Device for removing hot air for a jet engine air inlet cowl with a de-icing circuit

• US 6,131,855 A
• Filed: 12/02/1998
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
• Inventors: Porte, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): French, III, Fredrick T.
• Application Number:
  US09/203,377
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 244/134 B, 244/53 B, 244/134 R, 244/207, 244/210, 244/129.4, 244/129.5, 60/39.091
• US Class Current: 244/134.00B
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/04 Hot gas application
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2033/0233 comprising de-icing means
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 29/00 Power-plant nacelles, fairings, or cowlings nacelles not otherwise provided for B64C
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/047 Heating to prevent icing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air inlet cowl (9) for a jet engine. According to the invention, provided in the partition (20) delimiting the de-icing chamber (21) in the hollow leading edge (16) of the cowl is a trough-shaped duct (22) for ejecting to the outside pressurized hot air which has flowed through the chamber (21). The duct (22) is reduced in cross section by a single oblong orifice (18) made, parallel to the leading edge (16), in a part (23) that forms part of the external surface (9E) of the cowl (9).

Claims

1. An air inlet cowl (9) for a jet engine for an aircraft, said air inlet cowl (9) being equipped with means for de-icing its leading edge (16) and comprising for this purpose:

a hollow leading edge (16) delimiting an internal peripheral chamber (21) which is closed by an internal partition (20), said internal partition (20) being equipped with a trough-shaped duct (22) directed toward a rear of said leading edge (16) and open toward the periphery of said air inlet cowl (9);

a pipe (10) which can be connected, at its rear end away from said leading edge (16), to a pressurized hot air circuit (14) and, at its front end toward said leading edge (16), to an injector (12) injecting pressurized hot air into said internal chamber (21); and

a part (23) made of a material that can withstand high temperatures and forms part of an external surface (9E) of said cowl (9), to the rear of said leading edge (16), said part (23) closing off said trough- shaped duct (22) and being pierced in such a way as to place said internal chamber (21) in communication with the outside, wherein;

said part (23) comprises a single orifice (18) which has an oblong shape, has a front longitudinal edge (18F) and a rear longitudinal edge (18R), and is arranged parallel to said leading edge (16), said orifice serving to calibrate a jet of hot air ejected by said trough-shaped duct (22), while at the same time encouraging heat exchange between said jet of ejected hot air and the external ambient air and keeping this jet of hot air away from said cowl (9);

said part (23) extends in said external surface (9E) of said cowl (9) in a parallel direction to the length of said cowl at least substantially along the entire longitudinal length of said air inlet cowl (9) to protect all of this external surface that may be subjected to an action of the flow of hot air ejected by said single orifice (18).

2. The air inlet cowl (9) claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear longitudinal edge (18R) of said single oblong orifice (18) is concave, to give said orifice a width which is greater mid-way along its length than it is at its ends.

3. The air inlet cowl (9) claimed in claim 2, wherein the front longitudinal edge (18F) of said single oblong orifice (18) is straight and parallel to said leading edge (16), while said concave rear longitudinal edge (18R) of said orifice is curved.

4. The air inlet cowl (9) claimed in claim 1, wherein said single oblong orifice (18) comprises turbulence generators (29).

5. The air inlet cowl (9) claimed in claim 4, wherein said turbulence generators (29) are borne by at least one of the front or rear longitudinal edges (18F, 18R) of said single oblong orifice (18).

6. The air inlet cowl (9) claimed in claim 5, wherein said turbulence generators (29) are borne by the rear edge (18R) of said single oblong orifice (18) and at least those of said turbulence generators (29) which are situated near the ends of said orifice (18) turn the lateral parts of said jet of ejected hot air toward the center of said part (23).

7. The air inlet cowl (9) claimed in claim 1, wherein said part (23) is a door for inspecting said pipe (10).

8. The air inlet cowl (9) claimed in claim 1, wherein said trough-shaped duct (22) is peripherally close to said pipe (10).

9. The air inlet cowl (9) claimed in claim 1, wherein said trough-shaped duct (22) widens toward the periphery of said air inlet cowl (9).

10. The air inlet cowl (9) claimed in claim 1, wherein said trough-shaped duct (22) forms an integral part of said internal partition (20).

11. The air inlet cowl (9) claimed in claim 1, wherein said trough-shaped duct (22) consists of a part attached to said internal partition (20).