Machined Aerodynamic Intercompressor Bleed Ports
AssigneePratt & Whitney
InventorsRyan Edward LeBlanc, Kevin J. Cummings, Barry M. Ford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air bleed system for a jet engine is provided. The air bleed system is located in the low pressure compressor chamber and comprises a movable bleed valve and a stationary, annular bleed case having a forward section and an aft section and ligaments connecting the two sections and providing structural support to the bleed case. The ligaments are machined from the bleed case into an aerodynamic shape that maximizes the flow of air through the bleed ports.
Claims20
An air bleed system for a jet engine having a low pressure compressor chamber, a low pressure rotor which generates swirling air that impinges on the air bleed system at an angle thereto, an engine core inlet, a fan duct, a combustion chamber and a longitudinal axis, the air bleed system comprising:
- a stationary, annular bleed case having a forward section and an aft section and ligaments connecting the two sections, the forward section, the aft section and the ligaments defining a series of bleed ports circumferentially disposed around the bleed case and through which air can be bled from the engine core inlet and into the fan duct;
- and
- a bleed valve operably connected to the bleed case to open and close the bleed ports;
- wherein the ligaments provide structural support for the bleed case and have an aerodynamic shape that maximizes the flow of air through the bleed ports.
A method of making a dual milled annular bleed case for a jet engine, the jet engine having a longitudinal axis, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an annular air bleed case having a forward section, an aft section and a continuous ligament connecting the two sections;
- milling out of the continuous ligament a plurality of spaced apart, circumferentially disposed radial bores from outboard the annular bleed case, each radial bore oriented co-planar to a plane defined by the annular bleed case;
- and
- milling out of the continuous ligament a corresponding number of angled bores from inboard the bleed case, each angled bore oriented at an angle to the plane defined by the annular bleed case, each angled bore joining a corresponding radial bore at a bend to form a bleed port through which air can be bled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.