Thrust vectoring mechanism

• US 6,382,559 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2000
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc), Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Sutterfield, David Levi, Sokhey, Jagdish Singh, Baker, Von David
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Best, Christian M.
• Application Number:
  US09/480,431
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 244/12.5, 244/12.4, 244/23.D, 244/23.A, 602/262, 602/28, 602/32
• US Class Current: 244/23.00A
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 15/02 the jets being propulsion jets
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 1/002 with means to modify the direction of thrust vector F02K1/54 takes precedence; thrust vectoring of rockets F02K9/80
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 1/12 by means of pivoted flaps
• 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 3/068 being characterised by a short axial length relative to the diameter
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A thrust vectoring mechanism to vector thrust and control discharge throat area includes four or more vanes mounted across the outlet of a nozzle in a cascade arrangement. The mechanism further includes a rod to control pivoting of each of the vanes that may be selectively rotated with one or more actuators. The rod includes threading. The vanes each include a drive member that is either toothed to engage the rod threading or defines a camming relationship with a coupling member threaded on the rod. The rod threading, drive members, and coupling members may be arranged to define different pivoting schedules for each of the vanes so that a generally constant throat area may be maintained over a given vector directional range of the vanes. The outlet may be generally rectangular in cross-section and a strut may be mounted across the outlet perpendicular to the pivot axes of the vanes to house the rod, drive members, and/or coupling members.

Claims

1. A combination, comprising:

an aircraft defining an outlet to discharge a working fluid; and

a thrust vectoring mechanism including a rod extending along a rotational axis, one or more actuators operable to rotate said rod about said rotational axis, and four or more vanes pivotably coupled across said outlet to vector thrust produced with the working fluid, said vanes each having a respective one of a number of pivot axes, said pivot axes each crossing said rotational axis at a different point therealong, said vanes being responsive to rotation of said rod about said rotational axis to pivot together in a first rotational direction.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said aircraft defines a generally vertical passage in communication with said outlet and further comprising a lift fan positioned in said passage to provide the working fluid.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said rod defines threading.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said thrust vector mechanism includes two actuators each operable to turn said rod in a different rotational direction.

5. The combination of claim 1, further comprising a controller responsive to one or more input signals to determine a desired thrust direction and generate one or more output signals and wherein said one or more actuators are responsive to said one or more output signals to rotate said rod to provide said desired thrust direction.

6. The combination of claim 1, wherein said outlet is generally rectangular in crosssection bounded by a first wall portion opposite a second wall portion and a third wall portion opposite a fourth wall portion, said vanes each include a mounting shaft extending from said first wall portion to said second wall portion, said thrust vector mechanism further includes a strut extending across said outlet from said third wall portion to said fourth wall portion, said strut housing said rod, at least one of said vanes is fixed in relation to a toothed drive member engaged with threading defined by said rod, at least one of said vanes is fixed to a drive member defining a cam slot engaged by a cam pin of a coupling member in contact with said rod, and said vanes are each arranged to pivot about said respective one of said pivot axes a different angular amount relative to one another when said rod is rotated.

7. The combination of claim 1, wherein said rod defines at least two portions with differently pitched threads to correspondingly pivot at least two of said vanes by different angular amounts.

8. A combination, comprising:

an aircraft defining an outlet for discharging a working fluid to produce thrust;

a rod;

a plurality of vanes each coupled across said outlet to pivot about a respective one of a number of pivot axes to provide thrust vectoring; and

a plurality of toothed drive members each fixed in relation to a corresponding one of said vanes, said toothed drive members being spaced along said rod and being operable to pivot each of said corresponding one of said vanes in response to movement of said rod, with said vanes each turning a different angular amount relative to said respective one of said pivot axes.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein said rod defines threading with a first pitch for a first one of said drive members and threading with a second pitch for a second one of said drive members to correspondingly pivot a first one of said vanes fixed in relation to said first one of said drive members a first angular amount and a second one of said vanes fixed in relation to said second one of said drive members a second angular amount different than said first angular amount.

10. The combination of claim 8, wherein said aircraft defines a generally vertical passage in communication with said outlet and further comprising a lift fan positioned in said passage to provide the working fluid.

11. The combination of claim 10, wherein said outlet is generally rectangular in cross-section being bounded by a first wall portion opposite a second wall portion and a third wall portion opposite a fourth wall portion, said vanes number at least four, said drive members number at least four, said drive members are each fixed to said corresponding one of said vanes by a mounting shaft extending from said first wall portion to said second wall portion, and further comprising a strut extending across said outlet from said third wall portion to said fourth wall portion, said strut defining a chamber to house said rod and said drive members.

12. The combination of claim 8, further comprising at least one actuator arranged to rotate said rod, said rod defining a number of differently pitched threaded portions each engaged by a different one of said drive members to control throat area as said vanes are pivoted.

13. The combination of claim 8, wherein a thrust vector directional range of the vanes is at least about ±

45 degrees relative to a reference axis and said outlet has a generally rectangular cross section.

14. The combination of claim 8, wherein said toothed drive members each include a plurality of generally radially spaced apart teeth with respect to said respective one of said pivot axes for said corresponding one of said vanes.

15. The combination of claim 14, wherein said vanes each include a mounting shaft and said toothed drive members are each fastened to said mounting shaft of said corresponding one of said vanes.

16. A combination, comprising:

an aircraft defining an outlet for discharging a working fluid to produce thrust;

four or more vanes pivotably coupled across said outlet to provide thrust vectoring; and

a rod rotatable to pivot said vanes in accordance with threading defined along said rod.

17. The combination of claim 16, wherein said rod defines at least two of portions with differently pitched threads to correspondingly pivot at least two of said vanes by different angular amounts.

18. The combination of claim 16, wherein said aircraft defines a generally vertical passage in communication with said outlet and further comprising a lift fan positioned in said passage to provide the working fluid.

19. The combination of claim 16, further comprising a number of toothed drive members, said toothed drive members each being fixed in relation to a corresponding one of said vanes and including a plurality of generally radially spaced apart teeth.

20. The combination of claim 16, further comprising at least one actuator to selectively rotate said rod.

21. The combination of claim 20, wherein said outlet is generally rectangular in cross-section being bounded by a first wall portion opposite a second wall portion and a third wall portion opposite a fourth wall portion, said drive member for each of said vanes is connected thereto by a mounting shaft extending from said first wall portion to said second wall portion, and further comprising a strut extending across said outlet from said third wall portion to said fourth wall portion, said strut defining a chamber to house said rod and said drive member for each of said vanes.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein a thrust vector directional range of the vanes is at least about ±

45 degrees relative to a reference axis and the outlet has a generally rectangular cross section.

23. The combination of claim 16, wherein said thrust vector mechanism includes two actuators each operable to turn said rod in a different rotational direction.

24. The combination of claim 16, further comprising a controller responsive to one or more input signals to determine a desired thrust direction and generate one or more output signals, and at least one actuator responsive to said one or more output signals to rotate said rod to correspondingly pivot said vanes to provide said desired thrust direction while maintaining a desired throat area.

25. The combination of claim 24, further comprising a pilot control device operatively coupled to said controller, said device providing a steering signal corresponding to said desired thrust vector.

26. The combination of claim 16, further comprising a drive member fixed in relation to one of said vanes and a coupling member threaded on said rod, said drive member and said coupling member being engaged in a camming relationship.

27. A combination, comprising:

an aircraft defining a n outlet for discharging a working fluid to produce thrust;

a plurality of vanes each coupled across said outlet to provide thrust vectoring;

a plurality of vane control members each corresponding to one of s aid vanes; and

a rod having a longitudinal axis and threadingly engaging each of said vane control members spaced therealong, said vane control members each causing a corresponding one of said vanes to pivot in response to movement of said rod.

28. The combination of claim 27, wherein said rod includes threading and said vane control members include at least one coupling member threaded on said rod to move along said rod as said rod is rotated.

29. The combination of claim 28, further comprising a follower in the form of a pin or roller engaged to said coupling member.

30. The combination of claim 27, wherein said aircraft defines a generally vertical passage in communication with said outlet and further comprising a lift fan positioned in said passage to provide the working fluid.

31. The combination of claim 27, wherein said outlet is generally rectangular in cross-section being bounded by a first wall portion opposite a second wall portion and a third wall portion opposite a fourth wall portion, said drive member for each of said vanes is connected thereto by a mounting shaft extending from said first wall portion to said second wall portion, and further comprising a strut extending across said outlet from said third wall portion to said fourth wall portion, said strut defining a chamber to house said rod and said vane control members.

32. The combination of claim of claim 27, wherein a thrust vector directional range of the vanes is at least about ±

45 degrees relative to a reference axis and said outlet has a generally rectangular cross section.

33. The combination of claim 27, wherein said rod includes threading and said vane control members include a number of coupling members each threaded on said rod to move along said rod as said rod is rotated, a number of followers each coupled to a different one of said coupling members, and a number of drive members each defining a cam slot engaged by a different one of said followers.

34. The combination of claim 33, wherein a first one of said drive members defines a first cam pathway and a second one of said drive members defines a second cam pathway having a different shape than said first cam pathway.

35. The combination of claim 27, further comprising a controller responsive to one or more input signals to determine a desired thrust direction and generate one or more output signals and at least one actuator responsive to said one or more output signals to rotate said rod to correspondingly pivot said vanes to provide said desired thrust direction while maintaining a desired throat area.

36. The combination of claim 27, wherein said rod includes at least two portions with differently pitched threads to correspondingly pivot at least two of said vanes by different angular amounts.

37. A method, comprising:

providing an aircraft defining an outlet for discharging a working fluid to produce thrust;

positioning a plurality of vanes across the outlet, the vanes each being pivotable about a respective one of a plurality of pivot axes; and

controlling pivoting of each of the vanes by turning a rod about a rotational axis, the pivot axes of the vanes each crossing the rotational axis of the rod.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein at least one of the vanes is coupled to the rod by a toothed drive member.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein at least one of the vanes is coupled to the rod by threading.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

determining a throat area schedule for the vanes in relation to a range of thrust vector directions; and

pivoting each of the vanes a different angular amount relative to one another in accordance with the schedule.