An ultra-efficient “green” aircraft propulsor utilizing an augmentor fan is disclosed. A balanced design is provided combining a fuel efficient and low-noise high bypass ratio augmentor fan and a low-noise shrouded high bypass ratio turbofan. Three mass flow streams are utilized to reduce propulsor specific fuel consumption and increase performance relative to conventional turbofans. Methods are provided for optimization of fuel efficiency, power, and noise by varying mass flow ratios of the three mass flow streams. Methods are also provided for integration of external propellers into turbofan machinery.

An ultra-efficient “green” aircraft propulsor utilizing an augmentor fan is disclosed. A balanced design is provided combining a fuel efficient and low-noise high bypass ratio augmentor fan and a low-noise shrouded high bypass ratio turbofan. Three mass flow streams are utilized to reduce propulsor specific fuel consumption and increase performance relative to conventional turbofans. Methods are provided for optimization of fuel efficiency, power, and noise by varying mass flow ratios of the three mass flow streams. Methods are also provided for integration of external propellers into turbofan machinery.

An aircraft has an empennage and a folding system. The folding system has aerofoils and node bodies which are connected to one another. The aerofoils have at least two nose-side aerofoils and at least two tail-side aerofoils, of which one of the nose-side aerofoils and one of the tail-side aerofoils are port-side aerofoils and one of the nose-side aerofoils and one of the tail-side aerofoils are starboard-side aerofoils. The node bodies have fuselage-side node bodies and outer node bodies. The nose-side aerofoils and tail-side aerofoils are each articulated at a first end to an associated fuselage-side node body, and the nose-side aerofoils and tail-side aerofoils are each articulated at a second end to an outer node body. The tail-side node bodies are displaceable at least partially along an associated translation axis. The folding system functions as the empennage during flight.

A blended wing aircraft including a blended wing fuselage and at least one embedded gas turbine engine in the fuselage. The gas turbine engine includes an inlet duct formed with a generally elliptical shape that includes a first set of ellipse sections along an upper portion of the inlet duct and a second set of ellipse sections along a lower portion of the inlet duct. The inlet duct includes a vertical centerline. The first set of ellipse sections at a throat of the inlet duct is larger in area than an area of an upstream most end of the second set of ellipse sections. The area of the second set of ellipse sections increases toward a downstream end of the inlet duct. A fan section has an axis of rotation that is spaced from the vertical centerline and is disposed within an inlet duct orifice. The inlet duct is upstream of the fan section.

A blended wing aircraft including a blended wing fuselage and at least one embedded gas turbine engine in the fuselage. The gas turbine engine includes an inlet duct formed with a generally elliptical shape that includes a first set of ellipse sections along an upper portion of the inlet duct and a second set of ellipse sections along a lower portion of the inlet duct. The inlet duct includes a vertical centerline. The first set of ellipse sections at a throat of the inlet duct is larger in area than an area of an upstream most end of the second set of ellipse sections. The area of the second set of ellipse sections increases toward a downstream end of the inlet duct. A fan section has an axis of rotation that is spaced from the vertical centerline and is disposed within an inlet duct orifice. The inlet duct is upstream of the fan section.

A boundary layer ingestion fan system for location aft of the fuselage of an aircraft is shown. It comprises a nacelle (501) defining a duct (502), and a fan (503) located within the duct. The fan comprises a hub arranged to rotate around a rotational axis (A-A) and a plurality of blades attached to the hub. Each blade has a span (r) from a root at the hub defining a 0 percent span position (r=0) to a tip defining a 100 percent span position (r=1) and a plurality of span positions therebetween (r ∈ [0, 1]), and a stagger angle at the 0 percent span position (ζ.sub.hub) relative to the rotational axis of 40 degrees or greater.

An aircraft is disclosed having a boundary layer ingestion propulsor. The aircraft comprises an elongated fuselage extending between a nose section and a tail section. The fuselage has an upswept underside in the tail section. The boundary layer ingestion propulsor is positioned in the tail section. The propulsor comprises a fan radially encased by a nacelle circumscribing the fuselage. The nacelle defines a leading edge line extending from a top dead center to a bottom dead center of the nacelle intersecting an axis of rotation of the fan at an angle no greater than seventy degrees.

An aircraft is disclosed having a boundary layer ingestion propulsor. The aircraft comprises an elongated fuselage extending between a nose section and a tail section. The fuselage has an upswept underside in the tail section. The boundary layer ingestion propulsor is positioned in the tail section. The propulsor comprises a fan radially encased by a nacelle circumscribing the fuselage. The nacelle defines a leading edge line extending from a top dead center to a bottom dead center of the nacelle intersecting an axis of rotation of the fan at an angle no greater than seventy degrees.

Power generation systems are described. The systems include a shaft, a compressor operably coupled to a first end of the shaft, a turbine operably coupled to a second end of the shaft, a generator operably coupled to the shaft between the compressor and the turbine, and a working fluid arranged in a closed-loop flow path that flows through each of the compressor and the turbine to drive rotation of the shaft. The shaft includes an internal fluid conduit configured to receive a portion of the working fluid at one of the first end and the second end and convey the portion of the working fluid through the generator to the other of the first end and the second end, wherein the portion of the working fluid is rejoined with a primary flow path of the working fluid.

Provided is an aircraft internal combustion engine capable of improving a fuel consumption rate. An aircraft internal combustion engine (1) includes a gas turbine (2), a lubricating oil supply pipe (31) through which a lubricating oil flows, a variable capacity type electric pump (33) that supplies the lubricating oil to the gas turbine (2), a temperature detection unit (5) that detects the temperature of the lubricating oil, a supply amount detection unit (6) that detects a supply amount of the lubricating oil, a rotation speed detection unit (4) that detects a rotation speed of the gas turbine (2), and a control unit (7). The control unit (7) sets a target supply amount of the lubricating oil based on the rotation speed of the gas turbine (2) detected by the rotation speed detection unit (4) and the temperature of the lubricating oil detected by the temperature detection unit (5), and controls a discharge amount of the lubricating oil such that the supply amount of the lubricating oil detected by the supply amount detection unit (6) matches the target supply amount.