Presented are flush-mounted fluid inlets, methods for making/using such fluid inlets, and aircraft equipped with flush-mounted air inlets for engine intake/cooling, bleed air flow, etc. A fluid inlet device is presented for improving vehicle aerodynamic performance. The fluid inlet device includes an inlet base that rigidly mounts to the vehicle, laying substantially flush with a washed outer surface across which fluid flows. The inlet base has a mouth that fluidly couples with a vehicle duct. Two sidewalls are attached to the inlet base, extending between leading and trailing edges of the inlet mouth. An inlet ramp, which is interposed between and attached to the sidewalls, projects inward at an oblique angle from the mouth's leading edge. A highlight is attached to the inlet base, projecting forward from the trailing edge towards the leading edge of the mouth. The highlight has a waveform plan-view profile and undulating outer surface.

An air inlet for a flight vehicle engine includes at least one fin, at least partially upstream of a throat of the engine. The fin protrudes into a flow channel, extending beyond a boundary layer into the main airstream in the inlet. The fin causes mixing in the flow, bringing high-momentum flow into areas of the flow channel containing low-momentum flow by aggregating the boundary layer and causing it to lift from the surface. The fin may have a width and/or height that varies along its length in the flow direction, which may allow it to shape the flow around it in predictable ways, without resulting in excessive drag.

An aircraft turbojet engine extending along an X axis and comprising a blower configured to provide a reverse thrust and a nacelle comprising an air intake which comprises at least one deflection member movably mounted between a deployed position in which the deflection member projects from the inner wall or from the lip of the air intake in a radially inward direction of deployment facing the X axis or in a longitudinal direction of deployment with respect to the X axis, in order to allow a release of the reverse air flow from the inner wall to support the reverse thrust phase, and a retracted position in which the air intake has an aerodynamic profile so as to guide the internal air flow along the inner wall in order to support the thrust phase.

A process for using an air input of a turboreactor nacelle of an aircraft, comprising an air input lip which comprises at least one fixed portion and at least one portion which can be moved between a first position, in which the air input lip has an aerodynamic profile so as to guide the internal air flow over the internal wall in order to promote a thrust phase, and a second position, in which the portion is displaced in relation to the fixed portion so that the air input lip has a second radial thickness in the second position which is less than the first radial thickness in the first position so as to promote a reverse thrust phase.

Disclosed is a method for using an aircraft turbojet engine comprising an air inlet comprising a plurality of rectifier vanes, each rectifier vane being mounted such that it can move between a retracted position to assist the thrust phase and a deployed position in which the rectifier vane protrudes from the inner wall in a radially inward direction in order to rectify the reverse air flow of the inner wall to assist a thrust-reverse phase, in which method at least one rectifier vane is in the retracted position during a turbojet engine thrust phase, the method comprising, during a thrust-reverse phase of the turbojet engine, a step of moving the rectifier vane to the deployed position.

An aircraft turbojet engine comprising a fan configured to provide a reverse thrust and a nacelle comprising an air intake, the air intake comprising at least one circulation duct in the annular cavity opening, on the one hand, at the air intake lip and, on the other hand, at the inner wall and/or the outer wall so as to promote a reverse thrust phase, the air intake comprising at least one cover member mounted to move between a covered position, in which the cover member closes the circulation duct at the air intake lip and an uncovered position, in which the cover member opens the circulation duct at the air intake lip.

An aircraft turbojet engine comprising a fan configured to provide a reverse thrust and a nacelle comprising an air intake, the air intake comprising at least one circulation duct in the annular cavity opening, on the one hand, at the air intake lip and, on the other hand, at the inner wall and/or the outer wall so as to promote a reverse thrust phase, the air intake comprising at least one cover member mounted to move between a covered position, in which the cover member closes the circulation duct at the air intake lip and an uncovered position, in which the cover member opens the circulation duct at the air intake lip.

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to detect air flow separation of an engine. An example apparatus includes hardware, and memory including instructions that, when executed, cause the hardware to at least determine an inlet flow separation parameter based on a first pressure value from a first pressure sensor included in a nacelle of a turbofan and a second pressure value from a second pressure sensor included in the nacelle, determine a severity level parameter based on the inlet flow separation parameter, the severity level parameter based on a difference between the first pressure value and the second pressure value, and adjust a contribution of airflow from aft of a fan of the turbofan based on the severity level parameter.

An aircraft including a fuselage extending along a longitudinal axis; forward swept wings extending from the fuselage; at least one horizontal stabilizer secured to the fuselage; and a distributed electrical propulsion system operatively connected to an electrical power source. The distributed electrical propulsion system have an air intake located rearward of an intersection between the forward swept wings and the fuselage open to a boundary layer region on a surface of the fuselage.

An aircraft propulsion system with a drag reduction portion adapted to reduce skin friction on at least a portion of the external surface of an aircraft. The drag reduction portion may include an inlet to ingest airflow. The aircraft may also have an internally cooled electric motor adapted for use in an aerial vehicle. The motor may have its stator towards the center and have an external rotor. The rotor structure may be air cooled and may be a complex structure with an internal lattice adapted for airflow. The stator structure may be liquid cooled and may be a complex structure with an internal lattice adapted for liquid to flow through. A fluid pump may pump a liquid coolant through non-rotating portions of the motor stator and then through heat exchangers cooled in part by air which has flowed through the rotating portions of the motor rotor. The drag reduction portion and the cooled electric motor portion may share the same inlet.