Nacelle inlet assembly with acoustic panel
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorCharles William Rust
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inlet assembly for a nacelle includes an inlet cowl and a plenum back wall of a fluid ice protection system (FIPS). The inlet cowl extends a length from a front end of the inlet cowl to a rear end of the inlet cowl. The inlet cowl includes a lipskin that defines a leading edge of the inlet cowl at the front end, and an acoustic panel coupled to the lipskin at an interface along an inner side of the inlet cowl. A seam is defined between the acoustic panel and the lipskin. The plenum back wall is affixed to an interior surface of the lipskin to define a plenum between the interior surface and a front surface of the plenum back wall. The plenum receives an anti-ice liquid. The plenum back wall is disposed in front of the seam along the length of the inlet cowl.
Claims20
An inlet assembly of a nacelle, the inlet assembly comprising:
- an inlet cowl that extends a length from a front end of the inlet cowl to a rear end of the inlet cowl, the inlet cowl including a lipskin that defines a leading edge of the inlet cowl at the front end, and an acoustic panel coupled to the lipskin along an inner side of the inlet cowl and defining a seam between the acoustic panel and the lipskin;
- and
- a plenum back wall of a fluid ice protection system (FIPS), the plenum back wall affixed to an interior surface of the lipskin to define a plenum between the interior surface and a front surface of the plenum back wall, the plenum configured to receive an anti-ice liquid, wherein the plenum back wall is disposed in front of the seam along the length of the inlet cowl.
A method of forming an inlet assembly of a nacelle, the method comprising:
- coupling an acoustic panel to a lipskin to define an inner side of an inlet cowl, the lipskin defining a leading edge of the inlet cowl, the inner side of the inlet cowl extending a length from the leading edge to a rear end of the acoustic panel, wherein a seam is defined between a front end of the acoustic panel and the lipskin;
- and
- securing a plenum back wall of a fluid ice protection system (FIPS) to an interior surface of the lipskin to define a plenum between the interior surface and a front surface of the plenum back wall, the plenum configured to receive an anti-ice liquid, wherein the plenum back wall is secured at a location in front of the seam along the length of the inner side of the inlet cowl.
An inlet assembly of a nacelle, the inlet assembly comprising:
- an inlet cowl that includes an acoustic panel and a lipskin coupled together to define an inner side of an inlet cowl, the lipskin defining a leading edge of the inlet cowl, the inner side of the inlet cowl extending a length from the leading edge to a rear end of the acoustic panel, wherein a seam is defined between a front end of the acoustic panel and the lipskin;
- and
- a plenum back wall of a fluid ice protection system (FIPS), the plenum back wall affixed to an interior surface of the lipskin to define a plenum between the interior surface and a front surface of the plenum back wall, the plenum configured to receive an anti-ice liquid,
- wherein the plenum back wall is disposed in front of the seam along the length of the inner side of the inlet cowl, and the seam is within 6 cm of the leading edge, and wherein a length of the acoustic panel from the front end to the rear end is at least 80% of the length of the inner side of the inlet cowl.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.