Gas turbine engine with variable area fan nozzle

• US 8,549,834 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Do, Logan H., Krystowski, Edward A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sung, Gerald L
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, CRAIG SANG
• Application Number:
  US12/909,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 602/261, 602/262, 602/263, 607/71, 244/110.B, 239/265.29, 181/213, 181/215
• US Class Current: 60/226.3
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 1/06 Varying effective area of jet pipe or nozzle by using fluid jets to influence the jet flow F02K1/30
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 1/09 by axially moving an external member, e.g. a shroud F02K1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 1/383 with retractable elements
• 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 1/763 with actuating systems or actuating devices; Arrangement of actuators for thrust reversers
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/06 with front fan

Abstract

A nacelle assembly for a bypass gas turbine engine includes a variable area fan nozzle having a first fan nacelle section and a second fan nacelle section. The variable area fan nozzle is in communication with a fan bypass flow path, the first fan nacelle section defines an intermittent trailing edge which defines a multiple of ports and the second fan nacelle section defines a multiple of doors, each of the multiple of doors match each of the multiple of ports such that a fan nacelle trailing edge is continuous when the second fan nacelle section is selectively translated to a closed position relative to the first fan nacelle section.

Claims

1. A nacelle assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising:

a core nacelle defined about an engine centerline axis;

a fan nacelle mounted at least partially around said core nacelle to define a fan bypass flow path;

a variable area fan nozzle in communication with said fan bypass flow path, said variable area fan nozzle having a first fan nacelle section and a second fan nacelle section, said first fan nacelle section defines an intermittent trailing edge which defines a multiple of ports and said second fan nacelle section defines a multiple of doors, each of said multiple of doors match each of said multiple of ports such that a fan nacelle trailing edge is continuous when said second fan nacelle section is in a closed position relative to said first fan nacelle section; and

an actuator operable to move said variable area fan nozzle between the closed position and an open position, said actuator including an actuator input engaging a mating actuator receiver, at least one of said actuator input and said actuator receiver extending through an access slot in a circumferential fairing.

2. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said first fan nacelle section and said second fan nacelle define said fan nacelle trailing edge.

3. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said multiple of ports defines a port trailing edge axially forward of a fan nacelle trailing edge of said first fan nacelle section, each of said multiple of doors defines a door trailing edge aligned with a fan nacelle trailing edge of said first fan nacelle section, said second fan nacelle section translatable relative to said first fan nacelle section between said closed position in which said multiple of ports are closed by said multiple of doors, and an open position in which said multiple of doors at least partially overlap said intermittent trailing edge such that said multiple of ports are at least partially open.

4. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said first fan nacelle section defines a saw tooth trailing edge of said fan nacelle.

5. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein each said multiple of ports are rectilinear.

6. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said multiple of ports defines a trailing edge forward of said fan nacelle trailing edge.

7. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said actuator input is a pinion gear and said actuator receiver is a gear rack meshing with said pinion gear.

8. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said actuator input is a push/pull input and said actuator receiver is a mount.

9. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said circumferential fairing is forward of said multiple of ports.

10. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said circumferential fairing is attached to said first fan nacelle section axially forward of said multiple of ports, said circumferential fairing defining an outer aerodynamic surface of said fan bypass flow path.

11. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said first fan nacelle section and said second fan nacelle section include a slidable interface there between, the interface including first and second radially-extending flanges and a third radially-extending flange axially interposed between said first and second radially-extending flanges.

12. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a core engine defined about an axis;

a turbofan mounted about said axis;

a core nacelle defined at least partially about said core engine;

a fan nacelle mounted at least partially around said core nacelle to define a fan bypass flow path;

a variable area fan nozzle in communication with said fan bypass flow path, said variable area fan nozzle having a first fan nacelle section and a second fan nacelle section, said first fan nacelle section defines an intermittent trailing edge which defines a multiple of ports and said second fan nacelle section defines a multiple of doors, each of said multiple of doors match each of said multiple of ports such that a fan nacelle trailing edge is continuous when said second fan nacelle section is selectively translated to a closed position relative to said fixed first fan nacelle section, said first fan nacelle section including a circumferential fairing having an access slot therein and said second fan nacelle section including a gear rack aligned with said access slot; and

an actuator including a pinion gear meshing with said gear rack through said access slot, said actuator operable to translate said second fan nacelle section and move said multiple of doors relative to said multiple of ports.

13. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 12, wherein each of said multiple of ports defines a port trailing edge axially forward of a fan nacelle trailing edge of said first fan nacelle section, each of said multiple of doors defines a door trailing edge aligned with a fan nacelle trailing edge of said first fan nacelle section, said second fan nacelle section translatable relative to said first fan nacelle section between said closed position in which said multiple of ports are closed by said multiple of doors, and an open position in which said multiple of doors at least partially overlap said intermittent trailing edge such that said multiple of ports are at least partially open.

14. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 12, wherein said first fan nacelle section and said second fan nacelle define said fan nacelle trailing edge.

15. The assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein said circumferential fairing is attached to said first fan nacelle section axially forward of said multiple of ports, said circumferential fairing defining an outer aerodynamic surface of said fan bypass flow path.

16. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 14, wherein said second fan nacelle section includes two ring portions which correspond with two sectors defined between an engine pylon and a lower Bi-Fi splitter.

17. A method of varying a nozzle of a gas turbine engine comprising:

using an actuator, selectively translating a second fan nacelle section that defines a multiple of doors relative a first fan nacelle section having a multiple of ports such that a fan nacelle trailing edge is continuous when the second fan nacelle section is at a closed position and is intermittent when at an open position, said actuator including an actuator input engaging a mating actuator receiver, at least one of said actuator input and said actuator receiver extending through an access slot in a circumferential fairing.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

maintaining a trailing edge of each of the multiple of doors in line with a trailing edge of the first fan nacelle section.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

matching the shape of each of the multiple of doors to each of the multiple of ports.