Variable area fan nozzle for accommodating a foreign object strike event
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsAndrew P. Berryann, Stephen A. Morford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine system includes a fan and a fan bypass passage downstream of the fan for conveying a bypass airflow from the fan. A nozzle associated with the fan bypass passage includes a plurality of different positions that influence the bypass air flow. One or more sensors near the fan produce a signal representative of a foreign object near the fan. A controller commands the nozzle to move to a desired one of the plurality of different positions in response to the signal from the sensor to change a pressure ratio across the fan to thereby reduce a mechanical stress on the fan.
Claims24
A gas turbine engine system comprising:
- a fan;
- a fan bypass passage downstream of the fan for conveying a bypass airflow from the fan;
- a nozzle for receiving the bypass airflow from the fan bypass passage, the nozzle having a plurality of different positions that influence the bypass air flow;
- and
- a controller that commands the nozzle to move to a desired one of the plurality of different positions in response to a foreign object detected near the fan.
A method of controlling a nozzle used in a gas turbine engine having a fan, a fan bypass passage downstream of the fan for conveying a bypass airflow from the fan, and a nozzle associated with the fan bypass passage, comprising the steps of:
- identifying the presence of a foreign object near the fan and producing a signal in response thereto;
- moving the nozzle to a desired one of a plurality of different positions in response to the signal to influence the bypass airflow.
A method of controlling a nozzle used in a gas turbine engine having a fan, a fan bypass passage downstream of the fan for conveying a bypass airflow from the fan, and a nozzle associated with the fan bypass passage, comprising the steps of:
- detecting a bird ingested into the gas turbine engine;
- and
- influencing the bypass airflow by moving the nozzle to a desired one of a plurality of different positions in response to detecting the bird to contribute to meeting Federal Aviation Regulation 33.76 for bird ingestion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.