System and method for generating thrust
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorAndrei Tristan Evulet
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thrust generator includes an air inlet configured to introduce air within the thrust generator and a plenum having a plurality of fluid injection devices. The plenum is configured to receive an exhaust gas from a gas generator and direct the exhaust gas via the plurality of fluid injection devices radially into the thrust generator and along a Coanda profile surface configured to facilitate attachment of the exhaust gas to the profile surface to form a boundary layer and to entrain incoming air from the air inlet to generate thrust. The thrust generator has a non-circular shape.
Claims21
A thrust generator, comprising:
- an air inlet configured to introduce air within the thrust generator;
- and
- a plenum comprising a plurality of fluid injection devices, wherein the plenum is configured to receive an exhaust gas from a gas generator and direct the exhaust gas via the plurality of fluid injection devices radially into the thrust generator and along a Coanda profile surface configured to facilitate attachment of the exhaust gas to the profile surface to form a boundary layer and to entrain incoming air from the air inlet to generate thrust;
- wherein the thrust generator has a non-circular shape.
The thrust generator of 5, wherein the one or more nozzle vanes of each nozzle are actuated to impart swirl motion to the flow of the exhaust gas.
An aircraft, comprising:
- an aircraft frame;
- a gas generator coupled to the aircraft frame and configured to generate an exhaust gas;
- and
- a thrust generator coupled to the aircraft frame, the thrust generator comprising:
- an air inlet configured to introduce air within the thrust generator;
- and
- a plenum comprising a plurality of fluid injection devices, wherein the plenum is configured to receive an exhaust gas from the gas generator and direct the exhaust gas via the plurality of fluid injection devices radially into the thrust generator and along a Coanda profile surface configured to facilitate attachment of the exhaust gas to the profile surface to form a boundary layer and to entrain incoming air from the air inlet to generate thrust;
- wherein the thrust generator has a non-circular shape.
A method for generating thrust, comprising:
- introducing air via an air inlet with a non-circular thrust generator;
- directing exhaust gas from a gas generator to a plenum;
- injecting the exhaust gas from the plenum via the plurality of fluid injection devices radially into the thrust generator and along a Coanda profile surface configured to facilitate attachment of the exhaust gas to the profile surface to form a boundary layer and to entrain incoming air from the air inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.