Thrust reverser system with translating-rotating cascade and method of operation

A thrust reverser system for a gas turbine engine having a core engine, a core cowl surrounding the core engine, a nacelle surrounding the core cowl and comprising a fan cowl, and a bypass duct defined by and between the nacelle and the core cowl, the thrust reverser system comprising:

• a translating cowl mounted to the nacelle and adapted to translate in an aft direction of the gas turbine engine away from the fan cowl to define a circumferential opening therebetween, the translating cowl having a radially inner wall that defines a radially outer flow surface of the bypass duct;
• a fixed structure within the nacelle that does not translate when the translating cowl is translated in the aft direction;
• a cascade system comprising cascade segments mounted to the nacelle and adapted to move between a stowed position and a deployed position, each of the cascade segments having a fore end and an oppositely-disposed aft end, each of the cascade segments translating with the translating cowl in the aft direction of the gas turbine engine and away from the fan cowl as the cascade segment moves from the stowed position to the deployed position thereof, the inner wall of the translating cowl being between each of the cascade segments and the bypass duct when the cascade segments are in their stowed positions, the aft ends of the cascade segments projecting into the bypass duct and the cascade segments being operable to divert bypass air within the bypass duct through the circumferential opening when the cascade segments are in the deployed positions thereof;
• first means pivotably coupled adjacent the fore end of each of the cascade segments for translating the cascade segment in the aft direction;
• and
• second means pivotably coupled adjacent the aft end of each of the cascade segments for initially causing the aft end to translate in the aft direction as the fore end translates in the aft direction and then subsequently causing the aft end to rotate about the fore end so that further translation of the cascade segment in the aft direction causes the cascade segment to move to the deployed position thereof;
• wherein the thrust reverser system does not include a discreet blocker door that blocks air flow within the bypass duct downstream of the cascade segments.

A method of reversing thrust of a gas turbine engine having a core engine, a core cowl surrounding the core engine, a nacelle surrounding the core cowl and comprising a fan cowl and a translating cowl adapted to translate in an aft direction of the gas turbine engine away from the fan cowl to define a circumferential opening therebetween, and a bypass duct defined by and between the fan cowl and the core cowl, the method comprising:

• stowing a cascade system in a stowed position so that an inner wall of the translating cowl is between the bypass duct and the cascade system;
• translating the translating cowl and the cascade system in an aft direction of the gas turbine engine to expose the circumferential opening;
• and
• deploying the cascade system from the stowed positions thereof to a deployed position thereof as the translating cowl and the cascade system are translated in the aft direction, the cascade system having a fore end and an oppositely-disposed second end, the cascade system being deployed as a result of the fore end translating in the aft direction and the aft end initially translating in the aft direction as the fore end translates in the aft direction and then subsequently rotating about the fore end so that further translation of the cascade segment in the aft direction causes the cascade segment to move to the deployed position thereof.