Exhaust stream mixer

• US 9,970,386 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2014
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Ribarov, Lubomir A., Elder, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sung, Gerald L
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMAR, MARC J
• Application Number:
  US14/298,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20150167549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2027/005 Aircraft with an unducted turbofan comprising contra-rotating rotors, e.g. contra-rotating open rotors [CROR]
• 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: F02K 1/386 mixing devices in the jet pipe, e.g. for mixing primary and secondary flow
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 1/48 Corrugated nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/062 with aft fan
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/127 Vortex generators, turbulators, or the like, for mixing
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/2212 by creating turbulence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An exhaust nozzle for a turbine engine includes multiple daisy style corrugations arranged circumferentially about the exhaust nozzle. Each of the daisy style corrugations has a radially inner base portion and multiple lobes protruding radially outward from the base portion.

Claims

1. A turbine engine comprising:

a compressor section;

a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor section;

a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor,

an exhaust nozzle in fluid communication with the turbine section;

said exhaust nozzle comprising a plurality of exhaust stream mixers circumferentially disposed about said exhaust nozzle, wherein each of said exhaust stream mixers includes a radially inward base portion and a plurality lobes protruding radially outward from said base portion, wherein a centerline of each lobe in said plurality of lobes intersects with a centerline of each other lobe said plurality of lobes in a middle region of said radially inward base portion, and wherein the centerline of each lobe is an axis of symmetry of the corresponding lobe, wherein each of said exhaust stream mixers is further defined by a corresponding cross section normal to an axis defined by the turbine engine, wherein the cross section of each corresponding exhaust stream mixer has a length extending the entire circumference of the cross section of each corresponding exhaust stream mixer that is at least twice the length of the circumference of a corresponding circle in which the cross section of each corresponding exhaust stream mixer is inscribed.

2. The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein each of said exhaust stream mixers is defined by a single continuously curved wall.

3. The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein each of said base portions is defined by a pair of concave walls.

4. The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein further comprising at least four exhaust stream mixers.

5. The turbine engine of claim 4, further comprising at least eight exhaust stream mixers.

6. The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein each of said exhaust stream mixers has a radial height less than one half a total radius of the exhaust nozzle.

7. The turbine engine of claim 6, wherein each of said exhaust stream mixers has a radial height of less than one quarter the total radius of the exhaust nozzle.

8. The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein each of said exhaust stream mixers is defined by the corresponding plurality of lobes including at least three radially protruding lobes and a first valley between a first lobe of said radially protruding lobes and a second lobe of said radially protruding lobes, and a second valley between said second lobe of said radially protruding lobes and a third lobe of said radially protruding lobes.

9. The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein each of said lobes has a smaller cross sectional area than a cross sectional area of said base portion.

14. The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein at least one sidewall of each exhaust stream mixer is bowed away from a sidewall of a circumferentially adjacent exhaust stream mixer.

15. The turbine engine of claim 14, wherein two sidewalls of each exhaust stream mixer are bowed away from corresponding sidewalls of circumferentially adjacent exhaust stream mixers.

10. An exhaust nozzle for a turbine engine comprising:

an axis defined by the exhaust nozzle, wherein a cross section of the exhaust nozzle normal to said axis includes a plurality of daisy style corrugations;

each of said daisy style corrugations further comprises a radially inner base portion, and a plurality of lobes protruding radially outward from said base portion; and

wherein a centerline of each lobe in said plurality of lobes intersects with a centerline of each other lobe said plurality of lobes in a middle region of said radially inward base portion, and wherein the centerline of each lobe is an axis of symmetry of the corresponding lobe, wherein each of said plurality of daisy style corrugations is further defined by a corresponding cross section normal to the axis defined by the exhaust nozzle, wherein the cross section of each of the corresponding daisy style corrugations has a length extending the entire circumference of the cross section of each of the corresponding daisy style corrugations that is at least twice the length of the circumference of a corresponding circle in which the cross section of each of the daisy style corrugations is inscribed.

11. The exhaust nozzle of claim 10, wherein each of said daisy style corrugations is defined by a plurality of concave sidewalls.

12. The exhaust nozzle of claim 11, wherein each of said plurality of lobes has a smaller cross sectional area than a cross sectional area of said base portion.

13. The exhaust nozzle of claim 11, wherein each of said daisy style corrugations is constructed of a single continuous wall.