An inlet diffuser for a jet engine and methods for mixing boundary layers of air in compact inlet diffusers with high offset and high aspect ratio apertures are disclosed. The inlet diffuser includes an inlet diffuser body that includes elongate structures that are configured to allow a first portion of boundary layer air located between the elongate structures to flow within a channel, restrict the first portion of boundary layer air from flowing across either elongate structure, and allow a second portion of boundary layer air located outboard of the elongate structures to flow across the elongate structures and into a region of internal volume inward of the channel, wherein the second portion of boundary layer air is pushed away from the internal surface of the diffuser body by the elongate structures as the second portion of boundary layer air flows across the elongate structures in an inboard direction.

An acoustic panel with a cellular core includes cells that are provided with one or more obstacles, each of the obstacles extending transversely in relation to the main axis of the associated cell so as to increase the length of the path (F) that sound waves travel through the cell. Methods enabling the production of such a panel implements steps of cutting, folding and bonding that are suitable for creating cells provided with such obstacles.

A gas turbine engine has a nose cone with a nose cone upstream end and an inlet housing including a plurality of separate flow paths at a housing upstream end which is downstream of the nose cone upstream end. The inlet housing includes a mixing portion downstream of the housing upstream end which mixes airflow from the separate flow paths, such that the airflow is generally around 360 degrees of a rotational axis of the gas turbine engine. A rotor and a turbine drive a shaft to drive the rotor with the shaft including a bearing mounted at a location downstream of the nose cone upstream end.

An acoustic treatment device for an aircraft turbojet engine nacelle forms an annular ring including several sections, each section having a sound absorption structure, an outer skin and two lateral skins attached to the inner air inlet shroud of such a nacelle by fasteners, and the sections being connected to each other by battens.

A supersonic jet aircraft and a method of operating the same. The supersonic jet aircraft having at least three turbofan engines and an engine management computer. A first engine of the at least three turbofan engines is configured to be de-activatable during flight to move from an operational state in which it provides thrust to an operational state in which it stops providing thrust. Other engines of the at least three turbofan engines are configured to provide sufficient thrust to the supersonic jet aircraft when the first engine is de-activated such that the aircraft can perform a supersonic climb operation and/or a supersonic cruise operation.

A vehicle includes a main body and a gas generator producing a gas stream. At least one fore conduit and tail conduit are fluidly coupled to the generator. First and second fore ejectors are fluidly coupled to the at least one fore conduit. At least one tail ejector is fluidly coupled to the at least one tail conduit. The fore ejectors respectively include an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one fore conduit flows. The at least one tail ejector includes an outlet structure out of which gas from the at least one tail conduit flows. First and second primary airfoil elements have leading edges respectively located directly downstream of the first and second fore ejectors. At least one secondary airfoil element has a leading edge located directly downstream of the outlet structure of the at least one tail ejector.

A system and method is disclosed for improving the performance of pulsejet engines and of flight vehicles that incorporate pulsejet engines as a propulsion system. The system and method will decelerate the oncoming airstream to which a U-shaped pulsejet engine that is the propulsion system for a flight vehicle is exposed so that larger amounts of atmospheric air will be ingested into a rearward-facing inlet pipe for improved engine operation at low and high speeds/altitudes. The system and method provide for the recovery of the dynamic pressure of the incoming fresh airstream to raise the static pressure around the rearward facing inlet pipe to generate higher pressures and higher air density for improving the ingestion of air mass into the inlet pipe of the pulsejet engine thereby producing greater engine power and thrust.

A propulsion system coupled to a vehicle. The system includes a convex surface, a diffusing structure coupled to the convex surface, and at least one conduit coupled to the convex surface. The conduit is configured to introduce to the convex surface a primary fluid produced by the vehicle. The system further includes an intake structure coupled to the convex surface and configured to introduce to the diffusing structure a secondary fluid accessible to the vehicle. The diffusing structure comprises a terminal end configured to provide egress from the system for the introduced primary fluid and secondary fluid.

A propulsion system for an aircraft includes (1) an engine configured to generate a mass flow, (2) a nozzle having a pathway having a throat and a trailing edge, one of the throat and the trailing edge configured to enlarge and contract, (3) a heat source disposed in the nozzle, (4) a first pressure sensor to sense the static pressure of the mass flow at the nozzle exit, (5) a second pressure sensor to sense the ambient pressure proximate the aircraft, and a (6) controller. The controller is coupled with the first and second pressure sensors, the heat source, and the throat or the trailing edge (whichever is configured to enlarge and contract). The controller receives the static and ambient pressures and when there is a disparity, the controller controls at least one of the heat source, the throat, and the trailing edge in a manner that reduces the disparity.

A fan assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a fan including a plurality of fan blades extending radially outwardly from a fan hub to a blade tip defining a fan diameter. A nacelle surrounds the fan and defines a fan inlet upstream of the fan, relative to an airflow direction into the fan. The nacelle has a forwardmost edge defining an inlet length from the forwardmost edge to a leading edge of a fan blade. A ratio of inlet length to fan diameter is between 0.20 and 0.45. A nacelle inner surface defines a nacelle flowpath having a convex throat portion and a diffusion portion between the throat portion and the leading edge of the fan blade at a topmost portion of the nacelle. The throat portion has a minimum throat radius measured from a fan central axis greater than a blade tip radius.