Engine cowling of an aircraft gas turbine

• US 10,442,543 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Limited & Company KG (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Limited & Company KG (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Todorovic, Predrag
• Primary Examiner(s): Sung, Gerald L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amar, Marc J
• Application Number:
  US15/087,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20160288916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/16 of jet type
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/18 within, or attached to, wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 29/00 Power-plant nacelles, fairings, or cowlings nacelles not otherwise provided for B64C
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 29/02 associated with wings wings adapted for mounting power plant B64C
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 29/04 associated with fuselages
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 29/06 Attaching of nacelles, fairings or cowlings
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 29/08 Inspection panels for power plants
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 1/09 by axially moving an external member, e.g. a shroud F02K1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 1/72 the aft end of the fan housing being movable to uncover openings in the fan housing for the reversed flow
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/72 Maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

The invention relates to an engine cowling of an aircraft gas turbine which has a rear area that comprises at least two doors that are arranged at the bottom area of the rear area of the engine cowling and are to be opened by means of overhead hinges, wherein the hinges are arranged so as to be tilted with respect to the engine axis.

Claims

1. An engine cowling of an aircraft gas turbine, comprising:

wherein the engine cowling has a rear area;

wherein the aircraft gas turbine has a center engine axis establishing a substantially horizontal central plane of the aircraft gas turbine;

a hinge arranged below the substantially horizontal central plane and angled with respect to the center engine axis to establish a hinge axis that is nonparallel to the center engine axis;

a maintenance access door positioned in the rear area below the substantially horizontal central plane when in a closed position, the maintenance access door having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion positioned nearer the substantially horizontal central plane than the lower portion when in the closed position, the maintenance access door pivotally mounted to the hinge only at the upper portion;

the hinge axis oriented such that an entirety of the lower portion pivots rearward and upward when the maintenance access door is moved to an open position;

wherein the lower portion extends from a forward edge to an aft edge of the maintenance access door.

2. The engine cowling according to claim 1, and further comprising a damper for supporting the maintenance access door in various opening states.

3. The engine cowling according to claim 2, wherein the damper includes a piston-cylinder unit.

4. The engine cowling according to claim 2, wherein the damper is mounted with respect to the door to have a toggling over center action with respect to the maintenance access door.

5. The engine cowling according to claim 1, wherein the rear area is displaceable in an axial direction.

6. The engine cowling according to claim 1, and further comprising thrust reversal elements mounted in the rear area.

7. The engine cowling according to claim 1, and further comprising a core engine cowling including inspection doors positioned in an area of the maintenance access door.

8. The engine cowling according to claim 7, wherein the inspection doors are operable independently of the maintenance access door.

9. The engine cowling according to claim 3, wherein the piston-cylinder unit includes a gas pressure absorber.

10. The engine cowling according to claim 2, wherein the damper supports an opening process or a closing process of the maintenance access door.

11. The engine cowling according to claim 1, wherein the hinge axis is oriented closer to parallel with the center engine axis than being oriented at 90°

to the center engine axis.