TURBOPROP PROPULSION UNIT WITH PUSHER PROPELLER

• US 20100212285A1
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Limited & Company KG (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Limited & Company KG (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: NEGULESCU, Dimitrie
• Granted Patent: US 8,438,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/226.100
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2027/005 Aircraft with an unducted turbofan comprising contra-rotating rotors, e.g. contra-rotating open rotors [CROR]
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/10 of gas-turbine type jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/14 within, or attached to, 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: B64D 33/04 of exhaust outlets or jet pipes exhaust outlets for combustion engines in general F01N; jet pipes or nozzles for jet-propulsion plants per se F02K; plants characterised by the form or arrangement of the jet pipe or nozzle F02K ; attitude, flight direction, or altitude control by jet reaction B64C
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/145 the combustion chamber being in the reverse flow-type
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/025 the by-pass flow being at least partly used to create an independent thrust component
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/072 with counter-rotating , e.g. fan rotors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A turboprop propulsion unit includes at least one pusher propeller 5, 6 driven by an aircraft gas-turbine engine, with the aircraft gas-turbine engine being arranged in front of the pusher propeller 5, 6 in a direction of flight. A turbine outlet area 9 is arranged at the front in the direction of flight and a compressor area 14 faces towards the pusher propeller 5, 6.

Claims

1. A turboprop propulsion unit comprising:

a gas-turbine engine,

at least one pusher propeller positioned aft of the gas-turbine engine and driven by the gas-turbine engine;

wherein a main gas flow through the gas-turbine engine moves from aft forward, with respect to a direction of propulsion, such that a turbine outlet area of the gas-turbine engine is physically positioned forward of a compressor of the gas-turbine engine in the direction of flight.

2. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 1, and further comprising:

a reduction gear; and

a turbine shaft connecting a turbine of the gas turbine engine with the pusher propeller via the reduction gear.

3. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 2, and further comprising at least one inlet flow duct for guiding airflow from an exterior of the gas-turbine engine toward the compressor and generally reversing a direction of such airflow before directing such airflow into an inflow area of the compressor.

4. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 3, and further comprising at least one exhaust gas flow duct for guiding and generally reversing a direction of exhaust gas flow from the gas-turbine engine toward the thrust propeller.

5. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 4, and further comprising at least one exhaust nozzle connected to the exhaust gas flow duct for rearwardly directing exhaust gas flow from the exhaust gas flow duct.

6. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 5, wherein the inlet flow duct and the exhaust nozzle are arranged offset from one another in a circumferential direction of the turboprop propulsion unit.

7. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 6, and further comprising a plurality of at least one of the inlet flow duct and the exhaust nozzle.

8. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 7, comprising a plurality of counter-rotating pusher propellers.

9. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 1, and further comprising at least one inlet flow duct for guiding airflow from an exterior of the gas-turbine engine toward the compressor and generally reversing a direction of such airflow before directing such airflow into an inflow area of the compressor.

10. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 9, and further comprising at least one exhaust gas flow duct for guiding and generally reversing a direction of exhaust gas flow from the gas-turbine engine toward the thrust propeller.

11. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 10, and further comprising at least one exhaust nozzle connected to the exhaust gas flow duct for rearwardly directing exhaust gas flow from the exhaust gas flow duct.

12. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 11, wherein the inlet flow duct and the exhaust nozzle are arranged offset from one another in a circumferential direction of the turboprop propulsion unit.

13. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 12, and further comprising a plurality of at least one of the inlet flow duct and the exhaust nozzle.

14. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 13, comprising a plurality of counter-rotating pusher propellers.

15. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 1, and further comprising at least one exhaust gas flow duct for guiding and generally reversing a direction of exhaust gas flow from the gas-turbine engine toward the thrust propeller.

16. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 15, and further comprising at least one exhaust nozzle connected to the exhaust gas flow duct for rearwardly directing exhaust gas flow from the exhaust gas flow duct.

17. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 16, wherein the inlet flow duct and the exhaust nozzle are arranged offset from one another in a circumferential direction of the turboprop propulsion unit.

18. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 17, and further comprising a plurality of at least one of the inlet flow duct and the exhaust nozzle.

19. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 18, comprising a plurality of counter-rotating pusher propellers.

20. The turboprop propulsion unit of claim 1, comprising a plurality of counter-rotating pusher propellers.