Flight maneuverable nozzle for gas turbine engines
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsDudley O. Nash, Robert G. Beavers, Joseph C. Burge, Onofre T. M. Castells, Alan I. Parker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flight maneuverable gas turbine exhaust nozzle is provided with cooperating variable internal converging-diverging flaps to provide area control. A flap downstream of the converging-diverging flap provides flight maneuver vectoring as well as external exhaust expansion control. A vertical take-off and landing capability is provided by deployment of a rotating bonnet-type deflector which diverts the exhaust stream downward around one side of the exhaust nozzle. The nozzle throat rotates with the deflector to produce efficient turning of the exhaust stream.
Claims13
A flight maneuverable exhaust device for a gas turbine engine including:
- a plurality of substantially opposed walls partially defining an exhaust stream flow path;
- variable position convergent-divergent means partially defining a first of said walls;
- deflector means positionable between a stowed position external to said exhaust stream flow path and a deployed position further defining said exhaust stream flow path;
- and
- variable position first flap means partially defining a second of said walls, and wherein:
- said convergent-divergent means and said second wall cooperate to define a variable area throat therebetween when said deflector is stowed;
- said convergent-divergent means and said first flap means provide variable exhaust stream expansion control downstream of the throat when said deflector is stowed;
- and
- said first flap means cooperates with said deflector means to provide the variable area throat therebetween when said deflector means is in said deployed position.
An exhaust device for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- a plurality of substantially opposed walls partially defining an exhaust stream flow path having a throat;
- variable position convergent-divergent means partially defining a first of said walls;
- first flap means of the variable position variety, downstream of the throat, partially defining a second of said walls and, in a first operating mode, cooperating with said convergent-divergent means to provide variable exhaust stream expansion control;
- second flap means of the variable position variety disposed downstream of said convergent-divergent means and, in the first operating mode, further defining said first wall and cooperating with said convergent-divergent means to provide additional exhaust stream expansion control;
- and
- deflector means, positionable between a stowed position external to said exhaust stream flow path and a deployed position aft of the downstream extremity of said second wall thereby further defining said exhaust stream flow path;
- wherein:
- said convergent-divergent means and said second wall cooperate to modulate the exhaust stream flow path throat area therebetween in the first operating mode.
An exhaust device for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- a plurality of substantially opposed walls partially defining an exhaust stream flow path having a throat;
- convergent-divergent means including cooperating variable position convergent and divergent flap means connected to actuating means and partially defining a first of said walls;
- first flap means of the variable position variety partially defining a second of said walls and, in a first operating mode, adapted to provide exhaust stream expansion control;
- second flap means of the variable position variety disposed downstream of and, in the first operating mode, further defining said first wall and cooperating with said convergent-divergent means to provide additional exhaust stream expansion control;
- and
- deflector means, positionable between a stowed position within said first wall in the first operating mode, and between said convergent-divergent means and said second flap means, aft of the downstream extremity of said second wall, in a second operating mode, thereby further defining said exhaust stream flow path, wherein
- said throat is positionable at a first location between said convergent and divergent flap means and said second wall, upstream of said first flap means, during said first operating mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.