AFT engine nacelle shape for an aircraft

• US 10,358,228 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Marrinan, Patrick Michael, Becker, Thomas Lee, Murrow, Kurt David, Yao, Jixian
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US15/794,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20180057182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/16 specially adapted for mounting power plant
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 21/01 Boundary layer ingestion [BLI] propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2033/0226 comprising boundary layer control means
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/20 within, or attached to, fuselages
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 29/04 associated with fuselages
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 33/02 of combustion air intakes air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants per se F02C7/04; air intakes for combustion engines in general F02M35/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 Drag reduction

Abstract

An aircraft is provided including a fuselage and an aft engine. The fuselage defines a top side, a bottom side, and a frustum located proximate an aft end of the aircraft. The frustum defines a top reference line extending along the frustum at a top side of the fuselage, and a bottom reference line extending along the frustum at a bottom side of the fuselage. The top and bottom reference lines meet at a reference point aft of the frustum. The fuselage further defines a recessed portion located aft of the frustum and indented inwardly from the bottom reference line. The aft engine includes a nacelle extending adjacent to the recessed portion of the fuselage such that the aft engine may be included with the aircraft without interfering with, e.g., a takeoff angle of the aircraft.

Claims

1. An aircraft defining a longitudinal centerline and extending between a forward end and an aft end, the aircraft comprising:

a fuselage, extending between a forward end and an aft end of the aircraft, and defining a top side and a bottom side, the fuselage further defining a forward plane and an aft plane, the forward and aft planes being parallel to one another and perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the aircraft, the fuselage further defining a frustum lying between the forward and aft planes located at the aft end of the aircraft, wherein the frustum defines a top reference line extending along the frustum at the top side of the fuselage and a bottom reference line extending along the frustum at the bottom side of the fuselage;

a set of landing gear extending from the bottom side of the fuselage, wherein the bottom side of the fuselage and the landing gear together define a maximum takeoff angle with the longitudinal centerline, the fuselage further defining a back portion at the bottom side of the fuselage located at the aft end of the aircraft and defining an angle with the longitudinal centerline greater than the maximum takeoff angle; and

an aft engine located aft of a pair of wings and including a nacelle extending adjacent to the back portion of the fuselage;

wherein the aft engine defines a central axis, wherein the nacelle defines an inlet, wherein the inlet defines a non-axis symmetrical shape with respect to the central axis, wherein the aft engine is mounted to the fuselage at the aft end of the aircraft, wherein the aft engine includes a nacelle, and wherein at least a portion of the nacelle is located inward of at least one of the top reference line or the bottom reference line.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the aircraft defines a mean line extending from the forward end to the aft end, and wherein the nacelle extends radially around at least a portion the mean line of the aircraft.

3. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the nacelle defines the inlet with the fuselage, and wherein the inlet extends radially around at least portion of the fuselage.

4. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the angle defined by the back portion of the fuselage is at least ten percent greater than the maximum takeoff angle.

5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the nacelle defines the inlet with the fuselage, wherein the inlet extends radially around at least portion of the fuselage, wherein a top half of the inlet defines a top half inlet area and a bottom half of the inlet defines a bottom half inlet area, wherein the bottom half inlet area is greater than the top half inlet area.

6. An aircraft defining a longitudinal centerline and extending between a forward end and an aft end, the aircraft comprising:

a fuselage defining a forward plane and an aft plane, the forward and aft planes being parallel to one another and perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the aircraft, the fuselage further defining a top side, a bottom side, and a frustum lying between the forward and aft planes located at the aft end of the aircraft, wherein the frustum defines a top reference line extending along the frustum at the top side of the fuselage and a bottom reference line extending along the frustum at the bottom side of the fuselage; and

an aft engine mounted to the fuselage at the aft end of the aircraft, wherein the aft engine includes a nacelle, and wherein at least a portion of the nacelle is located inward of at least one of the top reference line or the bottom reference line.

7. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the aircraft defines a mean line extending from the forward end to the aft end, and wherein the nacelle at least partially extends around the mean line of the aircraft.

8. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the nacelle at least partially defines an inlet for the aft engine.

9. The aircraft of claim 8, wherein the nacelle defines the inlet for the aft engine with the fuselage.

10. The aircraft of claim 8, wherein the inlet extends at least partially around the fuselage of the aircraft, wherein the aft engine defines a central axis, and wherein the inlet defines a non-axis symmetrical shape with respect to the central axis.

11. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the frustum is a tapered shape between the forward and aft planes.

12. An aircraft defining a longitudinal centerline and extending between a forward end and an aft end, the aircraft comprising:

a fuselage defining a top side and a bottom side, the fuselage further defining a recessed portion located at the aft end of the aircraft, the recessed portion defining an angle relative to the longitudinal centerline of the aircraft, the fuselage further defining a forward plane and an aft plane, the forward and aft planes being parallel to one another and perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the aircraft, the fuselage further defining a frustum lying between the forward and aft planes located at the aft end of the aircraft, wherein the frustum defines a top reference line extending along the frustum at the top side of the fuselage and a bottom reference line extending along the frustum at the bottom side of the fuselage; and

an aft engine located at the aft end of the aircraft and including a nacelle extending adjacent to the recessed portion of the fuselage, wherein at least a portion of the nacelle is located inward of at least one of the top reference line or the bottom reference line;

wherein the recessed portion defines a bottom concave portion as viewed from the bottom side of the fuselage.

13. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the angle defined by the recessed portion of the fuselage is greater than at least one of about thirteen degrees or about fifteen degrees.

14. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the aircraft defines a mean line extending from the forward end to the aft end, and wherein the nacelle extends substantially 360 degrees around the mean line of the aircraft.

15. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the aft engine defines a central axis, wherein the nacelle defines an inlet, and wherein the inlet defines a non-axis symmetrical shape with respect to the central axis.