Propulsion engine and cowl
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsPeeyush Pankaj, Narayanan Payyoor, Richard Schmidt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A propulsion system for an aircraft including a core engine connected to a forward frame and a turbine frame assembly, and an aft frame assembly is connected by a turbine casing to the core engine aft of the turbine frame assembly. A core cowl surrounds the core engine, wherein the core cowl is connected to the forward frame. A plurality of cowl mount links selectively loads the core cowl to the aft frame assembly and the turbine frame assembly, wherein the plurality of cowl mount links is each loaded by deflection of the core engine.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
A propulsion system for an aircraft, the propulsion system comprising:
- a fan assembly including a forward frame, the fan assembly being rotatable to provide propulsion of the aircraft;
- a core engine connected to the forward frame, the core engine including a turbine section that is operatively connected to the fan assembly to drive the fan assembly and a turbine frame assembly positioned at the turbine section and having a turbine casing surrounding a portion of the turbine section, the core engine having a core engine centerline axis that is substantially coaxial with a nominal centerline axis of the propulsion system during normal operation of the propulsion system and at an acute angle to the nominal centerline axis during increased loading conditions of the propulsion system;
- an aft frame assembly positioned aft of the turbine casing and connected to the core engine via the turbine casing;
- a core cowl connected to the forward frame and surrounding the core engine;
- and
- a plurality of cowl mount links selectively loading the core cowl to the aft frame assembly and the turbine frame assembly, the plurality of cowl mount links including a first spring coupled to the core cowl and the aft frame assembly and a second spring coupled to the core cowl and the turbine frame assembly, each of the plurality of cowl mount links being loaded during the increased loading conditions.
An aircraft comprising:
- an airframe;
- and
- a propulsion system attached to a portion of the airframe and including:
- a fan assembly including a forward frame, the fan assembly being rotatable to provide propulsion of the aircraft;
- a core engine connected to the forward frame, the core engine including a turbine section that is operatively connected to the fan assembly to drive the fan assembly and a turbine frame assembly positioned at the turbine section and having a turbine casing surrounding a portion of the turbine section, the core engine having a core engine centerline axis that is substantially coaxial with a nominal centerline axis of the propulsion system during normal operation of the propulsion system and at an acute angle to the nominal centerline axis during increased loading conditions of the propulsion system;
- an aft frame assembly positioned aft of the turbine casing and connected to the core engine via the turbine casing;
- a core cowl connected to the forward frame and surrounding the core engine;
- and
- a plurality of cowl mount links selectively loading the core cowl to the aft frame assembly and the turbine frame assembly, the plurality of cowl mount links including a first spring coupled to the core cowl and the aft frame assembly and a second spring coupled to the core cowl and the turbine frame assembly, each of the plurality of cowl mount links being loaded during the increased loading conditions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.