AIRCRAFT COMPRISING A PROPULSION ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A FAN ON THE REAR OF THE FUSELAGE

• US 20180208322A1
• Filed: 07/21/2016
• Published: 07/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engine Company
• Original Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engine Company
• Inventors: TANTOT, Nicolas Jerome Jean
• Granted Patent: US 10,829,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/14 within, or attached to, fuselages
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/20 within, or attached to, fuselages
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/40 Arrangements for mounting power plants in aircraft
• 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: B64D 35/06 the propellers or rotors being counter-rotating
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 13/003 with at least two independent shafts, i.e. cross-compound
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/02 Plural gas-turbine plants having a common power output
• 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 3/062 with aft fan
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/072 with counter-rotating , e.g. fan rotors
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/323 for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aircraft comprising a fuselage and a thruster downstream of the fuselage. The thruster includes a power turbine, located inside a main flow jet, and at least one fan, located inside a secondary flow jet and mechanically driven by the power turbine. The main flow jet of the power turbine and the secondary flow jet of the fan are concentric. The power turbine is supplied with gases from two gas turbine gas generators via two supply channels. Said aircraft is characterized in that said gas turbine gas generators have axes parallel to that of the fuselage. The air inlet sleeve is spaced apart from the fuselage, and the supply channels each have a hatch for controlling the flow between a position for guiding the gas flow to the power turbine and a position for ejecting the gases into the atmosphere while bypassing the power turbine.

Claims

1. Aircraft comprising a fuselage and a propulsive unit downstream of the fuselage, the propulsive unit comprising a power turbine within a primary flow duct and at least one fan that is located within a secondary flow duct and is mechanically driven by the power turbine, the primary flow duct of the power turbine and the secondary flow duct of the fan being concentric, the power turbine being supplied with gases from at least two gas turbine gas generators via at least two supply channels, said gas turbine generators having axes that are parallel to that of the fuselage and are spaced apart from the fuselage, and the supply channels each having a hatch for controlling the flow between a position for guiding the gas flow towards the power turbine and a position for discharging the gases into the atmosphere while bypassing the power turbine, characterised in that the power turbine (7) comprises two coaxial and contra-rotating rotors, each driving a contra-rotating fan rotor, and in that the two supply channels converge upstream of the power turbine into a single intake conduit.

2. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein said gas generators are respectively mounted on the fuselage by means of struts that create a space between a wall of the fuselage and the air intake duct of each of the gas generators.

3. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the two gas generators are spaced apart from any of the wings of the aircraft.

4. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the two gas generators are concealed from each other by the fuselage of the aircraft.

5. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the supply channels comprise discharging means for discharging the gases into the atmosphere, which means form wall elements of said discharge channels when the hatches are positioned to guide the gas flow towards the power turbine.

6. Aircraft according to claim 5, wherein the hatch for controlling the flow comprises a movable wall element that can move between a position for blocking the supply channel and opening the discharge of the flow in parallel with the axis of the fuselage, and a position for guiding the flow into the supply channel.

7. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the gas generators are mono-flow turbojet engines.

8. Aircraft according to claim 7, wherein the turbojet engines are two-spool turbojet engines.

9. Aircraft according to claim 8, wherein the supply channel from the turbojet engines is convergent.

10. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the single intake conduit is arranged upstream the fans.

11. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the intake conduit upstream the power turbine has a circular cross-section.

12. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the propulsive unit is coaxial with the axis of the fuselage and is arranged in the extension of the fuselage.

13. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the power turbine is situated along the axis of the fuselage.