attached to, wings
B64D
Equipment for fitting in or to aircraft

Family

Application18/230,609Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Aug 2023

Application18/652,052Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 1 May 2024

PCT/US2024/040754Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 Aug 2024

US 12,365,471 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 Jul 2025

US 12,384,522 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 12 Aug 2025

US 2026/0015090 A1Pre-grant publication · published 15 Jan 2026

US 2025/0042537 A1Published application

US 2025/0042558 A1Published application

US 12,735,188 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.