Nacelle assembly and mounting structures for a turbofan jet propulsion engine

In a structure for mounting a turbofan engine on an aircraft fuselage, said turbofan engine having a high bypass ratio and including a turbine casing housing a turbine engine, the rearward end of a turbine nozzle operably associated with said turbine casing for directing propulsion gases rearwardly from said engine, an annular fan casing surrounding and spaced outwardly from said turbine casing, a low pressure fan mounted within said fan casing and driven by said turbine engine, said fan casing being structurally coupled to said turbine casing, an improved structure for interchangeably mounting said turbofan engine to a plurality of locations on a fuselage comprising:

• a rigid, arcuate, structural yoke and means for affixing said yoke to the fuselage of an airplane, said yoke extending about a portion of the periphery of said fan casing and being spaced therefrom, said yoke having a central portion, a first end spaced in a first direction from said central portion and a second end spaced in the opposite direction from said central portion, said means for affixing the central portion of said yoke to said fuselage including a beam affixed to said yoke and extending outwardly from said yoke in a radial direction relative to said engine, the outer end of said beam being affixed to said fuselage, each of said first and second ends of said yoke having bores therein, each of said bores having an axis, the axes of said bores intersecting to define a region in a transverse plane relative to said engine bounded by said axes and said yoke, said engine having a center of mass defined by longitudinal and transverse coordinates relative to the centerline of said engine, said axes of said bores being oriented so that said transverse coordinate falls within said region, said longitudinal coordinate being spaced rearwardly from said region relative to said engine,
• first shock absorbing mounting means associated with the bore in the first end of said yoke for coupling the first end to a first location on the periphery of said fan casing,
• second shock absorbing mounting means associated with the bore in the second end of said yoke for coupling the second end of said yoke to a second location on the periphery of said fan casing, said second location being spaced from said first location,
• a mounting arm and means for affixing said arm to the fuselage of an airplane, said arm having an outer end located adjacent said turbine casing and rearwardly from said yoke, said arm extending in a generally radial direction toward said turbofan engine,
• third shock absorbing mounting means associated with the outer end of said arm for coupling said outer end to said turbine casing, and
• nacelle means associated with said engine defining an inlet coupled to said fan casing and defining an annular fan duct extending rearwardly from said fan casing for receiving fan air from said fan and directing said fan air rearwardly relative to said engine.

In a structure for mounting a turbofan engine on an aircraft fuselage, said turbofan engine having a high bypass ratio and including a turbine casing housing a turbine engine, the rearward end of a turbine nozzle operably associated with said turbine casing for directing propulsion gases rearwardly from said engine, an annular fan casing surrounding and spaced outwardly from said turbine casing, a low pressure fan mounted within said fan casing and driven by said turbine engine, said fan casing being structurally coupled to said turbine casing, an improved structure for interchangeably mounting said turbofan engine to a plurality of locations on a fuselage comprising:

• a rigid, arcuate, structural yoke and means for affixing said yoke to the fuselage of an airplane, said yoke extending about a portion of the periphery of said fan casing and being spaced therefrom, said yoke having a central portion, a first end spaced in a first direction from said central portion and a second end spaced in the opposite direction from said central portion, said means for affixing the central portion of said yoke to said fuselage including a beam affixed to said yoke and extending outwardly from said yoke in a radial direction relative to said engine, the outer end of said beam being affixed to said fuselage,
• first shock absorbing mounting means associated with the first end of said yoke for coupling the first end to a first location on the periphery of said fan casing,
• second shock absorbing mounting means associated with the second end of said yoke for coupling the second end of said yoke to a second location on the periphery of said fan casing, said second location being spaced from said first location,
• a mounting arm and means for affixing said arm to the fuselage of an airplane, said arm having an outer end located adjacent said turbine casing and rearwardly from said yoke, said arm extending in a generally radial direction toward said turbofan engine,
• third shock absorbing mounting means associated with the outer end of said arm for coupling said outer end to said turbine casing,
• nacelle means associated with said engine including an outer annular wall and an inner annular wall, said inner annular wall being spaced outwardly from said turbine casing, said inner and outer annular walls defining an inlet coupled to said fan casing and defining an annular fan duct extending rearwardly from said fan casing for receiving fan air from said fan and directing said fan air rearwardly relative to said engine,
• bifurcation means associated with said annular fan duct for splitting the flow therethrough, said bifurcation means extending longitudinally along said duct from a forward location adjacent said fan to a location rearwardly thereof, said bifurcation means being located in said fan channel adjacent the central portion of said yoke and having a central channel therethrough communicating between the region inside the inner wall of said fan duct and the region outside the outer wall of said fan duct, said arm extending through said central channel, and
• a fan bleed air collector mounted in the forward portion of said bifurcation means and having an inlet opening forwardly toward said fan, and
• conduit means coupled to said collector and located within the channel in said bifurcation means and extending therethrough toward said fuselage, said conduit means for receiving fan air from said inlet and directing it to a location in said fuselage.