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AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsMichael P. Hagle, Paul S. Wilson
Estimating the term…
Thermally actuated flow diverters for gas turbine engines are provided which include an arrangement of vanes in spaced overlapping array, which direct, e.g. coolant air flow to rotating engine components, each vane having 3 foil components joined at 3 hinge points. That is, a leading foil positioned on the suction side of the vane, a trailing foil pivotably mounted to a rearward portion of such leading foil at a first pivot axis and a third foil positioned on the pressure side of the vane connecting a forward portion of such leading foil and such trailing foil at second and third pivot axes respectively. Either the third foil or the leading foil is fixedly mounted to engine walls of the same material, the other of these two foils defining an actuation link that is expandable and contractable relative to such walls; the third foil having a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than that of the leading foil. The vanes are positioned so that upon temperature change, the third foil contracts or expands relative to the leading foil and pivots the trailing foil toward or away from the leading foil of a downstream vane so as to control the flow of engine coolant therebetween.
Thermally actuated flow diverters for gas turbine engines comprising, an array of vanes which direct coolant flow to engine components, said vanes each having a leading foil positioned on the suction side of said vane, a trailing foil pivotably mounted to said leading foil at a first pivot axis and a third foil positioned on the pressure side of said vane connecting said leading foil and said trailing foil at second and third pivot axes, said third foil or said leading foil being fixedly mounted to engine walls of the same material, the other of these two foils defining an actuation link that is movable relative to said walls, said third foil having a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than that of said leading foil, said vanes being positioned so that said trailing foil can pivot into proximity with or away from a neighboring engine component, so that upon temperature change, said third foil contracts or expands relative to said leading foil and pivots said trailing foil toward or away from said neighboring engine component, controlling the flow of engine coolant therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.