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US 8,418,471 B2Granted
Gas turbine engine having variable flow through a bifurcation having an intake with multiple louvers
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorConstantine Baltas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A turbofan engine pylon structure has a fan variable area nozzle defined by a variable area flow system between a pylon intake and a pylon exhaust to selectively adjust a bypass flow through the pylon structure. The variable area flow system changes the physical area and geometry of a pylon nozzle exit area to manipulate the bypass flow by opening and closing an additional flow area of the variable area flow system.
Claims22
A method of varying flow through a pylon nozzle exit area of a gas turbine engine comprising the steps of:
- (A) varying a variable area flow system in communication with a flow passage through an engine nacelle pylon to change a volume of bypass flow through the engine nacelle pylon and control flow through a pylon nozzle exit area in response to a flight condition, said variable area flow system movable toward an open position to increase flow through said pylon nozzle exit area and toward a closed position to decrease flow through said pylon nozzle exit area
- (B) having at least one bifurcation that has a variable pylon intake and a variable pylon exhaust, wherein said variable pylon intake comprises a plurality of turning vanes having variable heights relative to each other;
- and
- (C) forming the flow passage as an internal passage within a body of the bifurcation, with the internal passage extending from the variable pylon intake to the variable pylon exhaust.
1 more element
A nacelle assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- a core nacelle defined about an axis;
- a fan nacelle mounted at least partially around said core nacelle;
- and
- a pylon mounted to said core nacelle and said fan nacelle, said pylon having a variable area flow system comprising a variable intake and a variable exhaust;
- said variable intake comprising an adjustable system with multiple louvers;
- said variable area flow system in communication with a flow passage to control a volume of bypass flow through said pylon and vary flow through a pylon nozzle exit area, said variable area flow system movable toward an open position to increase flow through said pylon nozzle exit area and toward a closed position to decrease flow through said pylon nozzle exit area.
3 more elements
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a core engine defined about an axis;
- a gear system driven by said core engine;
- a turbofan driven by said gear system about said axis;
- a core nacelle defined at least partially about said core engine;
- a fan nacelle mounted at least partially around said core nacelle;
- and a pylon mounted to said core nacelle and said fan nacelle, said pylon having a variable area flow system comprising a variable intake and a variable exhaust;
- said variable intake comprising an adjustable system with multiple louvers;
- said variable area flow system in communication with a flow passage to control a volume of bypass flow through said pylon and vary flow through a pylon nozzle exit area, said variable area flow system is movable toward an open position to increase flow through said pylon nozzle exit area and is movable toward a closed position to decrease flow through said pylon nozzle exit area.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.