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US 4,446,696 AGranted
Compound propulsor
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsDonald F. Sargisson, Daniel L. Harshman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compound propulsor for powering a vehicle, such as an aircraft. A compound propulsor includes a core gas turbine engine, a fan encased within a cowl, at least one propeller, and drive means for distributing a portion of the power produced by the core engine to the fan and another portion to the propeller. Preferably, the compound propulsor also includes variable geometry inlet guide vanes for varying the portions of power distributed to the fan and propeller.
Claims20
A compound propulsor comprising:
- a. a core gas turbine engine for producing power;
- b. a fan section including a fan encased within a cowl;
- c. at least one propeller comprising a plurality of blades and including means for varying the pitch of said blades;
- and
- d. a single rotatable shaft connecting a turbine of said core engine with said fan and a gear train coupling said single rotatable shaft to each said propeller, whereby said single rotatable shaft distributes a portion of said power to said fan and another portion of said power to each said propeller.
2 more elements
A compound propulsor comprising:
- a. a core gas turbine engine for producing power and including a core flow duct therethrough;
- b. a fan section including a fan encased within a cowl and variable geometry inlet guide vanes disposed upstream of said fan, said fan section further including a bypass flow duct therethrough;
- c. a propeller disposed upstream of said fan and comprising a plurality of blades, said propeller including means for varying the pitch of said blades;
- and
- d. a single rotatable shaft for connecting a turbine of said core engine with said fan and a gear train coupling said single rotatable shaft to said propeller, whereby said single rotatable shaft distributes a portion of said power to said fan and another portion of said power to said propeller.
2 more elements
A compound propulsor comprising:
- a. a core gas turbine engine for producing power;
- b. a fan section including a fan encased within a cowl and variable geometry inlet guide vanes disposed upstream of said fan;
- c. a first propeller disposed upstream of said fan and comprising a plurality of blades and means for varying the pitch of said blades;
- d. a second propeller disposed between said first propeller and said variable geometry inlet guide vanes and encased within said cowl encasing said fan, said second propeller comprising a plurality of blades having radial lengths shorter than the radial lengths of said blades of said first propeller, said second propeller further comprising means for varying the pitch of said blades thereof operable independently of said means for varying the pitch of said blades of said first propeller;
- and
- e. a single rotatable shaft for coupling said core engine with said fan and a gear train coupling said single rotatable shaft to said first and said second propellers, whereby said single rotatable shaft distributes a portion of said power to said fan and another portion of said power to said first and said second propellers.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.