US20140064955A1 - Guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine - Google Patents
Guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20140064955A1 US20140064955A1 US13/607,147 US201213607147A US2014064955A1 US 20140064955 A1 US20140064955 A1 US 20140064955A1 US 201213607147 A US201213607147 A US 201213607147A US 2014064955 A1 US2014064955 A1 US 2014064955A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- flap
- guide vane
- wall
- vane assembly
- leading edge
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01D—NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES
- F01D9/00—Stators
- F01D9/02—Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits, e.g. individual nozzles
- F01D9/04—Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits, e.g. individual nozzles forming ring or sector
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F04D29/00—Details, component parts, or accessories
- F04D29/40—Casings; Connections of working fluid
- F04D29/52—Casings; Connections of working fluid for axial pumps
- F04D29/54—Fluid-guiding means, e.g. diffusers
- F04D29/56—Fluid-guiding means, e.g. diffusers adjustable
- F04D29/563—Fluid-guiding means, e.g. diffusers adjustable specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01D—NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES
- F01D17/00—Regulating or controlling by varying flow
- F01D17/10—Final actuators
- F01D17/12—Final actuators arranged in stator parts
- F01D17/14—Final actuators arranged in stator parts varying effective cross-sectional area of nozzles or guide conduits
- F01D17/16—Final actuators arranged in stator parts varying effective cross-sectional area of nozzles or guide conduits by means of nozzle vanes
- F01D17/162—Final actuators arranged in stator parts varying effective cross-sectional area of nozzles or guide conduits by means of nozzle vanes for axial flow, i.e. the vanes turning around axes which are essentially perpendicular to the rotor centre line
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01D—NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES
- F01D9/00—Stators
- F01D9/02—Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits, e.g. individual nozzles
- F01D9/04—Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits, e.g. individual nozzles forming ring or sector
- F01D9/042—Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits, e.g. individual nozzles forming ring or sector fixing blades to stators
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02K—JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02K3/00—Plants including a gas turbine driving a compressor or a ducted fan
- F02K3/02—Plants including a gas turbine driving a compressor or a ducted fan in which part of the working fluid by-passes the turbine and combustion chamber
- F02K3/04—Plants including a gas turbine driving a compressor or a ducted fan in which part of the working fluid by-passes the turbine and combustion chamber the plant including ducted fans, i.e. fans with high volume, low pressure outputs, for augmenting the jet thrust, e.g. of double-flow type
- F02K3/077—Plants including a gas turbine driving a compressor or a ducted fan in which part of the working fluid by-passes the turbine and combustion chamber the plant including ducted fans, i.e. fans with high volume, low pressure outputs, for augmenting the jet thrust, e.g. of double-flow type the plant being of the multiple flow type, i.e. having three or more flows
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T50/00—Aeronautics or air transport
- Y02T50/60—Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to variable inlet guide vanes for gas turbine engines and more particularly to the mounting and configuration of such vanes.
- IGVs stationary inlet guide vanes
- the IGVs are configured as fan inlet strut/flap assemblies.
- the struts house various service leads such as oil tubes, and the flaps, which are positioned directly downstream of the struts, direct inlet flow to the downstream fan or compressor.
- the flaps are pivoted and have a variable effective angle in order to throttle mass flow through the engine as needed in different operating conditions.
- strut/flap design One primary challenge with strut/flap design is optimizing the design to minimize aeromechanical stimulus of the downstream rotor. While the flap aerodynamic design can be created with aeromechanic considerations in mind, current state of the art design approaches result in several features necessary for assembly that exacerbate aeromechanics problems and reduce efficiency. In some applications, the assembly problems are compounded by the presence of an additional bypass stream from a fan-on-blade stage or “FLADE” stream. For example, a notch is frequently formed in the trailing edge of the strut at its tip, which promotes leakage between the strut and flap. Also, a typical prior art aerodynamic approach is to minimize the thickness of the strut and flap airfoils as much as possible. However, this results in a large discrepancy between the diameter of the flap leading edge and an adjacent flap button.
- a guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine includes: a strut having: a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge wall, and opposed sidewalls extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge wall; and a pair of spaced-apart prongs extending axially aft from the trailing edge wall, each prong having an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls; and a flap positioned axially aft of the strut, the flap having a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed sides extending between the leading and trailing edge, wherein a portion of the leading edge is disposed between the prongs, and wherein a disk-like flap button is disposed at the tip of the flap adjacent its leading edge, the flap button including a pair of spaced-apart notches formed therein.
- a guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine includes: an array of struts, each strut including: a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge wall, and opposed sidewalls extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge wall; and a pair of spaced-apart prongs extending axially aft from the trailing edge wall, each prong having an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls; an arcuate shroud surrounding the tips of the struts; an array of strut extensions extending radially outward from the shroud; an outer band surrounding the strut extensions; and a flap positioned axially aft of each strut, each flap having a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed sides extending between the leading and trailing edge, wherein a portion of the leading edge is disposed between the prongs of the respective strut, and wherein a disk
- FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a gas turbine engine including a guide vane assembly constructed according to the present invention
- FIG. 2 is an enlarged, partially-sectioned side view of a portion of a guide vane assembly
- FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a flap of the guide vane assembly of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the guide flap of FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a guide vane assembly
- FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 5 .
- FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of an exemplary gas turbine engine, generally designated 10 .
- the engine 10 has a longitudinal center line or axis A and an outer stationary annular casing 12 disposed concentrically about and coaxially along the axis A.
- the engine 10 has a fan 14 , compressor 16 , combustor 18 , high pressure turbine 20 , and low pressure turbine 22 arranged in serial flow relationship.
- pressurized air from the compressor 16 is mixed with fuel in the combustor 18 and ignited, thereby generating pressurized combustion gases.
- Some work is extracted from these gases by the high pressure turbine 20 which drives the compressor 16 via an outer shaft 24 .
- the combustion gases then flow into the low pressure turbine 22 , which drives the fan 14 via an inner shaft 26 .
- the fan 14 , inner shaft 26 , and low pressure turbine 22 are collectively considered portions of a “low pressure spool” or “LP spool” (not labeled in the figures).
- a portion of the fan discharge flows through the compressor 16 , combustor 18 , and high-pressure turbine 20 , which are collectively referred to as the “core” 28 of the engine 10 .
- Another portion of the fan discharge flows through an annular bypass duct 30 which surrounds the core 28 .
- the illustrated fan 14 includes, in flow sequence, a row of non-rotating fan guide vane assemblies 32 (described in greater detail below), a first stage of rotating fan blades 34 , a row of non-rotating interstage vanes 36 , and a second stage of rotating fan blades 38 .
- the guide vane assemblies 32 may have their angle of attack with respect to the airflow and their open flow area selectively changed by using an actuator 40 of a known type.
- the engine 10 also includes a supplementary fan, referred to as a “FLADE” stage 44 (FLADE being an acronym for “fan on blade”), in the form of a ring of airfoils extending radially outwardly from an annular shroud 46 and driven by the fan 14 (in this case the second stage 36 ).
- the FLADE stage 44 is positioned in a fan outer duct 48 which surrounds the bypass duct 30 .
- the FLADE stage 44 provides an additional flow stream at a different flow and pressure ratio that than of the fan 14 .
- the FLADE stage flow is sized to provide sufficient bleed air pressure and flow for a selected aircraft bleed-air powered system of a known type (not shown).
- a row of variable-angle FLADE inlet guide vanes 50 operated by an actuator 52 , are moveable between open and closed positions to vary the flow through the FLADE stage 44 .
- the fan outer duct 48 includes one or more bleed air outlets 54 which direct flow to the aircraft bleed air system. Bleed air valves 56 may also be provided to selectively close off the bleed air outlets 54 and direct the FLADE stage flow downstream through the fan outer duct 48 .
- An exhaust duct 58 is disposed downstream of the core 28 , and receives the mixed air flow from both the core 28 and the bypass duct 30 .
- a mixer 60 (for example a lobed or chute-type mixer) is disposed at the juncture of the core 28 and bypass duct 30 flow streams to promote efficient mixing of the two streams.
- the engine 10 In operation, the engine 10 generates thrust for aircraft propulsion in a known manner, while the FLADE stage discharges bleed air flow through the bleed air outlets 54 .
- Each guide vane assembly 32 includes both a streamlined strut 62 and an airfoil-shaped flap 64 .
- the struts 62 are spaced in an array about the circumference of a fan hub 66 (shown in FIG. 1 ) and the casing 12 .
- the struts 62 are stationary and their interior may house various service leads such as oil tubes (not shown).
- the struts 62 are shaped to direct air entering the engine inlet around strut 62 towards the flap 64 .
- Each strut 62 has a root 68 , a tip 70 , and (see FIGS. 5 and 6 ) a pair of sidewalls 72 and 74 that are connected at a leading edge 76 and an trailing edge wall 78 .
- a pair of spaced apart walls extend axially aft from the trailing edge wall 78 . These walls are referred to herein as “prongs” 80 .
- Each prong 80 includes an outer wall 82 that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls 72 and 74 , an inner wall 84 parallel to the outer wall 82 , and an aft wall 86 interconnecting the inner and outer walls 82 and 84 .
- the aft walls 86 are angled and face partially inwards toward each other, so as to approximate a tangent to the surface of the adjacent flap 64 .
- annular shroud segment 87 is disposed outboard of the tip 70 of each strut 62 . Collectively the shroud segments 87 of the adjacent struts 62 form a continuous ring.
- a strut extension 89 having a cross-sectional shape identical or similar to that of the strut 62 extends radially outward from the radially outer surface of each shroud segment 87 .
- the strut extensions 89 are circumscribed by an outer band 91 which forms part of an annular FLADE duct 93 (see FIG. 1 ) that channels inlet air to the FLADE stage 44 .
- each flap 64 includes a pair of sidewalls 88 and 90 connected at a leading edge 92 and trailing edge 94 .
- Each sidewall 88 and 90 extends in radial span between a root 95 ( FIG. 1 ) and a tip 96 .
- the shape defined between the sidewalls 88 and 90 is generally an airfoil shape.
- a disk-like flap button 102 is positioned at the tip 96 , near the leading edge 92 .
- the majority of the flap button 102 is generally circular in plan view, and the outer diameter of the flap button 102 is only slightly greater than the thickness of the airfoil portion of the flap 64 .
- a pair of notches 104 are formed in the perimeter of the flap button 102 .
- a circular cross-section trunnion 106 extends radially outward from the flap button 102 .
- a parallel-sided lug 108 is disposed near the outer end of the trunnion 106 .
- a threaded stud 109 extends radially outward from the lug 108 .
- a ring of casing segments 110 surrounds the flaps 64 .
- Each casing segment 110 includes a stationary outer flap 112 having a cross-sectional shape identical or similar to that of the flap 64 and extending between an arcuate inner band segment 114 and an arcuate outer band segment 116 .
- Each outer flap 112 is aligned with one of the upstream strut extensions 89 .
- Collectively the inner and outer band segments 114 and 116 of the adjacent casing segments 110 form a continuous ring.
- the casing segments 110 form part of the FLADE duct 93 .
- the casing segments 110 may be partially or wholly integral with the struts 62 and or the strut extensions 89 .
- Each outer flap 112 receives a bushing 118 .
- the bushing 118 is a generally cylindrical structure with an annular flange 120 disposed at its radially outer end that abuts the exterior surface of the outer band segment 116 .
- the bushing 118 may be press fit, threaded, or otherwise rigidly secured to the casing segment 116 .
- the bushing 118 may be constructed of any material that will bear the operating loads on the trunnion 106 and allow it to rotate freely, and may be metallic or nonmetallic.
- the bushing 118 is effective to react gasloads from the flap 64 transmitted through the trunnion 106 , and the recess 122 restrains the flap 64 in the radial direction. This allows the flaps 64 to be selectively positionable during engine operation.
- the flap 64 is assembled by inserting it radially outwardly so the trunnion 12 enters the bore of the respective bushing 118 . During assembly, the flap 64 is pivoted to a position so that the notches 104 in the flap button 106 clear the prongs 80 of the upstream strut 62 . Once the flap button 106 is in position in the recess 122 , it will lie radially outboard of the prongs 80 and is free to pivot with the trunnion 102 . An actuator arm 124 is then placed over the lug 108 , and a nut 126 installed to the stud 109 to complete assembly. The actuator arm 124 is coupled to the actuator 40 depicted schematically in FIG. 1 .
- FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the assembled relationship of the strut 62 and the flap 64 in more detail.
- the prongs 80 extend in close proximity to a nose portion 128 of the flap 64 , minimizing the gap between the two.
- the nose portion 128 of the flap 64 is shaped to minimize leakage between the strut 62 and the flap 64 in all positions of the flap 64 .
- the nose portion 128 of the flap has a leading edge profile with two distinct profiles.
- One portion 130 has a circular cross-sectional shape with a radius “R”.
- the adjacent portion 132 is a noncircular cross-sectional airfoil shape.
- the guide vane assembly described herein has several advantages over prior art configurations. Most of the mechanical loads are reacted out through the trunnion 102 itself, which spans through the FLADE duct 93 and eliminates the need for a control tube. Furthermore, eliminating or significantly reducing the notch found in prior art struts results in significantly less leakage flow and therefore better aerodynamics (lower loss) and less aeromechanical stimulus. This is especially important when the flap must turn down at high speed. The improved aerodynamics and reduced aeromechanics stimulus results in a more efficient engine with less inclination to rotor vibratory modes. Since the strut/flap is the very first component in the engine, improving its loss incrementally cascades through the entire engine and results in an even larger benefit to overall performance. Commercial advantages would manifest themselves via improved SFC and longer time on wing.
Abstract
A guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine includes: a strut having: a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge wall, and opposed sidewalls extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge wall; and a pair of spaced-apart prongs extending axially aft from the trailing edge wall, each prong having an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls; and a flap positioned axially aft of the strut, the flap having a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed sides extending between the leading and trailing edge, wherein a portion of the leading edge is disposed between the prongs, and wherein a disk-like flap button is disposed at the tip of the flap adjacent its leading edge, the flap button including a pair of spaced-apart notches formed therein.
Description
- This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 61/534,826, Filed Sep. 14, 2011.
- The U.S. Government may have certain rights in this invention pursuant to contract number FA8650-07-C-2802 awarded by the Department of the Air Force.
- This invention relates generally to variable inlet guide vanes for gas turbine engines and more particularly to the mounting and configuration of such vanes.
- Some gas turbine engines include stationary inlet guide vanes (“IGVs”) positioned in the inlet upstream of the fan or compressor. In many military gas turbine engines, the IGVs are configured as fan inlet strut/flap assemblies. The struts house various service leads such as oil tubes, and the flaps, which are positioned directly downstream of the struts, direct inlet flow to the downstream fan or compressor. The flaps are pivoted and have a variable effective angle in order to throttle mass flow through the engine as needed in different operating conditions.
- One primary challenge with strut/flap design is optimizing the design to minimize aeromechanical stimulus of the downstream rotor. While the flap aerodynamic design can be created with aeromechanic considerations in mind, current state of the art design approaches result in several features necessary for assembly that exacerbate aeromechanics problems and reduce efficiency. In some applications, the assembly problems are compounded by the presence of an additional bypass stream from a fan-on-blade stage or “FLADE” stream. For example, a notch is frequently formed in the trailing edge of the strut at its tip, which promotes leakage between the strut and flap. Also, a typical prior art aerodynamic approach is to minimize the thickness of the strut and flap airfoils as much as possible. However, this results in a large discrepancy between the diameter of the flap leading edge and an adjacent flap button.
- Accordingly, there is a need for a flap/strut assembly which minimizes aeromechanical effects while accommodating assembly procedures.
- This need is addressed by the present invention, which provides an inlet strut/flap assembly configured with closely fitting mechanical features in combination with a flap button having notches that permit assembly.
- According to one aspect of the invention, a guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine includes: a strut having: a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge wall, and opposed sidewalls extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge wall; and a pair of spaced-apart prongs extending axially aft from the trailing edge wall, each prong having an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls; and a flap positioned axially aft of the strut, the flap having a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed sides extending between the leading and trailing edge, wherein a portion of the leading edge is disposed between the prongs, and wherein a disk-like flap button is disposed at the tip of the flap adjacent its leading edge, the flap button including a pair of spaced-apart notches formed therein.
- According to another aspect of the invention, a guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine includes: an array of struts, each strut including: a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge wall, and opposed sidewalls extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge wall; and a pair of spaced-apart prongs extending axially aft from the trailing edge wall, each prong having an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls; an arcuate shroud surrounding the tips of the struts; an array of strut extensions extending radially outward from the shroud; an outer band surrounding the strut extensions; and a flap positioned axially aft of each strut, each flap having a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed sides extending between the leading and trailing edge, wherein a portion of the leading edge is disposed between the prongs of the respective strut, and wherein a disk-like flap button is disposed at the tip of the flap adjacent its leading edge, the flap button including a pair of spaced-apart notches formed therein; and a ring of casing segments surrounding the flaps, each casing segment including an array of stationary outer flaps extending between annular inner and outer bands, each outer flap being aligned with a respective one of the strut extensions.
- The invention may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a gas turbine engine including a guide vane assembly constructed according to the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, partially-sectioned side view of a portion of a guide vane assembly; -
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a flap of the guide vane assembly ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the guide flap ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a guide vane assembly; and -
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion ofFIG. 5 . - Referring to the drawings wherein identical reference numerals denote the same elements throughout the various views,
FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of an exemplary gas turbine engine, generally designated 10. Theengine 10 has a longitudinal center line or axis A and an outer stationaryannular casing 12 disposed concentrically about and coaxially along the axis A. Theengine 10 has afan 14,compressor 16,combustor 18,high pressure turbine 20, andlow pressure turbine 22 arranged in serial flow relationship. In operation, pressurized air from thecompressor 16 is mixed with fuel in thecombustor 18 and ignited, thereby generating pressurized combustion gases. Some work is extracted from these gases by thehigh pressure turbine 20 which drives thecompressor 16 via anouter shaft 24. The combustion gases then flow into thelow pressure turbine 22, which drives thefan 14 via aninner shaft 26. Thefan 14,inner shaft 26, andlow pressure turbine 22 are collectively considered portions of a “low pressure spool” or “LP spool” (not labeled in the figures). - A portion of the fan discharge flows through the
compressor 16,combustor 18, and high-pressure turbine 20, which are collectively referred to as the “core” 28 of theengine 10. Another portion of the fan discharge flows through anannular bypass duct 30 which surrounds thecore 28. The illustratedfan 14 includes, in flow sequence, a row of non-rotating fan guide vane assemblies 32 (described in greater detail below), a first stage of rotatingfan blades 34, a row ofnon-rotating interstage vanes 36, and a second stage of rotatingfan blades 38. - As described in more detail below, the
guide vane assemblies 32 may have their angle of attack with respect to the airflow and their open flow area selectively changed by using anactuator 40 of a known type. - The
engine 10 also includes a supplementary fan, referred to as a “FLADE” stage 44 (FLADE being an acronym for “fan on blade”), in the form of a ring of airfoils extending radially outwardly from anannular shroud 46 and driven by the fan 14 (in this case the second stage 36). The FLADEstage 44 is positioned in a fanouter duct 48 which surrounds thebypass duct 30. The FLADEstage 44 provides an additional flow stream at a different flow and pressure ratio that than of thefan 14. The FLADE stage flow is sized to provide sufficient bleed air pressure and flow for a selected aircraft bleed-air powered system of a known type (not shown). A row of variable-angle FLADEinlet guide vanes 50, operated by anactuator 52, are moveable between open and closed positions to vary the flow through the FLADEstage 44. - The fan
outer duct 48 includes one or morebleed air outlets 54 which direct flow to the aircraft bleed air system.Bleed air valves 56 may also be provided to selectively close off thebleed air outlets 54 and direct the FLADE stage flow downstream through the fanouter duct 48. - An
exhaust duct 58 is disposed downstream of thecore 28, and receives the mixed air flow from both thecore 28 and thebypass duct 30. A mixer 60 (for example a lobed or chute-type mixer) is disposed at the juncture of thecore 28 andbypass duct 30 flow streams to promote efficient mixing of the two streams. - In operation, the
engine 10 generates thrust for aircraft propulsion in a known manner, while the FLADE stage discharges bleed air flow through thebleed air outlets 54. - Each
guide vane assembly 32 includes both astreamlined strut 62 and an airfoil-shaped flap 64. Thestruts 62 are spaced in an array about the circumference of a fan hub 66 (shown inFIG. 1 ) and thecasing 12. Thestruts 62 are stationary and their interior may house various service leads such as oil tubes (not shown). Thestruts 62 are shaped to direct air entering the engine inlet aroundstrut 62 towards theflap 64. Eachstrut 62 has aroot 68, atip 70, and (seeFIGS. 5 and 6 ) a pair ofsidewalls edge 76 and antrailing edge wall 78. A pair of spaced apart walls extend axially aft from thetrailing edge wall 78. These walls are referred to herein as “prongs” 80. Eachprong 80 includes anouter wall 82 that is flush with a respective one of thesidewalls inner wall 84 parallel to theouter wall 82, and anaft wall 86 interconnecting the inner andouter walls aft walls 86 are angled and face partially inwards toward each other, so as to approximate a tangent to the surface of theadjacent flap 64. - Referring to
FIG. 2 , anannular shroud segment 87 is disposed outboard of thetip 70 of eachstrut 62. Collectively theshroud segments 87 of theadjacent struts 62 form a continuous ring. Astrut extension 89 having a cross-sectional shape identical or similar to that of thestrut 62 extends radially outward from the radially outer surface of eachshroud segment 87. Thestrut extensions 89 are circumscribed by anouter band 91 which forms part of an annular FLADE duct 93 (seeFIG. 1 ) that channels inlet air to the FLADEstage 44. - As seen in
FIGS. 3 and 4 , eachflap 64 includes a pair ofsidewalls edge 92 andtrailing edge 94. Eachsidewall FIG. 1 ) and atip 96. In cross-section the shape defined between the sidewalls 88 and 90 is generally an airfoil shape. - A disk-
like flap button 102 is positioned at thetip 96, near the leadingedge 92. The majority of theflap button 102 is generally circular in plan view, and the outer diameter of theflap button 102 is only slightly greater than the thickness of the airfoil portion of theflap 64. A pair ofnotches 104 are formed in the perimeter of theflap button 102. - It is noted that a typical aerodynamic approach in the prior art is to minimize the thickness of the flap as much as possible. However, this results in a large discrepancy between the diameter of the flap leading edge and an adjacent flap button The
flap 64 described herein uses a relatively much thicker flap leading edge diameter in order to bring the button and flap diameters more in-line. The strut thickness is also increased accordingly. - A
circular cross-section trunnion 106 extends radially outward from theflap button 102. A parallel-sided lug 108 is disposed near the outer end of thetrunnion 106. A threadedstud 109 extends radially outward from thelug 108. - Referring to
FIG. 2 , a ring ofcasing segments 110 surrounds theflaps 64. Eachcasing segment 110 includes a stationaryouter flap 112 having a cross-sectional shape identical or similar to that of theflap 64 and extending between an arcuateinner band segment 114 and an arcuateouter band segment 116. Eachouter flap 112 is aligned with one of theupstream strut extensions 89. Collectively the inner andouter band segments adjacent casing segments 110 form a continuous ring. Thecasing segments 110 form part of theFLADE duct 93. Thecasing segments 110 may be partially or wholly integral with thestruts 62 and or thestrut extensions 89. - Each
outer flap 112 receives abushing 118. Thebushing 118 is a generally cylindrical structure with anannular flange 120 disposed at its radially outer end that abuts the exterior surface of theouter band segment 116. Thebushing 118 may be press fit, threaded, or otherwise rigidly secured to thecasing segment 116. Thebushing 118 may be constructed of any material that will bear the operating loads on thetrunnion 106 and allow it to rotate freely, and may be metallic or nonmetallic. Collectively eachbushing 118 and thecasing segment 110 it is installed in define arecess 122 shaped and sized to receive one of theflap buttons 102 described above. Thebushing 118 is effective to react gasloads from theflap 64 transmitted through thetrunnion 106, and therecess 122 restrains theflap 64 in the radial direction. This allows theflaps 64 to be selectively positionable during engine operation. - The
flap 64 is assembled by inserting it radially outwardly so thetrunnion 12 enters the bore of therespective bushing 118. During assembly, theflap 64 is pivoted to a position so that thenotches 104 in theflap button 106 clear theprongs 80 of theupstream strut 62. Once theflap button 106 is in position in therecess 122, it will lie radially outboard of theprongs 80 and is free to pivot with thetrunnion 102. Anactuator arm 124 is then placed over thelug 108, and anut 126 installed to thestud 109 to complete assembly. Theactuator arm 124 is coupled to theactuator 40 depicted schematically inFIG. 1 . -
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the assembled relationship of thestrut 62 and theflap 64 in more detail. Theprongs 80 extend in close proximity to anose portion 128 of theflap 64, minimizing the gap between the two. Furthermore, thenose portion 128 of theflap 64 is shaped to minimize leakage between thestrut 62 and theflap 64 in all positions of theflap 64. In particular, thenose portion 128 of the flap has a leading edge profile with two distinct profiles. Oneportion 130 has a circular cross-sectional shape with a radius “R”. Theadjacent portion 132 is a noncircular cross-sectional airfoil shape. - The guide vane assembly described herein has several advantages over prior art configurations. Most of the mechanical loads are reacted out through the
trunnion 102 itself, which spans through theFLADE duct 93 and eliminates the need for a control tube. Furthermore, eliminating or significantly reducing the notch found in prior art struts results in significantly less leakage flow and therefore better aerodynamics (lower loss) and less aeromechanical stimulus. This is especially important when the flap must turn down at high speed. The improved aerodynamics and reduced aeromechanics stimulus results in a more efficient engine with less inclination to rotor vibratory modes. Since the strut/flap is the very first component in the engine, improving its loss incrementally cascades through the entire engine and results in an even larger benefit to overall performance. Commercial advantages would manifest themselves via improved SFC and longer time on wing. - The foregoing has described a guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine. While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications thereto can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and the best mode for practicing the invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation, the invention being defined by the claims.
Claims (15)
1. A guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a strut having:
a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge wall, and opposed sidewalls extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge wall; and
a pair of spaced-apart prongs extending axially aft from the trailing edge wall, each prong having an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls;
a flap positioned axially aft of the strut, the flap having a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed sides extending between the leading and trailing edge, wherein a portion of the leading edge is disposed between the prongs, and wherein a disk-like flap button is disposed at the tip of the flap adjacent its leading edge, the flap button including a pair of spaced-apart notches formed therein.
2. The guide vane assembly of claim 1 wherein the flap includes a trunnion extending radially outward from the flap button.
3. The guide vane assembly of claim 2 wherein a lug with parallel sides is disposed at an outer end of the trunnion.
4. The guide vane assembly of claim 2 wherein a threaded stud extends radially outward from an outer end of the trunnion.
5. The guide vane assembly of claim 1 wherein each prong includes: an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls, an inner wall parallel to the outer wall, and an aft wall interconnecting the inner and outer walls.
6. The guide vane assembly of claim 1 wherein the flap includes a nose portion adjacent the leading edge, wherein one part of the nose portion has a circular cross-sectional shape, and another part of the nose portion has a noncircular cross-sectional shape.
7. A guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
an array of struts, each strut including:
a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge wall, and opposed sidewalls extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge wall; and
a pair of spaced-apart prongs extending axially aft from the trailing edge wall, each prong having an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls;
an arcuate shroud surrounding the tips of the struts;
an array of strut extensions extending radially outward from the shroud;
an outer band surrounding the strut extensions;
a flap positioned axially aft of each strut, each flap having a root, a tip, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed sides extending between the leading and trailing edge, wherein a portion of the leading edge is disposed between the prongs of the respective strut, and wherein a disk-like flap button is disposed at the tip of the flap adjacent its leading edge, the flap button including a pair of spaced-apart notches formed therein; and
a ring of casing segments surrounding the flaps, each casing segment including an array of stationary outer flaps extending between annular inner and outer bands, each outer flap being aligned with a respective one of the strut extensions.
8. The guide vane assembly of claim 7 wherein each flap includes a trunnion extending radially outward from the flap button.
9. The guide vane assembly of claim 8 wherein each trunnion is received in the bore of a generally cylindrical trunnion carried by one of the outer flaps.
10. The guide vane assembly of claim 9 wherein each bushing cooperatively with an outer flap defines a recess which receives a respective one of the flap buttons.
11. The guide vane assembly of claim 8 wherein a lug with parallel sides is disposed at an outer end of the trunnion.
12. The guide vane assembly of claim 8 wherein a threaded stud extends radially outward from an outer end of each trunnion.
13. The guide vane assembly of claim 7 wherein each prong includes: an outer wall that is flush with a respective one of the sidewalls, an inner wall parallel to the outer wall, and an aft wall interconnecting the inner and outer walls.
14. The guide vane assembly of claim 13 wherein the aft walls are angled and face partially inwards toward each other.
15. The guide vane assembly of claim 7 wherein each flap includes a nose portion adjacent the leading edge, wherein one part of the nose portion has a circular cross-sectional shape, and another part of the nose portion has a noncircular cross-sectional shape.
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/607,147 US20140064955A1 (en) | 2011-09-14 | 2012-09-07 | Guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine |
EP12837618.3A EP2756182A2 (en) | 2011-09-14 | 2012-09-14 | Guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine |
CA2847566A CA2847566A1 (en) | 2011-09-14 | 2012-09-14 | Guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine |
PCT/US2012/055312 WO2013081714A2 (en) | 2011-09-14 | 2012-09-14 | Guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US201161534826P | 2011-09-14 | 2011-09-14 | |
US13/607,147 US20140064955A1 (en) | 2011-09-14 | 2012-09-07 | Guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20140064955A1 true US20140064955A1 (en) | 2014-03-06 |
Family
ID=47997770
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/607,147 Abandoned US20140064955A1 (en) | 2011-09-14 | 2012-09-07 | Guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20140064955A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2756182A2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2847566A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2013081714A2 (en) |
Cited By (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20150086339A1 (en) * | 2013-09-23 | 2015-03-26 | John A. Orosa | Diffuser with strut-induced vortex mixing |
US20150361819A1 (en) * | 2014-01-24 | 2015-12-17 | United Technologies Corporation | Virtual multi-stream gas turbine engine |
US20160040595A1 (en) * | 2014-08-08 | 2016-02-11 | Thomas International, Inc. | Adjustable size inlet system |
US20160298646A1 (en) * | 2015-04-08 | 2016-10-13 | General Electric Company | Gas turbine diffuser and methods of assembling the same |
US10563513B2 (en) * | 2017-12-19 | 2020-02-18 | United Technologies Corporation | Variable inlet guide vane |
US20200088046A1 (en) * | 2018-09-14 | 2020-03-19 | United Technologies Corporation | Integral half vane, ringcase, and id shroud |
US20200088045A1 (en) * | 2018-09-14 | 2020-03-19 | United Technologies Corporation | Integral half vane, ringcase, and id shroud |
CN114981521A (en) * | 2019-12-18 | 2022-08-30 | 赛峰航空助推器股份有限公司 | Module for a turbomachine |
Citations (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3059902A (en) * | 1961-07-03 | 1962-10-23 | Chrysler Corp | Adjustable nozzle and intermediate inner shroud support |
US6435821B1 (en) * | 2000-12-20 | 2002-08-20 | United Technologies Corporation | Variable vane for use in turbo machines |
US6619916B1 (en) * | 2002-02-28 | 2003-09-16 | General Electric Company | Methods and apparatus for varying gas turbine engine inlet air flow |
US6843638B2 (en) * | 2002-12-10 | 2005-01-18 | Honeywell International Inc. | Vane radial mounting apparatus |
US7549839B2 (en) * | 2005-10-25 | 2009-06-23 | United Technologies Corporation | Variable geometry inlet guide vane |
US7594794B2 (en) * | 2006-08-24 | 2009-09-29 | United Technologies Corporation | Leaned high pressure compressor inlet guide vane |
US8123471B2 (en) * | 2009-03-11 | 2012-02-28 | General Electric Company | Variable stator vane contoured button |
US8182209B2 (en) * | 2007-05-30 | 2012-05-22 | Snecma | Air reinjection compressor |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2856750B1 (en) * | 2003-06-26 | 2005-08-19 | Snecma Moteurs | DEVICE FOR GUIDING A VARIABLE CALIBRATION ANGLE BLADE |
FR2908828B1 (en) * | 2006-11-16 | 2013-11-01 | Snecma | DEVICE FOR SEALING MOBILE WHEEL SENSE FOR TURBOMACHINE INPUT DIRECTOR WHEEL |
US8061975B2 (en) * | 2007-08-31 | 2011-11-22 | General Electric Company | Slipring bushing assembly for moveable turbine vane |
GB2466214B (en) * | 2008-12-12 | 2014-03-12 | Gen Electric | Bushing and clock spring assembly for moveable gas turbine engine vane |
US20120163960A1 (en) * | 2010-12-27 | 2012-06-28 | Ress Jr Robert A | Gas turbine engine and variable camber vane system |
-
2012
- 2012-09-07 US US13/607,147 patent/US20140064955A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2012-09-14 CA CA2847566A patent/CA2847566A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2012-09-14 WO PCT/US2012/055312 patent/WO2013081714A2/en active Application Filing
- 2012-09-14 EP EP12837618.3A patent/EP2756182A2/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3059902A (en) * | 1961-07-03 | 1962-10-23 | Chrysler Corp | Adjustable nozzle and intermediate inner shroud support |
US6435821B1 (en) * | 2000-12-20 | 2002-08-20 | United Technologies Corporation | Variable vane for use in turbo machines |
US6619916B1 (en) * | 2002-02-28 | 2003-09-16 | General Electric Company | Methods and apparatus for varying gas turbine engine inlet air flow |
US6843638B2 (en) * | 2002-12-10 | 2005-01-18 | Honeywell International Inc. | Vane radial mounting apparatus |
US7549839B2 (en) * | 2005-10-25 | 2009-06-23 | United Technologies Corporation | Variable geometry inlet guide vane |
US7594794B2 (en) * | 2006-08-24 | 2009-09-29 | United Technologies Corporation | Leaned high pressure compressor inlet guide vane |
US8182209B2 (en) * | 2007-05-30 | 2012-05-22 | Snecma | Air reinjection compressor |
US8123471B2 (en) * | 2009-03-11 | 2012-02-28 | General Electric Company | Variable stator vane contoured button |
Cited By (14)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20150086339A1 (en) * | 2013-09-23 | 2015-03-26 | John A. Orosa | Diffuser with strut-induced vortex mixing |
US9494053B2 (en) * | 2013-09-23 | 2016-11-15 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Diffuser with strut-induced vortex mixing |
US20150361819A1 (en) * | 2014-01-24 | 2015-12-17 | United Technologies Corporation | Virtual multi-stream gas turbine engine |
US9957823B2 (en) * | 2014-01-24 | 2018-05-01 | United Technologies Corporation | Virtual multi-stream gas turbine engine |
US10107196B2 (en) * | 2014-08-08 | 2018-10-23 | Thomas International, Inc. | Adjustable size inlet system |
US20160040595A1 (en) * | 2014-08-08 | 2016-02-11 | Thomas International, Inc. | Adjustable size inlet system |
US20160298646A1 (en) * | 2015-04-08 | 2016-10-13 | General Electric Company | Gas turbine diffuser and methods of assembling the same |
US10151325B2 (en) * | 2015-04-08 | 2018-12-11 | General Electric Company | Gas turbine diffuser strut including a trailing edge flap and methods of assembling the same |
US10563513B2 (en) * | 2017-12-19 | 2020-02-18 | United Technologies Corporation | Variable inlet guide vane |
US20200088046A1 (en) * | 2018-09-14 | 2020-03-19 | United Technologies Corporation | Integral half vane, ringcase, and id shroud |
US20200088045A1 (en) * | 2018-09-14 | 2020-03-19 | United Technologies Corporation | Integral half vane, ringcase, and id shroud |
US10781707B2 (en) * | 2018-09-14 | 2020-09-22 | United Technologies Corporation | Integral half vane, ringcase, and id shroud |
US10794200B2 (en) * | 2018-09-14 | 2020-10-06 | United Technologies Corporation | Integral half vane, ringcase, and id shroud |
CN114981521A (en) * | 2019-12-18 | 2022-08-30 | 赛峰航空助推器股份有限公司 | Module for a turbomachine |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CA2847566A1 (en) | 2013-06-06 |
WO2013081714A3 (en) | 2013-08-15 |
WO2013081714A2 (en) | 2013-06-06 |
EP2756182A2 (en) | 2014-07-23 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US20140064955A1 (en) | Guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine | |
US9638212B2 (en) | Compressor variable vane assembly | |
US6438941B1 (en) | Bifurcated splitter for variable bleed flow | |
JP4658618B2 (en) | Branch outlet guide vane | |
EP3187722B1 (en) | Nacelle short inlet for fan blade removal | |
JP6625624B2 (en) | Aircraft turbine engine stator | |
US11401824B2 (en) | Gas turbine engine outlet guide vane assembly | |
JP2002310100A (en) | Guide vane, method for manufacturing vane, and stator | |
US10677264B2 (en) | Supersonic single-stage turbofan engine | |
US10883515B2 (en) | Method and system for leading edge auxiliary vanes | |
CN111911238A (en) | Gas turbine engine | |
US20180313364A1 (en) | Compressor apparatus with bleed slot including turning vanes | |
EP3464833A2 (en) | Method and system for a two frame gas turbine engine | |
GB2445083A (en) | Gas turbine engine having air directed through a duct in the spool shaft | |
US10385871B2 (en) | Method and system for compressor vane leading edge auxiliary vanes | |
CN112443364B (en) | Actuating assembly for concentric variable stator vanes | |
US11002141B2 (en) | Method and system for leading edge auxiliary turbine vanes | |
EP3623586B1 (en) | Variable bypass ratio fan with variable pitch aft stage rotor blading | |
CN110242617B (en) | Compressor rotor cooling apparatus | |
US9777631B2 (en) | Conformal inlet apparatus for a gas turbine engine | |
US20170342839A1 (en) | System for a low swirl low pressure turbine | |
US10808568B2 (en) | Airfoil assembly for a gas turbine engine | |
US20240060430A1 (en) | Gas turbine engine | |
US11767806B1 (en) | Variable area nozzle assembly | |
US20200096002A1 (en) | Axial compressor |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, NEW YORK Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:SENTER, THURMOND DOUGLAS;MIELKE, MARK JOSEPH;TURNER, ALAN GLEN;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:028919/0401 Effective date: 20120829 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |