Exhaust systems having adjustable nozzles and related methods
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorJason Boyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Exhaust systems having adjustable nozzles and related methods are disclosed. An example exhaust system includes a nozzle. A portion of the nozzle is moveable from a first position to a second position to change an angle of convergence of the nozzle. The example exhaust system includes an exit area. The portion of the nozzle is at least partially disposed in the exit area. An opening is defined between the exit area and the portion of the nozzle disposed in the exit area. A size of the opening is to change in response to movement of the portion of the nozzle.
Claims21
An exhaust system comprising:
- a nozzle,
- a first portion of the nozzle moveable to change a first angle of convergence of the nozzle;
- a second portion of the nozzle movable to change a second angle of convergence of the nozzle;
- and
- an exit area, the first portion of the nozzle at least partially in the exit area, a first opening between the exit area and the first portion of the nozzle, a first size of the first opening to change in response to a first movement of the first portion of the nozzle, the second portion of the nozzle at least partially in the exit area, a second opening between the exit area and the second portion of the nozzle, a second size of the second opening to change in response to a second movement of the second portion of the nozzle, the first and second movement in opposite directions.
An air vehicle comprising:
- a manifold to receive exhaust gases from an engine of the air vehicle;
- a nozzle fluidly coupled to the manifold, at least two portions of the nozzle moveable to adjust a size of an outlet of the nozzle, an inlet of the nozzle beneath the manifold to divert a direction of the exhaust gases entering the manifold from a rearward path to a downward path relative to Earth;
- an actuator operatively coupled to the portion of the nozzle;
- and
- an exit area, the outlet of the nozzle in the exit area to direct the exhaust gases into the exit area, the actuator to cause the at least two portions of the nozzle to move to control an amount of ambient air entering the exit area.
An apparatus comprising:
- a nozzle including an outlet having an adjustable width;
- first and second openings to receive ambient air to mix with exhaust gases in a flow path for exhaust gases of an engine, the first and second openings to increase in size as the width of the adjustable outlet decreases;
- an actuator to control the width of the adjustable outlet and the sizes of the first and second openings;
- at least one memory;
- machine readable instructions;
- and
- processor circuitry to execute the machine readable instructions to cause the actuator to decrease the width of the outlet of the nozzle to increase the sizes of the first opening and the second opening to reduce an infrared signature of a vehicle including the engine.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.