Reverse core gear turbofan
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsDaniel Bernard Kupratis, Francis R. Moon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine has a fan at an axially outer location. The fan rotates about an axis of rotation. The fan delivers air into an outer bypass duct, and across a booster fan positioned radially inwardly of the outer bypass duct. The booster fan delivers air into a radially middle duct, and across a cold turbine into a radially inner core duct being directed into a compressor. From the compressor, air flows axially in a direction back toward the fan through a combustor section, and across an exhaust of the turbine section as directed into the middle duct. A gear reduction drives the fan from a fan drive turbine section. A method is also disclosed.
Claims20
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a fan at an axially forward location, said fan rotating about an axis of rotation;
- said fan delivering air into an outer bypass duct, and across a booster fan positioned radially inwardly of said outer bypass duct, said booster fan delivering air into a radially middle duct, and said booster fan delivering air across a cold turbine section into a radially inner core duct wherein said middle duct is located radially inside of said outer bypass duct and radially outside of said inner core duct;
- air from said cold turbine section in said inner core duct being directed into a compressor section, and then flowing axially in a direction back toward said fan via a duct located radially inside of said inner core duct through a combustor section, and across a core turbine section, and then being directed into said middle duct;
- and
- a gear reduction for driving said fan from a fan drive turbine section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.