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US 2008/0302907 A1Published application
Fan Variable Area Nozzle Positional Measurement System
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorBradley C. Schafer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A positional measurement system for a fan variable area nozzle (FVAN) remotely determines the position of each flap or set of flaps relative a core nacelle. The positional measurement system includes a sensor system with a multiple of transceivers located within the core nacelle to remotely measure the position of each flap or set of flaps without the heretofore necessity of moving measurement components.
Claims11
A nacelle assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- a core nacelle defined about an axis;
- a fan nacelle mounted at least partially around said core nacelle, said fan nacelle having a fan variable area nozzle which defines a fan exit area between said fan nacelle and said core nacelle;
- and
- a positional measurement system mounted at least partially within said core nacelle and directed toward said fan variable area nozzle to determine a position of said fan variable area nozzle.
1 more element
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a core engine defined about an axis;
- a gear system driven by said core engine;
- a fan driven by said gear system about said axis;
- a core nacelle defined at least partially about said core engine;
- a fan nacelle mounted around said fan and at least partially around said core nacelle, said fan nacelle having a fan variable area nozzle which defines a fan exit area downstream of said fan between said fan nacelle and said core nacelle;
- a sensor system mounted at least partially within said core nacelle and directed toward said fan variable area nozzle;
- and
- a controller in communication with said sensor to determine a position of said fan variable area nozzle.
5 more elements
A method of determining a position of a fan variable area nozzle of a gas turbine engine comprising the steps of:
- (A) transmitting a signal from a core nacelle to reflect off a fan variable area nozzle;
- and
- (B) determining the position of the fan variable area nozzle relative the core nacelle in response to said step (A).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.