US 2026/0091874 A1Published application

Aircraft with an unducted fan propulsor

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsSara Elizabeth Carle, Daniel L. Tweedt, Syed Arif Khalid, Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow, William Bowden, Randy M. Vondrell

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Abstract

The present disclosure is generally related to aircraft having one or more unducted fan propulsors at locations within specific regions relative to an airfoil, such as a wing or horizontal stabilizer. More specifically, the specific regions are located where there is a relatively higher pressure air flow beneath the wings or above a horizontal stabilizer. That higher pressure air flow can be utilized to provide increased thrust from the unducted fan propulsor.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;
a pair of wings extending from the fuselage,
two or more unducted fan propulsors, each of the unducted fan propulsors is mounted relative to one of the wings on a high pressure side thereof, the unducted fan propulsor having a centerline (CL), a plurality of blades arranged in a forward array and a plurality of blades arranged in a rearward array, wherein only one of the forward and rearward array of blades are rotating blades and the rotating blades define a maximum outer diameter (D);
a point (P) located at an intersection of the CL and a line HP perpendicular to the CL that passes through an axial midpoint between a rearward trailing edge at a root of a blade of the rearward array and a forward leading edge at a root of a blade of the forward array when the forward leading edge and rearward trailing edge of the respective blades are aligned with each other;
and
an airfoil section having an effective quarter chord point QC;
a positioning line (R) having a length (RL) and extending from the QC to the point P of the unducted fan propulsor at an angle θ measured positive in a counter-clockwise direction when the high pressure side of the airfoil section is below the airfoil section when viewed looking from an outboard position towards an inboard position of the wing;
wherein 0.07≤RL/D≤2.0 and θ is between 187° and 342°;
wherein the unducted fan propulsor comprises a turbomachine defining an inlet duct, a secondary fan located downstream of the rotating blades and positioned within the inlet duct, and an electric machine, wherein during operation of the unducted fan propulsor, the unducted fan propulsor defines a tip speed ratio equal to or greater than 0.2 and less than or equal to 1.0, the tip speed ratio being defined by a tip speed of a rotor of the electric machine to a tip speed of a blade of the secondary fan.

6 more elements

An aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage;
an airfoil extending from the fuselage, the airfoil having an airfoil section defining an effective quarter chord point (QC);
an unducted fan propulsor mounted relative to the airfoil section on a high pressure side thereof, the unducted fan propulsor having a centerline (CL), a plurality of blades arranged in a forward array and a plurality of blades arranged in a rearward array, wherein only one of the forward and rearward array of blades are rotating blades and the rotating blades define a maximum outer diameter (D);
a point (P) located at an intersection of the CL and a line HP perpendicular to the CL that passes through an axial midpoint between a rearward trailing edge at a root of a blade of the rearward array and a forward leading edge at a root of a blade of the forward array when the forward leading edge and rearward trailing edge of the respective blades are aligned with each other;
and
an ellipse origin positioning line (EOR) having a length (EORL) extending from the QC to an ellipse origin (OR) at an angle θ measured positive in a counter-clockwise direction when the high pressure side of the airfoil section is below the airfoil section, and measured positive in a clockwise direction when the high pressure side of the airfoil section is above the airfoil section, when viewed looking for an outboard position towards an inboard position;
wherein the P of the unducted fan propulsor is located within a first ellipse having a first major axis length (1MajAL) and a first minor axis length (1MinAL) with a first ellipse origin defined by EORL/D of 0.938 and θ of 253.6°, and where 1 MajAL/D is 2.8 and 1 MinAL/D is 1.7;
wherein the unducted fan propulsor comprises a turbomachine defining an inlet duct, a secondary fan located downstream of the rotating blades and positioned within the inlet duct, and an electric machine, wherein during operation of the unducted fan propulsor, the unducted fan propulsor defines a tip speed ratio equal to or greater than 0.2 and less than or equal to 1.0, the tip speed ratio being defined by a tip speed of a rotor of the electric machine to a tip speed of a blade of the secondary fan.

5 more elements

An aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage;
an airfoil extending from the fuselage, the airfoil having an airfoil section defining an effective quarter-chord point (QC);
an unducted fan propulsor mounted relative to the airfoil section on a high pressure side thereof, the unducted fan propulsor having a centerline (CL), a plurality of blades arranged in a forward array and a plurality of blades arranged in a rearward array, wherein one of the forward and rearward array of blades are rotating blades and the rotating blades define a maximum outer diameter (D);
a point (P) located at an intersection of the CL and a line HP perpendicular to the CL that passes through an axial midpoint between a rearward trailing edge at a root of a blade of the rearward array and a forward leading edge at a root of a blade of the forward array when the forward leading edge and rearward trailing edge of the respective blades are aligned with each other;
and
a positioning line (R) having a length (RL) and extending from the QC to the point P of the unducted fan propulsor at an angle θ measured positive in a counter-clockwise direction when the high pressure side of the airfoil section is below the airfoil section, and measured positive in a clockwise direction when the high pressure side of the airfoil section is above the airfoil section, when viewed looking from an outboard position towards an inboard position (e.g. the fuselage) OR when viewed with the LE to the left of the TE;
wherein 0.065<RL/D<1.98 and θ is between 187° and 340°;
and wherein RL/D and θ of the P of the unducted fan propulsor adhere to the following expressions:
R
⁢
L
D
+
(
1.4161
*
[
1.88978
*
sin
2
⁢
(
θ
)
-
0.0875
*
cos
2
(
θ
)
+
0.477
*
sin
⁡
(
θ
)
*
cos
⁡
(
θ
)
]
+
1.764
*
sin
⁢
(
θ
)
+
0
.
1
⁢
9
⁢
1
⁢
4
⁢
6
*
cos
⁡
(
θ
)
)
1.96
*
sin
2
(
θ
)
+
0
.
7
⁢
2
⁢
25
*
cos
2
⁢
(
θ
)
>
0
and
R
⁢
L
D
+
(
-
1.4161
*
[
1.88978
*
sin
2
⁢
(
θ
)
-
0.0875
*
cos
2
(
θ
)
+
0.477
*
sin
⁡
(
θ
)
*
cos
⁡
(
θ
)
]
+
1.764
*
sin
⁢
(
θ
)
+
0
.
1
⁢
9
⁢
1
⁢
4
⁢
6
*
cos
⁡
(
θ
)
)
1.96
*
sin
2
(
θ
)
+
0
.
7
⁢
2
⁢
25
*
cos
2
⁢
(
θ
)
<
0
;
wherein the unducted fan propulsor comprises a turbomachine defining an inlet duct, a secondary fan located downstream of the rotating blades and positioned within the inlet duct, and an electric machine, wherein during operation of the unducted fan propulsor, the unducted fan propulsor defines a tip speed ratio equal to or greater than 0.2 and less than or equal to 1.0, the tip speed ratio being defined by a tip speed of a rotor of the electric machine to a tip speed of a blade of the secondary fan.

191 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/345,532Filed 30 Sep 2025
Priority: 4 Aug 2023
Published: 2 Apr 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B64C 11/18
Blades: aerodynamic features
B64D 27/12
Of gas-turbine type: within, or attached to, wings
B64D 27/18
Of jet type: within, or attached to, wings
B64D 27/31
Aircraft characterised by electric power plants: within, or attached to, wings

Family

Application18/230,609Continuation in part · filed 4 Aug 2023
Application18/652,052Continuation in part · filed 1 May 2024
Application19/345,532Continuation in part
US 12,365,471 B2Related patent
US 12,384,522 B2Related patent
US 2025/0042537 A1Published application
US 2025/0042558 A1Published application
US 2026/0091874 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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