Tip turbine engine with reverse core airflow
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsJames W. Norris, Craig A. Nordeen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tip turbine engine provides increased efficiency while eliminating or reducing the number of axial compressor stages by moving the core airflow inlet aft of the fan. As a result, the core airflow entering the core airflow inlet is the fan exhaust, which is already at an increased pressure. A portion of the fan exhaust is guided radially inward, then axially forward and then radially outward through compressor chambers in the hollow fan blades for further, centrifugal compression.
Claims23
A turbine engine comprising:
- a fan rotatable about an axis, the fan including a plurality of radially-extending fan blades, including at least one fan blade with a compressor chamber extending radially therein;
- and
- an airflow passage having an inlet downstream of the fan, the airflow passage leading to the compressor chamber in the at least one fan blade.
A turbine engine comprising:
- a fan rotatable about an axis, the fan including a plurality of fan blades, including at least one fan blade having a compressor chamber extending radially therein to an outlet;
- at least one combustor proximate the outlets of the compressor chambers;
- at least one turbine coupled to outer ends of the fan blades aft of the at least one combustor;
- and
- an airflow passage having an inlet aft of the fan blades, the airflow passage leading to the compressor chambers in the fan blades.
A method of operating a turbine engine including the steps of:
- rotatably driving a fan having a plurality of fan blades about an axis with at least one turbine at an outer end of the fan;
- generating fan exhaust aft of the fan via rotation of the fan;
- communicating the fan exhaust through an airflow passage having an inlet aft of the fan blade, wherein at least one fan blade having a compressor chamber extending radially therein;
- and
- guiding a portion of the fan exhaust radially outwardly through the compressor chamber in an interior of the fan toward the at least one turbine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.