Variable position intake for an aircraft mounted gas turbine engine

• US 6,945,494 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Bagnall, Adam M
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, TIMOTHY D
• Application Number:
  US10/379,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20040251378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 244/53.R, 244/53.B, 244/55, 244/23.B, 244/23.D, 137/15.2, 137/15.1
• US Class Current: 244/53.00B
• 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: F02C 7/042 having variable geometry
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/311 the axes being in line
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/411 in rotation

Abstract

An aircraft (10) comprises a wing (12) having an upper surface (16) and a lower surface (18) and at least one turbofan gas turbine engine (20) mounted on the wing (12). The axis (34) of the at least one turbofan gas turbine engine (20) is arranged substantially in the plane (14) of the wing (12) of the aircraft (10). The at least one turbofan gas turbine engine (20) has an intake, the intake comprising a hollow member (44) rotatably mounted coaxially with the at least one turbofan gas turbine engine (20) such that in use the hollow member (44) is rotatable between a first position, a low-speed condition, in which air flowing over and/or above the upper surface (16) of the wing (12) flows into the intake of the at least one turbofan gas turbine engine (20) and a second position, a high-speed condition, in which air flowing along and/or below the lower surface (18) of the wing flows into the intake of the at least one turbofan gas turbine engine.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising a wing having an upper surface and a lower surface, at least one gas turbine engine mounted on the aircraft, the at least one gas turbine engine having an inlet, an intake for supplying air to the inlet of the at least one gas turbine engine, the intake comprising a movable hollow member such that in use the hollow member is movable between a first position in which air flowing over or above the upper surface of the wing flows through the hollow member and into the inlet of the at least one gas turbine engine and a second position in which air flowing along or under the lower surface of the wing flows through the hollow member and into the inlet of the at least one gas turbine engine.

2. An aircraft as claimed in claim 1 wherein the axis of the at least one gas turbine engine being arranged substantially in the plane of the wing of the aircraft, the intake comprising a hollow member rotatably mounted coaxially with the at least one gas turbine engine such that in use the hollow member is rotatable between a first position in which air flowing over or above the upper surface of the wing flows through the hollow member and into the inlet of the at least one gas turbine engine and a second position in which air flowing along or under the lower surface of the wing flows through the hollow member and into the inlet of the at least one gas turbine engine.

3. An aircraft as claimed in claim 2 wherein the hollow member has a cylindrical base portion.

4. An aircraft as claimed in claim 3 wherein the hollow member is a hollow pseudo axis-symmetrical member.

5. An aircraft as claimed in claim 4 wherein the hollow member is a hollow pseudo conical member, the hollow pseudo conical member has an aperture in one region and an aperture in the cylindrical base portion of the hollow pseudo conical member.

6. An aircraft as claimed in claim 3 wherein the hollow member has an outwardly flared portion, the hollow member has an aperture in one region and an aperture in the cylindrical base portion of the hollow member.

7. An aircraft as claimed in claim 5 wherein the aperture in the region of the hollow member has rounded edges.

8. An aircraft as claimed in claim 2 wherein the hollow member is rotatably mounted on the gas turbine engine.

9. An aircraft as claimed in claim 3 wherein the base portion of the hollow member is rotatably mounted on the gas turbine engine by a bearing.

10. An aircraft as claimed in claim 9 wherein the bearing is a roller bearing or a ball bearing.

11. An aircraft as claimed in claim 1 wherein the intake comprises an intake duct portion under the lower surface of the wing.

12. An aircraft as claimed in claim 11 wherein the intake duct portion is defined by a peripheral wall spaced from the lower surface of the wing.

13. An aircraft as claimed in claim 2 wherein the wing has an aperture, the hollow member is rotatably mounted in the aperture in the wing.

14. An aircraft as claimed in claim 2 wherein the hollow member has at least one groove on its outer surface.

15. An aircraft as claimed in claim 2 wherein the hollow member is rotated through 180°

between the first position and the second position.