Variable specific thrust turbofan engine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorRollin G. Giffin, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft turbofan engine and method of operation effect variable specific thrust. The engine includes a fan disposed in a fan casing and a booster compressor disposed in a first flow splitter and powered by a core engine. A second flow splitter is disposed inside the fan casing and defines fan outer and inner ducts. The booster compressor includes at least one stage of rotor blades each having a shroud and an integral rotor flade extending radially outwardly therefrom into the fan inner duct. The fan outer duct includes a variable area first exhaust nozzle disposed at an aft end of the fan casing and is positionable in a first position to permit shifting of a portion of the fan air from the outer duct to the inner duct for flow between the flades to vary specific thrust of the engine.
Claims7
A turbofan gas turbine engine comprising:
- a fan disposed in a fan casing defining an annular fan duct for receiving fan air compressed by said fan;
- a booster compressor disposed in an annular first flow splitter and in serial flow communication with said fan;
- a second compressor disposed in an inner casing and in flow communication with said booster compressor, said inner casing extending aft of said first splitter and coextensively therewith;
- a combustor disposed in said inner casing and in flow communication with said second compressor;
- a high pressure turbine (HPT) disposed in said inner casing and in flow communication with said combustor, and fixedly joined to said second compressor for driving said second compressor;
- a low pressure turbine (LPT) disposed in said inner casing and in flow communication with said HPT, and fixedly joined to said fan and said booster compressor for driving said fan and booster compressor;
- an annular second flow splitter disposed aft of said fan in said fan duct and spaced radially between said fan casing and said inner casing and first splitter to define a fan outer duct and a fan inner duct, said second splitter having a forward end defining with said fan casing an inlet of said outer duct, and defining with said first splitter an inlet of said inner duct;
- said booster compressor including at least one stage of rotor blades, each blade having a shroud disposed coextensively with said first splitter and said inner casing for providing a flow boundary therewith, and an integral rotor flade extending radially outwardly from said shroud in said fan inner duct;
- and
- a variable area first exhaust nozzle disposed at an aft end of said fan casing and defining with said second splitter an outlet of said outer duct for discharging said fan air therefrom to atmosphere, said outer duct outlet having a selectively variable discharge flow area, and said first exhaust nozzle being positionable in a first position to reduce said outer duct outlet flow area to permit shifting of a portion of said fan air from said outer duct to said inner duct for flow between said flades to vary specific thrust of said fan air channeled through said outer and inner ducts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.