Attachment pylon for a turbine engine

Abstract

A pylon for attaching a turbine engine, the pylon configured to connect the engine to a structural element of an aircraft. The pylon includes a streamlined profile defined by two opposite lateral faces and defined longitudinally between a leading edge and a trailing edge. On each of its lateral faces the pylon includes a series of deflectors that are transversely spaced apart from one another and that define between them convergent and curved channels configured to accelerate air streams flowing within the channels on aircraft takeoff or in flight to deflect the air streams towards a jet of the engine.

Claims

1. A pylon for attaching a turbine engine, the pylon configured to connect the engine to a structural element of an aircraft, the pylon comprising: a streamlined profile defined by two opposite lateral faces and defined in a longitudinal direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge; and on each of the lateral faces, a respective series of deflectors that are spaced apart from one another in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction so that, between an outside wall of the engine and a first deflector and between the first deflector and a second deflector, or between the first deflector and the second deflector and between the second deflector and a third deflector, at least two channels are defined within which air streams flow on aircraft takeoff or in flight, each of the at least two channels being convergent, so that each of the at least two channels are of flow section that decreases progressively from upstream to downstream, and curved to accelerate the air streams and to guide the air streams towards a jet of the engine, the first deflector being closer to the outside wall of the engine than the second deflector in the transverse direction and the second deflector being closer to the outside wall of the engine than the third deflector in the transverse direction.

2. A pylon according to claim 1, wherein the pylon extends transversely between a distal end for fastening to the engine and a proximal end for fastening to the structural element of the aircraft, and wherein the proximal portion of the pylon does not have deflectors.

3. A pylon according to claim 1, wherein each deflector extends longitudinally from the leading edge of the pylon, an end of each deflector in a longitudinal direction of the pylon being coincident with the leading edge of the pylon.

4. A pylon according to claim 1, wherein each deflector extends longitudinally towards the jet, a downstream end of each deflector being situated in proximity of the jet, while remaining outside the jet.

5. A pylon according to claim 1, wherein each deflector presents a height, in a thickness direction of the pylon, in a range of 5% to 50% of diameter of the engine.

6. A pylon according to claim 1, wherein each deflector is twisted to guide the air streams both towards the jet of the engine and into a wake of the pylon.

7. A device for an aircraft, comprising: a turbine engine; and a pylon according to claim 1, whereby the engine can be connected to a structural element of the aircraft.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the engine is an aeroengine and wherein the structural element is an airplane wing.

9. A device according to claim 7, wherein the engine is a turbojet.

10. A pylon according to claim 1, wherein the deflectors come progressively closer to one another while going in a direction from the leading edge toward the trailing edge of the pylon.

11. A pylon according to claim 1, wherein the deflectors are fastened to the pylon entirely along a length of the deflectors in the longitudinal direction of the pylon.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings are diagrammatic and not to scale; they seek above all to illustrate the principles of the invention.

(2) In the drawings, from one figure to another, elements (or portions of an element) that are identical are referenced by the same reference signs. In addition, elements (or portions of an element) belonging to embodiments that are different but having functions that are analogous are referenced in the figures by numerical references spaced apart by 100, 200, etc.

(3) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of an attachment pylon connecting a turbojet to an airplane wing.

(4) FIG. 2 is a side view of the FIG. 1 pylon.

(5) FIG. 3 is a front view of the FIG. 2 pylon looking along arrow III.

(6) FIG. 4 is a rear view of the FIG. 2 pylon looking along arrow IV.

(7) FIG. 5 is a front view analogous to the view of FIG. 3 showing another example of a pylon.

(8) FIG. 6 is a rear view, analogous to that of FIG. 4, showing the FIG. 5 pylon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(9) Embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments show the characteristics and the advantages of the invention. It should nevertheless be recalled that the invention is not limited to these embodiments. In particular, although the invention is described below in the context of its application to a turbojet (of the bypass type having two separate streams) that is fastened under an airplane wing, the invention is not limited to this application.

(10) FIGS. 1 to 4 show a turbojet 10 fastened under an airplane wing 20 by means of an attachment pylon 30. The drive axis A of the turbojet 10 is drawn in chain-dotted lines in the figures.

(11) The pylon 30 has a streamlined profile defined by two opposite faces 36 and 38 and it extends longitudinally (i.e. parallel to the drive axis A) between a leading edge 31 and a trailing edge 33. The pylon 30 is defined transversely between a distal end 35 fastened to the turbojet 10 and a proximal end 34 fastened to the wing 20 of the airplane.

(12) The longitudinal and transverse directions are referenced X and Y respectively in the figures. The direction Z, which is referenced in FIG. 2, is the thickness direction of the pylon 30. The term longitudinal plane is used to designate a plane parallel to the directions X and Y. A longitudinal plane is referenced XY. The term transverse plane designates a plane parallel to the directions Y and Z. A transverse plane is referenced YZ.

(13) In addition, on each of its lateral faces 36 and 38, the pylon 30 has a series of three deflectors 40 formed by strips and connected via their bases 40B to the body of the pylon 30 (see FIG. 3). In transverse planes YZ, the deflectors 40 extend substantially perpendicularly relative to the faces 36 and 38, going from their bases 40B to their free ends 40E. By way of example, the deflectors 40 are fastened to the body of the pylon by riveting or by welding. The deflectors 40 of the pylon 30 are spaced apart transversely (i.e. in the direction Y) relative to one another, and between them they define channels 60. Respective air streams F flow along these channels 60 on takeoff or in flight. These channels 60 are convergent in the sense that their flow sections decrease progressively going from upstream to downstream. In particular, in the embodiment shown, the height (measured along the axis Z) of the vanes 40 is substantially constant along the channels 60, while the vanes 40 come closer to one another going from upstream to downstream (see FIG. 2). This results in a decrease in the flow sections of the channels 60, thereby causing the air streams F flowing in these channels 60 to accelerate.

(14) The vanes 40 are curved in their longitudinal planes XY, as shown in FIG. 2, thereby serving to deflect the air streams F towards the jet J leaving the turbojet. The jet J is represented by dashed lines in FIG. 2. It should be observed that the deflectors 40 do not form obstacles to the jet J. In particular, the downstream end of each deflector 40 is situated close to the jet J while remaining outside it (see FIG. 2). Thus, no deflector 40 extends longitudinally as far as the downstream edge 33 of the pylon. Such a configuration makes it possible to bring the air streams F as close as possible to the jet J, while nevertheless not forming an obstacle to the jet.

(15) The series of deflectors 40 are situated in the distal portion of the pylon 30, close to the turbojet 10. The proximal portion of the pylon 30, close to the wing 20, does not have deflectors 40, thereby serving to minimize the impact of the deflectors 40 on the lift of the wing 20.

(16) Each deflector 40 extends longitudinally from the leading edge 31 of the pylon (see FIGS. 2 and 3). This serves to avoid developing an outside boundary layer upstream from the channels 60, where such a boundary layer would impede good channeling of the streams F in the channels 60.

(17) In the thickness direction of the pylon 30, i.e. in the direction Z, each deflector 40 presents a height lying in the range 5% to 50% of the diameter of the turbojet 10. In the embodiment shown, this height is equal to about 20% of the diameter. This makes it possible to control the flow in the proximity of the engine, while not impacting the flow beyond this zone of interest.

(18) In certain embodiments, each deflector 40 is twisted so as to guide the air streams F both towards the jet from the turbojet 10 and towards the wake of the pylon 30. In other words, the deflectors present curvature both in their longitudinal section planes XY and in their transverse section planes YZ.

(19) Another example of a pylon 130 is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, this pylon 130 differing from the pylon of FIGS. 1 to 4 solely by the fact that the deflectors 140 are curved in their transverse planes YZ instead of being straight like the deflectors 40.

(20) The deflectors 140 of FIGS. 5 and 6 are twisted in the sense that they present curvature in their longitudinal planes XY and curvature in their transverse planes YZ. It should be observed that since the deflectors 140 follow the faces 136 and 138 of the pylon, each of them follows the curvature of these faces in respective planes XZ.

(21) The curvature in the transverse planes YZ serve to guide the air streams F both towards the jet J of the turbojet 10 and into the wake of the pylon 130. This curvature is such that, in the transverse planes YZ, the deflectors 140 define concave sides facing towards the turbojet 10.

(22) In the embodiment shown, the curvature of the deflectors 140 is progressively more marked on approaching the turbojet 10, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. This makes it possible to accelerate the flow outside the engine immediately before ejection.

(23) The embodiments described in the present description are given by way of non-limiting illustration, and, in the light of this description, a person skilled in the art can easily modify these embodiments or can envisage others, while remaining within the scope of the invention.

(24) Furthermore, the various characteristics of these embodiments may be used singly or in combination with one another. When they are combined, these characteristics may be combined as described above or in other ways, the invention not being limited to the specific combinations described in the present description. In particular, unless specified to the contrary, a characteristic described with reference to one particular embodiment may be applied in analogous manner to any other embodiment.