Aircraft gas turbine comprising a thrust-reverser device with cascade elements and an integrated rack and pinion drive

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aircraft gas turbine comprising a thrust-reverser device that is arranged at the rear area of an engine cowling and that has multiple cascade elements which are distributed at the circumference and which divert a stream, characterized in that the cascade elements are mounted in a displaceable manner, in that on both sides of each cascade element at least one gear rack is formed that can be displaced via a respective cog wheel which is coupled to a driving device, and in that each cascade element is connected to a rear area of the engine cowling via a coupling element for the purpose of displacing the engine cowling in the axial direction.

Claims

1. An aircraft gas turbine comprising: an engine cowling; a thrust-reverser device arranged at a rear area of the engine cowling, the thrust-reverser device including a plurality of cascade elements distributed around a first circumference of the aircraft gas turbine that diverts a stream; a driving device; a pair of gear racks of a plurality of gear racks, a first gear rack of the pair of gear racks positioned on a first side of a cascade element of the plurality of cascade elements, and a second gear rack of the pair of gear racks positioned on a second side of the cascade element of the plurality of cascade elements; a respective pinion of a plurality of pinions respectively coupling each gear rack of the pair of gear racks of the plurality of gear racks to the driving device for mounting each cascade element of the plurality of cascade elements in a displaceable manner; at least one coupling element respectively connecting each cascade element of the plurality of cascade elements to the rear area of the engine cowling for displacing the engine cowling in an axial direction; wherein the driving device comprises a central drive unit, the central drive unit includes an output shaft connected to multiple drive shafts, a plurality of deflection devices connecting the multiple drive shafts to each other in a torque-proof manner, two pinions of the plurality of pinions being attached to a respective drive shaft of the multiple drive shafts; wherein each drive shaft of the multiple drive shafts is straight; wherein the plurality of deflection devices are selected from the group consisting of cardan joints, bevel gear wheels, constant velocity joints, and angular gears; wherein the multiple drive shafts, the plurality of deflection devices, and the central drive unit form a closed drive ring which extends around a second circumference of the engine cowling.

2. The aircraft gas turbine according to claim 1, and further comprising a gear unit of a plurality of gear units respectively coupling each pinion of the two pinions to the respective drive shaft.

3. The aircraft gas turbine according to claim 2, wherein the gear unit of the plurality of gear units is a planetary gear integrated, respectively, into each pinion of the two pinions.

4. The aircraft gas turbine according claim 1, wherein the central drive unit comprises a gear unit.

5. The aircraft gas turbine according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of gear racks are formed to have a straight shape or a curved shape.

Description

(1) In the following, the invention is described by way of an exemplary embodiment in connection with the drawings. In the Figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a partial perspective view of an aircraft gas turbine according to the invention which is mounted on a wing of an aircraft.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a partial perspective view of the petal cascade elements according to the invention, including the associated driving device,

(4) FIG. 3 shows an enlarged detailed view of two petal cascade elements with racks and pinions, as well as drive shafts,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a sectional front view of the exemplary embodiment according to the invention,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a partial perspective view as a representation of the petal cascade elements,

(7) FIG. 6 shows a view, analogous to FIG. 5, representing the closed drive train, and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of the construction according to the invention.

(9) FIG. 1 shows an aircraft gas turbine 1 which is provided with an engine cowling 2 in the customary manner. The engine cowling 2 has a rear area 7, which is translatable in the axial direction, with respect to the engine axis, for the purpose of thrust-reverse. The gas turbine 1 is suspended at a wing 13 by means of a pylon 12, such as is known from the state of the art.

(10) FIGS. 2 and 3 show petal cascade elements 3 in a perspective representation, respectively. The petal cascade elements 3 comprise a plurality of transverse baffles which are not shown in detail and through which air from the bypass duct is redirected for the purpose of thrust-reverse. Such petal cascade elements 3 are known from the state of the art.

(11) The petal cascade elements 3 are mounted at their lateral areas on guide rails 14, respectively. These can be formed with a linear or a curved shape. Moreover, the petal cascade elements 3 have gear racks 4 at their lateral areas that comb with the pinions 5. As is shown in FIG. 3, for example, the gear rack 4 can be formed in a double-sided manner, so that the pinion 5 combs with the double-sided gearing with the gear rack 4.

(12) The pinions 5 are mounted in a torque-proof manner on drive shafts 10, respectively. The individual drive shafts 10 are connected in a torque-proof manner via cardan joints, bevel gear wheels, constant velocity joints or angular gears 11, which form a deflection device, so that a substantially circular, closed drive train is formed, as shown in FIG. 4. This drive train comprises a motor 8, which can be embodied as a hydraulic motor or as an electric motor and may also comprise a gear unit and which forms a central drive unit. The two lateral output shafts 9 of the motor 8 are connected to the neighbouring drive shafts 10 via cardan joints 11, as well.

(13) According to the invention, the motor 8 thus drives the individual drive shafts 10 and the pinions 5 that are coupled with the same in order to displace the petal cascade elements 3 which are arranged so as to extend around the circumference (see FIG. 5).

(14) The petal cascade elements 3 are respectively connected to the rear area 7 of the engine cowling 2 by means of coupling elements 6, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, for example. The rear area 7 of the engine cowling 2 is mounted on rails 15, which are not shown in detail, so that the rear area 7 can be displaced in the axial direction. Thus, actuation of the motor 8 does not only lead to a permanently coupled and steady movement of the individual petal cascade elements, but also results in the axial translation of the rear area of the engine cowling.

(15) FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of the exemplary embodiment according to the FIGS. 2 to 6. Here, it is particularly illustrated once more that the motor 8 is equipped with a gear unit 17 via a brake 18, with the gear unit 17 having output shafts that are respectively connected to a deflection device 11. Moreover, the gear unit 16 that has already been mentioned and that is associated with the cog wheel 5 or integrated into the same is shown in a schematic manner. The rotational speed of the motor can be less than 6000 1/min, the torque can be less than 300 Nm. The drive shafts 10 can be formed as solid shafts, as chains, as flex shafts, as a sprocket wheel or as a toothed belt.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(16) 1 aircraft gas turbine 2 engine cowling 3 petal cascade element 4 gear rack 5 pinion 6 coupling element 7 rear area 8 motor (central drive unit) 9 output shaft 10 drive shaft 11 cardan joint/angular gears/deflection device 12 pylon 13 wing 14 guide rail 15 rail 16 gear unit 17 gear unit 18 break