IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0316497
(2002-12-11)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Sankrithi, Mithra M. K. V.
- Nelson, Paul E.
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
Harness Dickey & Pierce P.L.C.
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
18 인용 특허 :
7 |
초록
▼
A rotatable scarf inlet for an engine and a method of operating a jet aircraft engine on an aircraft. The rotatable scarf inlet is rotatably supported at a forward end portion of a nacelle of the engine. The rotatable scarf inlet is controllably rotatable relative to the engine nacelle to a pluralit
A rotatable scarf inlet for an engine and a method of operating a jet aircraft engine on an aircraft. The rotatable scarf inlet is rotatably supported at a forward end portion of a nacelle of the engine. The rotatable scarf inlet is controllably rotatable relative to the engine nacelle to a plurality of angular positions to inhibit ingestion of foreign object debris or to improve airflow characteristics, depending on whether the aircraft is taxiing, taking off from a runway, or operating in a cruise condition. The method involves controllably rotating the rotatable scarf inlet with respect to the engine nacelle to a corresponding one of the plurality of angular positions.
대표청구항
▼
1. An engine for a mobile platform, the engine comprising:a housing; anda scarf inlet rotatably supported at a forward end portion of the housing, the scarf inlet being controllably rotatable relative to the housing about an axis skewed relative to a longitudinal centerline axis of the housing to a
1. An engine for a mobile platform, the engine comprising:a housing; anda scarf inlet rotatably supported at a forward end portion of the housing, the scarf inlet being controllably rotatable relative to the housing about an axis skewed relative to a longitudinal centerline axis of the housing to a plurality of angular positions during different phases of operation of the mobile platform. 2. The engine of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a nacelle. 3. The engine of claim 2, wherein the scarf inlet is rotatable about an axis skewed relative to a longitudinal centerline axis of the engine nacelle. 4. The engine of claim 3, wherein a nutation is imparted to the scarf inlet during rotation of the scarf inlet. 5. The engine of claim 2, wherein the scarf inlet comprises:a leading edge disposed forwardly of the forward end portion of the nacelle; anda lip comprising the most forwardly extending portion of the leading edge. 6. The engine of claim 5, wherein the scarf inlet is rotatable to dispose the lip at least one of:a topmost position of the scarf inlet; anda bottommost position of the scarf inlet; andan at least partially inboard and bottom position of the scarf inlet; andan at least partially outboard and bottom position of the scarf inlet; andan at least partially outboard and top position of the scarf inlet; andan at least partially inboard and top position of the scarf inlet. 7. The engine of claim 2, wherein the scarf inlet is rotatable to at least one of:a preferred ground roll configuration in which the scarf inlet reduces the possibility of ingestion of foreign object into the engine during taxi;a preferred climb-after-takeoff configuration in which the scarf inlet at least partially shield engine noise from being transmitted downward and forward; ora preferred cruise configuration in which the scarf inlet improves at least one of compression lift and lift-to-drag ratio. 8. The engine of claim 1, wherein the engine comprises a turbojet to produce thrust. 9. The engine of claim 1, wherein the engine comprises a turbofan to produce thrust. 10. The engine of claim 1, wherein the engine comprises a gas turbine driven geared fan to produce thrust. 11. The engine of claim 1, wherein the mobile platform comprises an aircraft. 12. The engine of claim 11, wherein the aircraft is capable of at least one of near sonic cruise speed and transonic cruise speed. 13. The engine of claim 1, wherein the scarf inlet includes a scarf angle tailored for less than supersonic speeds. 14. The engine of claim 13, wherein the scarf angle is less than forty-five degrees. 15. An aircraft, comprising:an engine nacelle including a forward end portion; anda scarf inlet rotatably supported from the forward end portion, the scarf inlet being controllably rotatable relative to the engine nacelle about an axis skewed relative to a longitudinal centerline axis of the engine nacelle to a plurality of angular positions during different phases of operation of the aircraft. 16. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein a nutation is imparted to the scarf inlet during rotation of the scarf inlet. 17. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the scarf inlet comprises:a leading edge disposed forwardly of the forward end portion of the nacelle; anda lip comprising the most forwardly extending portion of the leading edge. 18. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the scarf inlet is rotatable to dispose the lip at least one of:a topmost position of the scarf inlet; anda bottommost position of the scarf inlet; andan at least partially inboard and bottom position of the scarf inlet; andan at least partially outboard and bottom position of the scarf inlet; andan at least partially outboard and top position of the scarf inlet; andan at least partially inboard and top position of the scarf inlet. 19. The aircraft of claim 15, further comprising:an actuation system for rotating the scarf inlet; anda locking mechanism for removably securing the scarf inlet in at least one of the plural ity of angular positions. 20. The aircraft of claim 19, wherein the actuation system comprises:at least one gear disposed at an aft end portion of the scarf inlet;a fixed ring gear disposed at the forward end portion of the engine nacelle, the fixed ring gear being engaged with the at least one gear;a motor pinion gear engaged with the at least one gear; anda motor for rotating the motor pinion gear. 21. The aircraft of claim 19, wherein the locking mechanism comprises:at least one locking pin disposed at the forward end portion of the engine nacelle;at least one locking pin recess defined by an aft end portion of the scarf inlet, the locking pin recess being sized to receive the locking pin; anda locking pin actuator for moving the locking pin between a retracted position and an extended position. 22. The aircraft of claim 15 wherein the aircraft comprises one of a subsonic aircraft of a transonic aircraft, and wherein the scarf inlet includes a scarf sangle tailored for less than supersonic speeds. 23. The aircraft of claim 22, wherein the scarf angle is less than forty-five degrees. 24. A method of operating a jet engine on an aircraft, the method comprising;supporting a scarf inlet from a forward end portion of a nacelle of the engine in a manner that enables rotational movement of the scarf inlet relative to the nacelle about an axis skewed relative to a longitudinal centerline axis of the nacelle; andcontrollably rotating the scarf inlet into a plurality of different angular positions depending on a phase of operation of the aircraft. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising rotating the scarf inlet to a position during takeoff of the aircraft which reduces the possibility of ingestion of foreign objects into the engine. 26. The method of claim 24, further comprising rotating the scarf inlet to an angular position in which the scarf inlet improves at least one of compression lift and lift-to-drag ratio while the aircraft is in a cruise mode of operation. 27. The method of claim 24, further comprising rotating the scarf inlet to an angular position in which the scarf inlet at least partially shields engine noise from being transmitted downward and forward while the aircraft is climbing after takeoff. 28. The method of claim 24, further comprising rotating the scarf inlet to an angular position in which the rotatable scarf inlet reduces the possibility of ingestion of foreign objects into the engine while the aircraft is taxiing on the ground. 29. The method of claim 24, further comprising rotating the scarf inlet to an angular position in which the scarf inlet mitigates flow separation. 30. The method of claim 24, further comprising rotating the scarf inlet to an angular position in which the scarf inlet improves air flow attributes into the engine. 31. An engine for a mobile platform, the engine comprising:a housing; andinlet structure rotatably supported at a forward end portion of the housing, the inlet structure defining a scarf inlet and a leading edge having a smoothly shaped contour, the inlet structure being controllably rotatable relative to the housing about an axis skewed relative to a longitudinal centerline axis of the housing to a plurality of angular positions during different phases of operation of the mobile platform. 32. The engine of claim 31, wherein the leading edge has a generally elliptically shaped contour. 33. The engine of claim 31, wherein the engine housing comprises a nacelle. 34. The engine of claim 31, wherein a nutation is imparted to the inlet structure during rotation of the inlet structure. 35. The engine of claim 31, wherein the mobile platform comprises an aircraft, and wherein the inlet structure is rotatable to each of:a configuration in which the inlet structure reduces the possibility of ingestion of foreign objects and liquid spray into the engine while the aircraft is on the ground;a configuration in which the inlet structure at least partially shields engine noise from bei ng transmitted generally downward and forward; anda configuration in which the inlet structure improves at least one of compression lift and lift-to-drag ratio for the aircraft while the aircraft is in a cruise mode of operation. 36. The engine of claim 31, further comprising:an actuation system for rotating the inlet structure; anda locking mechanism for removably securing the inlet structure in at least one of the plurality of angular positions. 37. The engine of claim 36, wherein the actuation system comprises;at least one gear disposed at an aft end portion of the inlet structure;a fixed ring gear disposed at the forward end portion of the engine housing, the fixed ring gear being engaged with the at least one gear;a motor pinion gear engaged with the at least one gear; anda motor for rotating the motor pinion gear. 38. The engine of claim 36, wherein the locking mechanism comprises:at least one locking pin disposed at the forward end portion of the engine housing;at least one locking pin recess defined by an aft end portion of the inlet structure, the locking pin recess being sized to receive the locking pin; anda locking pin actuator for moving the locking pin between a retracted position and an extended position. 39. The engine of claim 31, wherein the inlet structure is rotatable to dispose a most forwardly extending portion of the leading edge at at least one of:a topmost position of the leading edge; anda bottommost position of the leading edge; andan at least partially inboard and bottom position of the leading edge; andan at least partially outboard and bottom position of the leading edge; andan at least partially outboard and top position of the leading edge; andan at least partially inboard and top position of the leading edge. 40. An aircraft comprising the engine of claim 31. 41. The engine of claim 31, wherein the inlet structure forms an aerodynamically smooth outer surface of the housing. 42. The engine of claim 31, wherein the mobile platform comprises an aircraft, and wherein the inlet structure is adapted to improve inlet air flow characteristics during different operating conditions of the aircraft including different angles of attack and sideslip. 43. The engine of claim 31, wherein the inlet structure includes a generally cylindrical surface, and wherein the scarf inlet has a smoothly shaped contour along the generally cylindrical surface. 44. The engine of claim 31, wherein the scarf angle is less than forty-five degrees. 45. An engine for an aircraft, the engine comprising a housing and means for defining an inlet at a forward end portion of the housing, for reducing the possibility of ingestion of foreign objects and liquid spray into the engine while the aircraft is on the ground, for at least partially shielding engine noise from being transmitted generally downward and forward while the aircraft is climbing after takeoff, and for improving at least one of compression lift and lift-to-drag ratio for the aircraft while the aircraft is In a cruise mode of operation, and means for rotatably supporting the inlet defining means at the forward end portion of the housing such that the inlet defining means is rotatable about an axis skewed relative to a longitudinal centerline axis of the housing. 46. The engine of claim 45, further comprising means for controllably rotating the inlet defining means relative to the housing to a plurality of angular positions during different phases of operation of the mobile platform.
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