Infrared suppressor apparatuses and method
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorGary Wollenweber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for assembling a gas turbine engine includes mounting a core engine to a vehicle, coupling a fuselage radially outward and around the core engine, coupling an exhaust nozzle to the core engine to channel exhaust gases discharged from the core engine, wherein the exhaust nozzle includes a cowl and a primary nozzle coupled radially inward from the cowl, and coupling an infrared suppression system in flow communication with the engine exhaust nozzle to facilitate suppressing an exhaust infrared signature of the core engine, wherein the infrared suppression system includes a blocking fin having a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional profile and such that a cooling air flowpath is defined between the cowl and the blocking fin.
Claims21
A method for assembling a gas turbine engine, said method comprising:
- mounting a core engine to a vehicle;
- coupling a fuselage radially outward and around the core engine;
- coupling an exhaust nozzle to the core engine to channel exhaust gases discharged from the core engine, wherein the exhaust nozzle includes a cowl and an primary nozzle coupled radially inward from the cowl;
- and
- coupling an infrared suppression system in flow communication with the engine exhaust nozzle to facilitate suppressing an exhaust infrared signature of the core engine, wherein the infrared suppression system includes a blocking fin substantially perpendicular to cooling flow, said blocking fin having a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional profile and such that a cooling air flowpath is defined between the cowl and the blocking fin.
An exhaust assembly for a gas turbine engine, said exhaust assembly comprising:
- an engine exhaust nozzle coupled to said gas turbine engine;
- an exhaust cowl at least partially circumscribing said engine exhaust nozzle such that a cooling passage is defined between said engine exhaust nozzle and said exhaust cowl;
- and
- an infrared suppression system coupled to said engine exhaust nozzle, a portion of said infrared suppression system comprising a plurality of blocking fins with a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional profile that extends at least partially into said cooling passage, said suppression system facilitates suppressing an exhaust infrared signature of the gas turbine engine.
A gas turbine engine configured to couple to a fuselage, said gas turbine engine comprising:
- an engine exhaust nozzle coupled to said gas turbine engine;
- an exhaust cowl at least partially circumscribing said engine exhaust nozzle such that a cooling passage is defined between said engine exhaust nozzle and said exhaust cowl;
- an infrared suppression system coupled to said engine exhaust nozzle, a portion of said infrared suppression system comprising a blocking fin substantially U-shaped cross-sectional profile that extends at least partially into said cooling passage, said suppression system facilitates suppressing an exhaust infrared signature of the gas turbine engine;
- and
- a plurality of cooling fins coupled to said engine exhaust nozzle axially forward of said infrared suppression system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.