VENTILATION INLET

• US 20160010558A1
• Filed: 06/24/2015
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: HUSSAIN, Zahid M., MISHRA, Nityabh, IRELAND, Peter T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,006,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/105 by passing part of the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/042 having variable geometry
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/25 Fire protection or prevention in general A62
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/18 by bleeding, bypassing or acting on variable working fluid interconnections between turbines or compressors or their stages F02C3/113 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/075 controlling flow ratio between flows

Abstract

A ventilation inlet including a conduit (104) arranged to convey flow from a first flow zone to a second flow zone. The conduit has a mouth region (106) presenting to the first flow zone an entrance aperture to receive the flow therefrom. The conduit has a baffle (114) spanning a portion of the conduit to define a throat region (116), the throat region being narrower than the entrance aperture. The throat region (116) is movable along the conduit (104) to control the flow through the ventilation inlet.

Claims

1. A ventilation inlet including a conduit arranged to convey flow from a first flow zone to a second flow zone, the conduit having a mouth region presenting to the first flow zone an entrance aperture to receive the flow therefrom;

and

a baffle spanning a portion of the conduit to define a throat region, the throat region being narrower than the entrance aperture;

wherein

the throat region is movable along the conduit to control the flow through the ventilation inlet.

2. A ventilation inlet according to claim 1 wherein the baffle is movable along the conduit.

3. A ventilation inlet according to claim 1 wherein the baffle is movable along the general direction of flow in the conduit.

4. A ventilation inlet according to claim 1 wherein the baffle spans transversely across a portion of the conduit.

5. A ventilation inlet according to claim 1 wherein the baffle is locatable in a first position, in which the baffle is located downstream of the mouth region so that the throat region is recessed from the entrance aperture.

6. A ventilation inlet according to claim 1 wherein the baffle is movable to a second position, in which the baffle is located in the mouth region so that the throat region is presented to the first flow zone to receive the flow instead of the entrance aperture of the mouth region.

7. A ventilation inlet according to claim 1 wherein the conduit has a central axis extending generally in the direction of flow through the conduit.

8. A ventilation inlet according to claim 7 wherein the baffle is arranged to extend at least partially circumferentially around the central axis, and to extend radially inwards to define the throat region in a central region of the conduit.

9. A ventilation inlet according to claim 7 wherein the baffle includes a liner extending, at least partially, circumferentially around the central axis to line at least a portion of the conduit.

10. A ventilation inlet according to claim 8 wherein the baffle includes a radially inwardly projecting collar, the collar defining the throat region.

11. A ventilation inlet according to claim 1 further including an actuator arranged to move the baffle along the conduit.

12. A ventilation inlet according to claim 11 wherein when the actuator is inactive, the baffle is arranged to reside in the first position.

13. A ventilation inlet according to claim 11 wherein, in response to a first activation operation, the actuator is arranged to move the baffle from the first position to the second position, to reduce the flow through the ventilation inlet.

14. A ventilation inlet according to claim 11 wherein the baffle is coupled, directly or indirectly, to the conduit via the actuator.

15. A ventilation inlet according to claim 11 wherein the actuator is formed of

a shaped memory alloy (SMA), such that raising the temperature of the (SMA) to above its trigger temperature causes the actuator to move the baffle;

or of

a piezoelectric material, such that application of a suitable electrical signal to the piezoelectric material causes the actuator to move the baffle.

16. A ventilation inlet according to claim 1 wherein the flow is ventilation flow.

17. A ventilation inlet according to claim 1 wherein the baffle is arranged to be incapable of blocking the flow completely.

18. A gas turbine engine comprising a ventilation inlet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first flow zone is provided in a bypass flow duct.

19. A gas turbine engine according to claim 18 wherein the second flow zone is provided in a fire zone, or nacelle cavity.