An intentional fluid manipulation apparatus (IFMA) assembly that includes an upstream intentional momentum shedding apparatus (IMSA) configured to impart a first induced velocity to a local free stream flow during a nominal operation requirement. The upstream IMSA creates a streamtube. The IFMA includes a downstream IMSA, with some or all of the downstream IMSA being located in a downstream portion of the streamtube. The downstream IMSA imparts a second induced velocity to the local free stream flow within the streamtube. The second induced velocity at the location of the downstream IMSA has a component in a direction opposite to the direction of the first induced velocity at the location of the downstream IMSA.

A blended wing body aircraft includes a body section having an aerodynamic lifting surface. The body section includes an upper body and a lower body. The blended wing body aircraft also includes a plurality of blended wing sections further defining the body section. The blended wing body aircraft includes one or more grooves in the body section. The one or more grooves extend from the upper body towards the lower body. The blended wing body aircraft further includes one or more open-fan engines mounted at least partially within the one or more grooves. The one or more open-fan engines ingest a portion of a boundary layer of the blended wing body aircraft.

Propulsion assembly for an aircraft, comprising a fuselage extending along a longitudinal axis and enclosing an inner enclosure, at least one ducted engine fixed to the fuselage and comprising an air inlet section, the air inlet section being disposed at least partly in the inner enclosure, at least one plenum chamber disposed in the inner enclosure upstream of the air inlet section and in fluid communication with said air inlet section, at least one air intake formed on an outer wall of the fuselage, the inlet of the air intake being partly delimited by said outer wall of the fuselage, the air intake being configured to ingest external air and deflect it towards the plenum chamber.

An aircraft includes an aircraft heat source; a propulsion system including an electric propulsion engine, the electric propulsion engine including an electric motor and a fan rotatable by the electric motor, the electric propulsion engine further defining a fan air flowpath; a thermal management system including a heat source exchanger in thermal communication with the aircraft heat source, a heat sink exchanger in thermal communication with the fan air flowpath of the electric propulsion engine, and a thermal distribution bus extending from the heat source exchanger to the heat sink exchanger; and a control system operably connected to the thermal management system for selectively thermally coupling the heat sink exchanger with the heat source exchanger.

Methods and apparatus for accelerating an aircraft fuselage boundary layer via a fan powered by an APU of the aircraft are disclosed. An example aircraft includes a fuselage, an APU, and a fan. The fuselage includes an outer skin. The APU is located within the fuselage. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades arranged circumferentially about the APU and projecting radially outward from the outer skin. The fan further includes a fan drive operatively coupled to the APU. The fan drive is configured to rotate the fan blades in response to a supply of electrical energy provided to the fan drive from the APU. The rotation of the fan blades accelerates a fuselage boundary layer traveling rearward along the outer skin from a first velocity to a second velocity greater than the first velocity.

An apparatus for ingesting boundary layer flow on an aircraft, the apparatus includes a blended wing body, wherein the blended wing body is characterized by having no clear dividing line between wings and main body of the aircraft, wherein the blended wing body includes a nacelle located aft of a leading edge of the blended wing body, wherein the nacelle includes a propulsor configured to propel the aircraft, a primary duct, and a flow augmentation arrangement, wherein the flow augmentation arrangement is configured to accelerate a boundary layer flow in the airflow, wherein the flow augmentation arrangement further includes a secondary duct, wherein the secondary duct configured to ingest the boundary layer flow in the airflow from an inlet proximal to a forward portion of the nacelle to an outlet proximal to a rear portion of the nacelle and a tertiary duct between the primary duct and the secondary duct.

An apparatus for ingesting boundary layer flow on an aircraft, the apparatus includes a blended wing body, wherein the blended wing body is characterized by having no clear dividing line between wings and main body of the aircraft, wherein the blended wing body includes a nacelle located aft of a leading edge of the blended wing body, wherein the nacelle includes a propulsor configured to propel the aircraft, a primary duct, and a flow augmentation arrangement, wherein the flow augmentation arrangement is configured to accelerate a boundary layer flow in the airflow, wherein the flow augmentation arrangement further includes a secondary duct, wherein the secondary duct configured to ingest the boundary layer flow in the airflow from an inlet proximal to a forward portion of the nacelle to an outlet proximal to a rear portion of the nacelle and a tertiary duct between the primary duct and the secondary duct.

Propulsion assembly for an aircraft, comprising a fuselage extending along a longitudinal axis and enclosing an inner enclosure, at least one ducted engine fixed to the fuselage and comprising an air inlet section, the air inlet section being disposed at least partly in the inner enclosure, at least one plenum chamber disposed in the inner enclosure upstream of the air inlet section and in fluid communication with said air inlet section, at least one air intake formed on an outer wall of the fuselage, the inlet of the air intake being partly delimited by said outer wall of the fuselage, the air intake being configured to ingest external air and deflect it towards the plenum chamber.

A cross flow fan includes a plurality of vanes arranged around a rotation axis at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, a tongue section arranged on the outer circumferential side of the vanes, and jetting sections that jet a fluid along the wall surfaces of a discharge path into which the fluid is discharged from each of the vanes. A facing wall section is provided to a position facing the tongue section with the vanes therebetween. The facing wall section is provided with: an upstream wall section configured so as to be equivalent to the radius of curvature in the outer circumference of a path formed when the vanes rotate; a downstream wall section that is connected to the upstream wall section and in which the radius of curvature gradually becomes larger than that of the upstream wall section; and a diffuser wall section connected to the downstream wall section.

In one aspect the present subject matter is directed to a gas-electric propulsion system for an aircraft. The system may include a turbofan jet engine, an electric powered boundary layer ingestion fan that is coupled to a fuselage portion of the aircraft aft of the turbofan jet engine, and an electric generator that is electronically coupled to the turbofan jet engine and to the boundary layer ingestion fan. The electric generator converts rotational energy from the turbofan jet engine to electrical energy and provides at least a portion of the electrical energy to the boundary layer ingestion fan. In another aspect of the present subject matter, a method for propelling an aircraft via the gas-electric propulsion system is disclosed.