An apparatus for assisting with the combustion of fuel includes a swirler assembly and a fuel nozzle. Fuel from a fuel nozzle fuel reservoir is directed into a fuel nozzle mixing zone and combines with air inside the fuel nozzle mixing zone to form a fuel-air mixture. At least one plasma generator is located at least partially within a lip recirculation zone. The plasma generator provides at least one of an at least partially ionized air-fuel mixture and an at least partially dissociated air-fuel mixture via a plasma generator discharge. A combustion chamber has a combustion chamber internal volume including the lip recirculation zone including a stabilization zone of low velocity air circulation. Combustion of the air-fuel mixture with the plurality of combustion air inputs occurs to responsively produce combustion products.

A blower including a duct configured to allow air to flow in and out and a plurality of blades disposed to be parallel to the duct. Each of the blades including a first part, a second part, and an airflow generator configured to generate airflow in a direction from the inlet to the outlet by applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode which are disposed between a first electrode on a side of the inlet, a second electrode on a side of the outlet, and a dielectric. In a cross section of the blade in the airflow direction when cut in a cross section perpendicular to each of the blades, the first part has a thickness decreasing in a direction toward the inlet and the second part has a thickness decreasing in a direction toward the outlet.

There is disclosed a centrifugal compressor including an impeller rotatable about an axis and a diffuser downstream of the impeller. The diffuser has walls delimiting flow passages. Plasma actuators are positioned adjacent the walls and are operatively connectable to a source of electricity. The plasma actuators have a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric layer therebetween. The first electrode is upstream of the second electrode. The first electrode is exposed to the flow passage. The second electrode is shielded from the flow passage by the dielectric layer. The plasma actuators are operable to generate an electric field through the dielectric layer. The plasma actuators are located closer to inlets of the flow passage than to outlets of the flow passages. A method of operating the compressor is disclosed.

This patent provides for a method and apparatus for mitigating the formation of concentrated wake vortex structures generated from lifting or thrust-generating bodies and maneuvering control surfaces wherein the use of contour surface geometries promotes vortex-mixing of high and low flow fluids. The method and apparatus can be combined with various drag reduction techniques, such as the use of riblets of various types and/or compliant surfaces (passive and active). Such combinations form unique structures for various fluid dynamic control applications to suppress transiently growing forms of boundary layer disturbances in a manner that significantly improves performance and has improved control dynamics.

A combustion system includes at least one plasma actuator disposed along a substrate at a plasma location, and at least one fuel injector disposed along the substrate at an injection location. The fuel injector disperses fuel toward the plasma location. The plasma from plasma actuator ignites fuel from the fuel injector proximate the plasma location.

A plasma plate is used to minimize drag of a fluid flow over an exposed surface. The plasma plate includes a series of plasma actuators positioned on the surface. Each plasma actuator is made of a dielectric separating a first electrode exposed to a fluid flow and a second electrode separated from the fluid flow under the dielectric. A pulsed direct current power supply provides a first voltage to the first electrode and a second voltage to the second electrode. The series of plasma actuators is operably connected to a bus which distribute powers and is positioned to minimize flow disturbances. The plasma actuators are arranged into a series of linear rows such that a velocity component is imparted to the fluid flow.

A system and method for aerodynamically sealing rotating and fixed components of a gas turbine engine. The system includes a gas turbine engine having a casing and a rotating portion, a plasma actuator having a first and a second electrodes, the first electrode including at least one section of substantially flat conductive material encased in a dielectric material forming at least a portion of a cylinder disposed circumferentially on the casing. The system also includes the rotating portion operably configured as the second electrode, and an excitation source operably connected between the first electrode and the second electrode, the excitation source generating an excitation signal and applying it to the first and second electrodes to cause the actuator to form a plasma between the first and second electrodes, the plasma inducing an airflow between the casing and the rotating portion.

A gas turbine engine system includes a drive shaft and a compressor located in a compressor case. The compressor has a number of rotors. Each rotor includes a number of blades radially extending from a rotor wheel and terminating in a blade tip. The blade tip terminates in close proximity to the case and defines a tip clearance. An air flow control system is coupled to the compressor. The air flow system includes inductive coils and plasma actuators coupled to the case and magnets coupled to the blade. The plasma actuators induce air flows in order to, for example, mitigate air flow leakage around the tip of the blade.

A rotor support device includes a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, a dielectric material, and at least one alternating-current power supply. The dielectric material is disposed between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. The at least one AC power supply is configured to apply an alternating-current voltage across the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes and induce flows of gas by causing dielectric barrier discharge between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. At least one of the plurality of first electrodes or the plurality of second electrodes is disposed apart from each other in a static system that is stationary with respect to a rotor provided in an aircraft. The static system is adjacent to the rotor.

The invention deals with a splitter nose delimiting the inlet of a low-pressure compressor of an axial turbine engine. The splitter nose comprises a separation surface with an upstream circular edge suitable for separating a flow entering into the turbine engine into a primary flow and a secondary flow, and a plasma de-icing device. The device comprises two annular layers of dielectric material (42; 44) partially forming the separation surface, an electrode forming the upstream edge, an electrode forming an outer wall of the splitter nose, an electrode forming an outer shroud which supports blades, an electrode delimiting the primary flow. The device generates plasmas (46; 48; 50) opposing the presence of ice on the partitions of the splitter nose. The invention also deals with a turbine engine with a splitter nose that is provided with a de-icing system downstream of the fan.