Turbofan engine having core supercharging stage
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorThomas E. O'Rourke, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A turbofan configuration for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. Various construction details which improve engine performance by supercharging working medium gases to the engine core are discussed. Engines configured in accordance with the present invention include an island splitter which is disposed across the fan flow path. The island splitter is spaced apart from the core engine case. A supercharging, compression stage is driven commonly with the fan stage and extends outwardly into proximity with the core case.
Claims7
In a turbofan engine of the type having a bypass flow path and a core flow path which are separated by a core case and of the type having a fan stage upstream of the core case, the improvement comprising in combination:
- an island splitter spaced radially apart from said core case at a locaton downstream of the fan stage placing said core flow path in communication with said bypass flow path immediately downstream of the island splitter;
- and
- a supercharging stage mechanically coupled to the fan stage and extending outwardly into proximity with the core case such that the mechanically coupled supercharging stage is adapted to work only upon medium gases of the core flow path.
A gas turbine engine structure comprising:
- a fan section including a first rotor having at least one row of outwardly extending fan blades and including an island splitter disposed immediately downstream of said fan blades;
- and a core section including at least one row of outwardly extending, first compressor blades which are positioned downstream of the island splitter and which are mechanically coupled to said first rotor, and including a second rotor having at least one row of outwardly extending second compressor blades which are positioned downstream of said first compressor blades wherein said core section further includes a core case spaced radially apart from said island splitter and circumscribing the rows of compressor blades to aerodynamically couple the first and second compressor blades.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.