Gas turbine engine with axial movable fan variable area nozzle

Abstract

A turbofan engine includes fan section including a plurality of fan blades, a gear train, a low spool including a low pressure turbine and a low pressure compressor, the low pressure turbine driving the plurality of fan blades through the gear train, and a high spool including a high pressure turbine driving a high pressure compressor. A fan nacelle at least partially surrounds a core nacelle to define a fan bypass flow path. A fan variable area nozzle is in communication with the fan bypass flow path and defines a fan nozzle exit area between the fan nacelle and the core nacelle. The fan variable area nozzle varies the fan nozzle exit area.

Claims

1. A turbofan engine comprising: a fan section including a plurality of fan blades; an epicyclic gear train having a gear reduction ratio of greater than 2.3:1; a low spool including a low pressure turbine and a low pressure compressor, the low pressure turbine driving the plurality of fan blades through the gear train, the low pressure turbine having a pressure ratio greater than 5:1; a high spool including a high pressure turbine driving a high pressure compressor; a fan nacelle and a core nacelle, the fan nacelle at least partially surrounding the core nacelle; a fan bypass flow path defined between the core nacelle and the fan nacelle; a fan variable area nozzle in communication with the fan bypass flow path and defining a fan nozzle exit area between the fan nacelle and the core nacelle; a controller; wherein the controller controls the fan variable area nozzle, varying the fan nozzle exit area in operation to adjust fan bypass air flow in the fan bypass flow path in a plurality of flight conditions; and wherein the fan variable area nozzle includes a first fan nacelle section and a second fan nacelle section moveable axially along an engine axis of rotation relative to the first fan nacelle section, defining an auxiliary port that varies the fan nozzle exit area and adjusts a pressure ratio of the fan bypass airflow, the auxiliary port extending between the first fan nacelle section and the second fan nacelle section, and wherein an outer surface of the second fan nacelle section defines an R_ARC/CHORD greater than 0.7, the R_ARC is a radial distance from the engine axis of rotation to a radial outer wall surface of the second fan nacelle section, and the CHORD is a chord length of the second fan nacelle section.

2. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 1, wherein the second fan nacelle section defines a trailing edge of the fan variable area nozzle.

3. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 2, wherein the second fan nacelle section axially slides along the engine axis of rotation relative to the first fan nacelle section to change an effective area of the fan nozzle exit area, and the auxiliary port is closed by positioning the second fan nacelle section in-line with the first fan nacelle section relative to the engine axis of rotation.

4. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 3, wherein the fan variable area nozzle varies the fan nozzle exit area in response to the controller in the plurality of flight conditions, allowing the engine to change to a more favorable fan operating line, avoid an instability region of the fan section, and maintain an angle of incidence on the plurality of fan blades in the plurality of flight conditions that is close to a design angle of incidence of the plurality of fan blades.

5. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 3, further comprising a duct defined between the fan nacelle and the core nacelle forward of the fan variable area nozzle, the duct having a duct maximum area, and wherein the duct maximum area is greater than the fan nozzle exit area with the fan variable area nozzle in a fully open position.

6. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 1, wherein the fan variable area nozzle has an effective area increase limit, and the fan nozzle exit area has a maximum effective area increase, and the fan variable area nozzle achieves the maximum effective area increase of the fan nozzle exit area in operation before the fan variable area nozzle has reached the effective area increase limit.

7. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 6, wherein the fan variable area nozzle varies the fan nozzle exit area in response to the controller in the plurality of flight conditions, allowing the engine to change to a more favorable fan operating line, avoid an instability region of the fan section, and maintain an angle of incidence on the plurality of fan blades in the plurality of flight conditions that is close to a design angle of incidence of the plurality of fan blades.

8. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the fan variable nozzle decreases the fan nozzle exit area for a cruise operating condition, and the fan variable nozzle increases the fan nozzle exit area for a landing operating condition.

9. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 8, wherein the high pressure turbine includes two stages.

10. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 9, wherein the low pressure turbine includes three stages, and the low pressure compressor includes a plurality of stages.

11. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 5, wherein the fan variable nozzle decreases the fan nozzle exit area for a cruise operating condition.

12. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 11, wherein the fan variable nozzle increases the fan nozzle exit area for a landing operating condition.

13. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 12, wherein the gear train includes a planetary gear system.

14. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 13, wherein the low pressure turbine drives the low pressure compressor.

15. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 14, wherein the core nacelle is supported within the fan nacelle by a plurality of fan exit guide vanes, and the auxiliary port is axially aft of the plurality of fan exit guide vanes relative to the engine axis of rotation.

16. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 15, wherein the fan variable area nozzle includes a plurality of sectors that are independently adjustable to asymmetrically vary the fan nozzle exit area.

17. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 15, wherein the fan variable area nozzle includes a plurality of sectors that are simultaneously moveable.

18. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 17, wherein the fan variable area nozzle has an effective area increase limit, and the fan nozzle exit area has a maximum effective area increase, and the fan variable area nozzle achieves the maximum effective area increase of the fan nozzle exit area in operation before the fan variable area nozzle has reached the effective area increase limit.

19. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 17, wherein the second fan nacelle section includes a first segment and a second segment, the first segment defined between a pylon and a lower Bi-Fi splitter, and the second segment defined between the pylon and the lower Bi-Fi splitter.

20. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 19, wherein the lower Bi-Fi splitter interconnects the second fan nacelle section and the core nacelle.

21. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 20, wherein the fan variable area nozzle has an effective area increase limit, and the fan nozzle exit area has a maximum effective area increase, and the fan variable area nozzle achieves the maximum effective area increase of the fan nozzle exit area in operation before the fan variable area nozzle has reached the effective area increase limit.

22. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 21, wherein the low pressure turbine includes three stages, and the low pressure compressor includes a plurality of stages.

23. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 22, wherein the high pressure turbine includes two stages.

24. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 23, wherein the gear reduction ratio is greater than 2.5:1.

25. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 24, wherein the second fan nacelle section slides aftward upon a track fairing in response to an actuator, and the track fairing extends from the first fan nacelle section adjacent one of the pylon and the lower Bi-Fi splitter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:

(2) FIG. 1A is a general schematic partial fragmentary view of an exemplary gas turbine engine embodiment for use with the present invention;

(3) FIG. 1B is a rear view of the engine;

(4) FIG. 1C is a side view of the engine integrated with a pylon;

(5) FIG. 1D is a perspective view of the engine integrated with a pylon;

(6) FIG. 2A is a sectional side view of the VAFN in a closed position;

(7) FIG. 2B is a sectional side view of the VAFN in an open position; and

(8) FIG. 3 is a graph of a bypass duct normalized cross-sectional area distribution.

(9) FIG. 4 is a graph of a Effective Area Increase vs. Nozzle Translation;

(10) FIG. 5 is a graph of a duct area distribution;

(11) FIG. 6A is schematic geometric view of the auxiliary port location;

(12) FIG. 6B is schematic geometric view of the auxiliary port entrance angle;

(13) and

(14) FIG. 6C is schematic geometric view of a VAFN outer surface curvature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(15) FIG. 1A illustrates a general partial fragmentary schematic view of a gas turbofan engine 10 suspended from an engine pylon P within an engine nacelle assembly N as is typical of an aircraft designed for subsonic operation.

(16) The turbofan engine 10 includes a core engine within a core nacelle 12 that houses a low spool 14 and high spool 24. The low spool 14 includes a low pressure compressor 16 and low pressure turbine 18. The low spool 14 drives a fan section 20 through a gear train 22. The high spool 24 includes a high pressure compressor 26 and high pressure turbine 28. A combustor 30 is arranged between the high pressure compressor 26 and high pressure turbine 28. The low and high spools 14, 24 rotate about an engine axis of rotation A.

(17) The engine 10 is preferably a high-bypass geared architecture aircraft engine. In one disclosed, non-limiting embodiment, the engine 10 bypass ratio is greater than about six (6) to ten (10), the gear train 22 is an epicyclic gear train such as a planetary gear system or other gear system with a gear reduction ratio of greater than about 2.3 and the low pressure turbine 18 has a pressure ratio that is greater than about 5. In one disclosed embodiment, the engine 10 bypass ratio is greater than ten (10:1), the turbofan diameter is significantly larger than that of the low pressure compressor 16, and the low pressure turbine 18 has a pressure ratio that is greater than 5:1. The gear train 22 may be an epicycle gear train such as a planetary gear system or other gear system with a gear reduction ratio of greater than 2.5:1. It should be understood, however, that the above parameters are only exemplary of one embodiment of a geared architecture engine and that the present invention is applicable to other gas turbine engines including direct drive turbofans.

(18) Airflow enters a fan nacelle 34, which at least partially surrounds the core nacelle 12. The fan section 20 communicates airflow into the core nacelle 12 to power the low pressure compressor 16 and the high pressure compressor 26. Core airflow compressed by the low pressure compressor 16 and the high pressure compressor 26 is mixed with the fuel in the combustor 30 and expanded over the high pressure turbine 28 and low pressure turbine 18. The turbines 28, 18 are coupled for rotation with, respective, spools 24, 14 to rotationally drive the compressors 26, 16 and through the gear train 22, the fan section 20 in response to the expansion. A core engine exhaust E exits the core nacelle 12 through a core nozzle 43 defined between the core nacelle 12 and a tail cone 32.

(19) The core nacelle 12 is supported within the fan nacelle 34 by structure 36 often generically referred to as Fan Exit Guide Vanes (FEGVs). A bypass flow path 40 is defined between the core nacelle 12 and the fan nacelle 34. The engine 10 generates a high bypass flow arrangement with a bypass ratio in which approximately 80 percent of the airflow entering the fan nacelle 34 becomes bypass flow B. The bypass flow B communicates through the generally annular fan bypass flow path 40 and is discharged from the engine 10 through a fan variable area nozzle (VAFN) 42 which defines a fan nozzle exit area 44 between the fan nacelle 34 and the core nacelle 12 at a fan nacelle end segment 34S of the fan nacelle 34 downstream of the fan section 20.

(20) Thrust is a function of density, velocity, and area. One or more of these parameters can be manipulated to vary the amount and direction of thrust provided by the bypass flow B. The VAFN 42 operates to effectively vary the area of the fan nozzle exit area 44 to selectively adjust the pressure ratio of the bypass flow B in response to a controller C. Low pressure ratio turbofans are desirable for their high propulsive efficiency. However, low pressure ratio fans may be inherently susceptible to fan stability/flutter problems at low power and low flight speeds. The VAFN allows the engine to change to a more favorable fan operating line at low power, avoiding the instability region, and still provide the relatively smaller nozzle area necessary to obtain a high-efficiency fan operating line at cruise.

(21) A significant amount of thrust is provided by the bypass flow B due to the high bypass ratio. The fan section 20 of the engine 10 is preferably designed for a particular flight condition—typically cruise at about 0.8M and about 35,000 feet. As the fan blades within the fan section 20 are efficiently designed at a particular fixed stagger angle for an efficient cruise condition, the VAFN 42 is operated to effectively vary the fan nozzle exit area 44 to adjust fan bypass air flow such that the angle of attack or incidence on the fan blades is maintained close to the design incidence for efficient engine operation at other flight conditions, such as landing and takeoff to thus provide optimized engine operation over a range of flight conditions with respect to performance and other operational parameters such as noise levels.

(22) The VAFN 42 is separated into at least two sectors 42A-42B (FIG. 1B) defined between the pylon P and a lower Bi-Fi splitter L which typically interconnects a larger diameter fan duct reverser cowl and a smaller diameter core cowl (FIGS. 1C and 1D). Each of the at least two sectors 42A-42B are independently adjustable to asymmetrically vary the fan nozzle exit area 44 to generate vectored thrust. It should be understood that although two segments are illustrated, any number of segments may alternatively or additionally be provided.

(23) In operation, the VAFN 42 communicates with a controller C or the like to adjust the fan nozzle exit area 44 in a symmetrical and asymmetrical manner. Other control systems including an engine controller or aircraft flight control system may also be usable with the present invention. By adjusting the entire periphery of the VAFN 42 symmetrically in which all sectors are moved uniformly, thrust efficiency and fuel economy are maximized during each flight condition. By separately adjusting the circumferential sectors 42A-42B of the VAFN 42 to provide an asymmetrical fan nozzle exit area 44, engine bypass flow is selectively vectored to provide, for example only, trim balance or thrust controlled maneuvering enhanced ground operations or short field performance.

(24) The VAFN 42 generally includes an auxiliary port assembly 50 having a first fan nacelle section 52 and a second fan nacelle section 54 movably mounted relative the first fan nacelle section 52. The second fan nacelle section 54 axially slides along the engine axis A relative the fixed first fan nacelle section 52 to change the effective area of the fan nozzle exit area 44. The second fan nacelle section 54 slides aftward upon a track fairing 56A, 56B (illustrated schematically in FIGS. 1C and 1D) in response to an actuator 58 (illustrated schematically). The track fairing 56A, 56B extend from the first fan nacelle section 52 adjacent the respective pylon P and the lower Bi-Fi splitter L (FIG. 1D).

(25) The VAFN 42 changes the physical area and geometry of the bypass flow path 40 during particular flight conditions. The bypass flow B is effectively altered by sliding of the second fan nacelle section 54 relative the first fan nacelle section 52 between a closed position (FIG. 2A) and an open position (FIG. 2B). The auxiliary port assembly 50 is closed by positioning the second fan nacelle section 54 in-line with the first fan nacelle section 52 to define the fan nozzle exit area 44 as exit area F0 (FIG. 2A).

(26) The VAFN 42 is opened by moving the second fan nacelle section 54 aftward along the track fairing 56A, 56B away from the first fan nacelle section 52 to open an auxiliary port 60 which extends between the open second fan nacelle section 54 relative the first fan nacelle section 52 to essentially provide an increased fan nozzle exit area 44 exit area F1. That is, the exit area F1 with the port 60 is greater than exit area F0 (FIG. 2B).

(27) In one disclosed embodiment, the auxiliary port 60 is incorporated into the exhaust system of a high bypass ratio commercial turbofan engine within the bypass duct aft of the Fan Exit Guide Vanes (FEGVs; FIGS. 2A, 2B). The auxiliary port 60 is located in the aft section of the bypass duct outer wall.

(28) Referring to FIG. 3, the bypass duct area distribution, the effective area increase vs. translation (FIG. 4), area distribution (FIG. 5), and auxiliary port 60 location (FIG. 6A) and wall curvatures (FIG. 6B-6C) are tailored to provide a proper flow-field that allows the auxiliary port 60 to obtain the required additional effective exit area. The auxiliary port 60 will essentially double the effective area gain due to translation. The auxiliary port 60 provides a relatively low weight method of providing increased exit area to control the fan operating line without causing high system losses or unacceptable aircraft installation issues. By tailoring the bypass duct area distribution and outer wall curvature, the desired maximum effective area increase is achieved before the stroke of the auxiliary port 60 reaches its effective area increase limit.

(29) The auxiliary port exit plane 44B (defined as the plane between the stationary section's trailing edge and the moving sections leading edge) initially has an opening in which the exit plane normal vector is near-axial, but as the stroke increases, the normal vector becomes more inclined and approaches a near-radial vector. Once the exit plane normal has become near-radial, the maximum auxiliary port effectiveness has been reached. Once this point is reached, the rate of the effective area vs. translation changes from steep slope of the “well designed port” the shallow rate of the “main nozzle only”, since additional area will be provided through the main nozzle 44A due to the inward slope of the core nacelle 12. A well designed auxiliary port nozzle will achieve approximately +25% effective area before the port effectiveness limit is reached. That is, there is a limited range of stroke in which the auxiliary port doubles the rate of additional effectiveness. Outside of this range, the rate of additional effectiveness may be equivalent to a translating nozzle that has no auxiliary port. Or put another way, the auxiliary port reduces the stroke necessary for a pure translating nozzle to achieve a desired effective area.

(30) Referring to FIG. 5, the cross-sectional area at the auxiliary port 60 is greater than the maximum required effective area of the VAFN 42 and the bypass duct area distribution is tailored to ensure the duct cross-sectional area forward of the auxiliary port 60 is greater than the port opening cross-sectional area. This avoids a situation where an upstream internal cross-section becomes the controlling flow area (i.e. is smaller than the exit area), which can lead to operational limits and structural issues.

(31) Referring to FIG. 6A, the auxiliary port 60 in the disclosed embodiment, is located no more forward than 0.1 DEL_X/L_DUCT defined from a point D at the largest radius Rmax of the annular fan bypass flow path 40 defined by the second fan nacelle section 54. Rmax is defined through point D and perpendicular to the engine axis A. Point D in the disclosed non limiting embodiment is located on an inner wall surface 541 of the second fan nacelle section 54 when the second fan nacelle section 54 is in a closed position. DEL_X is the axial distance to the forward most point of the auxiliary port 60 from Rmax. L_DUCT is the overall axial length of the annular fan bypass flow path 40. The angle between the mean port line and the fan duct outer wall is relatively low to provide well-behaved, low loss exit flow. In the disclosed embodiment, the auxiliary port 60 entrance angle (Theta_in) relative to the fan bypass duct OD wall, is less than 20 degrees (FIG. 6B) while the outer VAFN surface has an R_ARC/CHORD>0.7 where R_ARC is a radial distance from the engine axis A to a radial outer wall surface 540 of the second fan nacelle section 54 and CHORD is the chord length of the second fan nacelle section 54 (FIG. 6C). The curvature of the outer wall surface 540 near the auxiliary port 60 promotes flow through the auxiliary port 60. In one disclosed embodiment, the stroke of the second fan nacelle section 54 necessary to obtain an additional 20% effective exit area is approximately 8.4 inches.

(32) In operation, the VAFN 42 communicates with the controller C to move the second fan nacelle section 54 relative the first fan nacelle section 52 of the auxiliary port assembly 50 to effectively vary the area defined by the fan nozzle exit area 44. Various control systems including an engine controller or an aircraft flight control system may also be usable with the present invention. By adjusting the axial position of the entire periphery of the second fan nacelle section 54 in which all sectors are moved simultaneously, engine thrust and fuel economy are maximized during each flight regime by varying the fan nozzle exit area. By separately adjusting the sectors of the second fan nacelle section 54 to provide an asymmetrical fan nozzle exit area 44, engine bypass flow is selectively vectored to provide, for example only, trim balance, thrust controlled maneuvering, enhanced ground operations and short field performance.

(33) The foregoing description is exemplary rather than defined by the limitations within. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed, however, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. For that reason the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.