Unducted Propulsion System
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsDaniel L. TWEEDT, Syed Arif KHALID
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatuses and systems are provided herein for unducted propulsion systems. The system includes a forward housing for high efficiency for high subsonic sustained flight. A plurality of blades are affixed to the forward housing, wherein the forward housing defines a flowpath curve extending from the forward-most end of the forward housing through the axial extent of a forward blade root. The flowpath curve is described by an axial direction parallel to an axis of rotation and a radius from the axis of rotation. The flowpath curve includes a first point having a first radius where the radius reaches a maximum forward of the forward blade root and a second point aft of the first point having a second radius where the radius stops decreasing.
Claims20
An unducted propulsion system comprising:
- a forward blade assembly comprised of a plurality of forward blades;
- an aft blade assembly comprised of a plurality of aft blades;
- a forward housing having an external surface;
- an aft housing;
- wherein each forward blade and each aft blade comprises a blade root proximal to an axis of rotation and a blade tip distal from the axis of rotation;
- wherein a flowpath curve corresponds to an intersection of the external surface of the forward housing with a plane containing the axis of rotation and a forward-most point of a forward blade root;
- wherein, for the flowpath curve, radius, r, is a first perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation;
- wherein a bulge location with radius r1 on the flowpath curve is located by proceeding forward from the forward-most point on the forward blade root to a location where a first radius reaches a maximum;
- wherein a local minimum with radius r2 on the flowpath curve is located by proceeding aft from the bulge location to a nearest point where a second radius stops decreasing within an axial extent of the forward blade root;
- wherein an aircraft is configured for cruise flight Mach number 0.74<M0<0.86;
- and
- wherein
- r
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- r
- 2
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- 1
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- where 1.04<A2<1.14.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.