Beam mounted rear propulsion system for an aircraft and aircraft with such system

• US 8,220,739 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Cazals, Olivier
• Primary Examiner(s): Chambers, Troy
• Application Number:
  US12/393,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20100044502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 244/54, 244/58, 248/554, 248/555, 248/556, 248/557, 607/96, 607/97
• US Class Current: 244/58
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2033/0213 specially adapted for auxiliary power units (APU's)
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2041/002 Mounting arrangements for auxiliary power units (APU's)
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/20 within, or attached to, fuselages
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/00 Power installations for auxiliary purposes

Abstract

A propulsive system for an aircraft including an auxiliary jet engine is integrated into a tail cone of a fuselage. A carrying structure of the jet engine is primarily formed with beams and frames or half-frames to which the auxiliary jet engine is fixed by lateral beams. The beams are interdependent of the frames and half-frames, and the beams are overhanging behind a frame behind which is fixed the engine. Each beam includes a lower half-beam and a higher half-beam, separated on at least a part of its length ahead from attachments of the jet engine to determine a space free of structure impediment for lateral air intakes.

Claims

1. An auxiliary propulsive system for an aircraft, integrated within a tail cone of a fuselage, said propulsive system comprising an auxiliary jet engine, having at least one operating mode in which said auxiliary jet engine is a propulsive engine, a carrying structure to which said engine is fixed, a device for supplying external air to said jet engine, wherein:

the carrying structure comprises beams assembled to the aircraft, overhanging rearward of a rear load carrying frame of the fuselage in a substantially longitudinal direction of the fuselage and comprises one or more rear frames behind the rear load carrying frame, the beams being interdependent of the frames at a periphery of the frames along the tail cone near coverings of the fuselage;

the auxiliary jet engine is fixed to the carrying structure by at least two lateral beams of said carrying structure, overhanging rearward a most backward frame of the rear frames, at least up to a rear attachment point longitudinal position of the auxiliary jet engine, and lateral to the engine;

the at least two lateral beams extend forward of the rear load carrying frame into the fuselage structure;

a space between the rear load carrying frame and the most backward frame being available for supplying external air to the auxiliary jet engine.

2. The propulsive system according to claim 1, wherein each lateral beam of the carrying structure comprises a lower half-beam and a higher half-beam, said lower half-beam and higher half-beam being substantially at a horizontal symmetry plane of the auxiliary jet engine on the rear of the front attachments of the auxiliary jet engine to the lateral beams and being separated ahead from attachments of the auxiliary jet engine to the lateral beams by forming a fork such that the lower half beam and the higher half-beam are fixed at the rear load carrying frame of the fuselage on distant locations.

3. The propulsive system according to claim 2, wherein the carrying structure includes a higher beam substantially in a longitudinal, vertical symmetry plane of fuselage.

4. The propulsive system according to claim 3, wherein the higher beam comprises at least two assembled half-beams and/or the whole or a part of the frames and/or the whole or a part of the half-frames comprise each one at least two assembled elements of close forms.

5. The propulsive system according to claim 3, including engine cowls articulated at the higher beam and opening upward or articulated into front parts of said cowls and opening forward.

6. The propulsive system according to claim 1, wherein the load carrying frame corresponds to a sealed bottom of a pressurized cabin of the fuselage of the aircraft.

7. The propulsive system according to claim 1, wherein the lateral beams are arranged so that a space between the rear load carrying frame and the most backward frame and under said lateral beams is available to allow a crossing structure of a horizontal empennage of the aircraft to cross the tail cone of fuselage under said beams.

8. An aircraft comprising a propulsive system according to claim 1.