THRUST REVERSER SYSTEM WITH TRANSLATING-ROTATING BLOCKER DOORS AND METHOD OF OPERATION
First Claim
1. A thrust reverser system for a gas turbine engine having a core engine, a core cowl surrounding the core engine, a nacelle surrounding the core cowl and comprising a fan cowl, and a bypass duct defined by and between the nacelle and the core cowl, the thrust reverser system comprising:
- a translating cowl mounted to the nacelle and adapted to translate in an aft direction of the gas turbine engine away from the fan cowl to define a circumferential opening therebetween;
a fixed structure within the nacelle that does not translate when the translating cowl is translated in the aft direction;
blocker doors mounted to the nacelle and having stowed positions and deployed positions, each of the blocker doors having a first end, an oppositely-disposed second end, an inner surface between the first and second ends, and at least one slot recessed into the inner surface; and
linkage mechanisms connecting the blocker doors to the fixed structure, each of the linkage mechanisms comprising a first link pivotably coupled to the fixed structure and a second link pivotably coupled to one of the blocker doors, the first and second links being received in the slots recessed into the inner surfaces of the blocker doors when the blocker doors are in the stowed position, the linkage mechanisms being pivotably connected to the blocker doors so that translation of the translating cowl in the aft direction causes the first and second links to be displaced from the slots as each of the blocker doors moves to the deployed position thereof whereat each of the blocker doors extends across the bypass duct and diverts bypass air within the bypass duct through the circumferential opening.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thrust reverser system and operation suitable for turbofan engines. Blocker doors of the thrust reverser system have stowed positions in which each door is disposed between a fixed structure and a translating cowl of the engine. The translating cowl is translated in an aft direction of the engine to define at least one opening with the fixed structure, after which the translating cowl is further translated aft to deploy linkage mechanisms that are received in slots recessed into the blocker doors and pivotably connect the doors to the fixed structure. Deployment of the linkage mechanisms from the slots causes the blocker doors to rotate to a deployed position in which each door extends across a bypass duct of the engine and diverts bypass air within the duct through the opening.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A thrust reverser system for a gas turbine engine having a core engine, a core cowl surrounding the core engine, a nacelle surrounding the core cowl and comprising a fan cowl, and a bypass duct defined by and between the nacelle and the core cowl, the thrust reverser system comprising:
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a translating cowl mounted to the nacelle and adapted to translate in an aft direction of the gas turbine engine away from the fan cowl to define a circumferential opening therebetween; a fixed structure within the nacelle that does not translate when the translating cowl is translated in the aft direction; blocker doors mounted to the nacelle and having stowed positions and deployed positions, each of the blocker doors having a first end, an oppositely-disposed second end, an inner surface between the first and second ends, and at least one slot recessed into the inner surface; and linkage mechanisms connecting the blocker doors to the fixed structure, each of the linkage mechanisms comprising a first link pivotably coupled to the fixed structure and a second link pivotably coupled to one of the blocker doors, the first and second links being received in the slots recessed into the inner surfaces of the blocker doors when the blocker doors are in the stowed position, the linkage mechanisms being pivotably connected to the blocker doors so that translation of the translating cowl in the aft direction causes the first and second links to be displaced from the slots as each of the blocker doors moves to the deployed position thereof whereat each of the blocker doors extends across the bypass duct and diverts bypass air within the bypass duct through the circumferential opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A thrust reverser system installed in a high-bypass turbofan engine having a core engine, a core cowl surrounding the core engine, a nacelle surrounding the core cowl and comprising a fan cowl, and a bypass duct defined by and between the nacelle and the core cowl, the thrust reverser system comprising:
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a translating cowl mounted to the nacelle and adapted to translate in an aft direction of the high-bypass turbofan engine away from the fan cowl to define a circumferential opening therebetween, the translating cowl having a radially inner wall that defines a first portion of a radially outer flow surface of the bypass duct; a fixed structure within the nacelle that does not translate when the translating cowl is translated in the aft direction, the fixed structure comprising a radially inner wall that defines a second portion of the radially outer flow surface of the bypass duct, the fixed structure comprising at least one cascade that is exposed to the bypass duct when the translating cowl is translated in the aft direction and through which bypass air within the bypass duct is diverted when the translating cowl is translated in the aft direction; blocker doors mounted to the nacelle and having stowed positions and deployed positions, each of the blocker doors having a first end pivotably coupled to the translating cowl, an oppositely-disposed second end, an inner surface between the first and second ends, and at least one slot recessed into the inner surface, the blocker doors being disposed between the fixed structure and the translating cowl so that when in the stowed position the first ends thereof are adjacent the inner wall of the fixed structure, the second ends thereof are adjacent the inner wall of the translating cowl, and the inner surfaces thereof define a third portion of the radially outer flow surface of the bypass duct that is continuous with the first and second portions of the radially outer flow surface defined by the translating cowl and the fixed structure; and linkage mechanisms connecting the blocker doors to the fixed structure but not to the translating cowl or the core cowl, each of the linkage mechanisms comprising first and second links that are pivotably coupled to each other, the first links being further pivotably coupled to the fixed structure and the second links being further pivotably coupled to one of the blocker doors, the first and second links being completely received in the slots recessed into the inner surfaces of the blocker doors so as not to protrude into the bypass duct when the blocker doors are in their stowed positions, the linkage mechanisms being pivotably connected to the blocker doors so that translation of the translating cowl in the aft direction causes the first and second links to be displaced from the slots as each of the blocker doors moves to the deployed position thereof whereat each of the blocker doors extends across the bypass duct and diverts bypass air within the bypass duct through the cascade of the fixed structure. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of reversing thrust of a gas turbine engine having a core engine, a core cowl surrounding the core engine, a nacelle surrounding the core cowl, a bypass duct defined by and between the nacelle and the core cowl, a translating cowl mounted to the nacelle, and a fixed structure within the nacelle that does not translate when the translating cowl is translated in the aft direction, the method comprising:
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stowing blocker doors in stowed positions thereof so that each of the blocker doors is disposed between the fixed structure and the translating cowl, first ends of the blocker doors are adjacent the inner wall of the fixed structure, and second ends of the blocker doors are adjacent the inner wall of the translating cowl; translating the translating cowl in an aft direction of the gas turbine engine to define at least one circumferential opening between the fixed structure and the translating cowl; and further translating the translating cowl in the aft direction to deploy linkage mechanisms that are received in slots recessed into radial inner surfaces of the blocker doors and pivotably connect the blocker doors to the fixed structure, deployment of the linkage mechanisms from the slots causing each of the blocker doors to be rotated to a deployed position thereof by rotating each of the blocker doors until each of the blocker doors extends across the bypass duct and diverts bypass air within the bypass duct through the circumferential opening between the fixed structure and the translating cowl. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification