An inlet guide vane provides improved, smooth airflow and avoids separation of flow even at high incidence angles. The inlet guide vane includes a strut having opposite side surfaces that are continuously curved to provide a controlled velocity distribution at the trailing edge of the strut. The inl
An inlet guide vane provides improved, smooth airflow and avoids separation of flow even at high incidence angles. The inlet guide vane includes a strut having opposite side surfaces that are continuously curved to provide a controlled velocity distribution at the trailing edge of the strut. The inlet guide vane further includes a flap having a leading edge aligned behind the trailing edge of the strut. Generally, the strut and the flap are designed together so that low momentum air in the gap between the strut and the flap will be energized and entrained in the boundary layer of the flap. The airflow from the gap will remain attached to the flap to improve the flow from the flap.
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What is claimed is: 1. An inlet guide vane comprising: a fixed airfoil having a leading edge and a trailing edge; and a variable incidence airfoil having a leading edge spaced aft of the trailing edge of the fixed airfoil by a gap, the variable incidence airfoil being pivotable about an axis near t
What is claimed is: 1. An inlet guide vane comprising: a fixed airfoil having a leading edge and a trailing edge; and a variable incidence airfoil having a leading edge spaced aft of the trailing edge of the fixed airfoil by a gap, the variable incidence airfoil being pivotable about an axis near the leading edge of the variable incidence airfoil, wherein the leading edge of the variable incidence airfoil remains masked behind the trailing edge of the fixed airfoil throughout a full variable range of incidence of the variable incidence airfoil and wherein the variable incidence airfoil is completely masked behind the trailing edge of the fixed airfoil on a suction side when the variable incidence airfoil is in a fully deflected position and when the variable incidence airfoil is in a zero deflected position, wherein the variable incidence airfoil and the fixed airfoil are shaped and positioned in order to energize low momentum flow in the gap and entrain the flow from the gap in a boundary layer of the variable incidence airfoil during operation, wherein the boundary layer of the variable incidence airfoil is on a pressure side surface of the variable incidence airfoil. 2. The inlet guide vane of claim 1 wherein the trailing edge of the fixed airfoil is truncated. 3. The inlet guide vane of claim 2 wherein the trailing edge of the fixed airfoil includes at least one aft-facing recess. 4. The inlet guide vane of claim 1 wherein the fixed airfoil has a pair of side surfaces between the leading edge and the trailing edge, the side surfaces each having continuous curvature from the leading edge to the trailing edge. 5. The inlet guide vane of claim 1 wherein the fixed airfoil is shaped to control a velocity distribution of airflow at the trailing edge. 6. The inlet guide vane of claim 1 wherein the variable incidence airfoil has a first side surface and a second side surface between the leading edge and the trailing edge, the first side surface having a first peak spaced aft of the leading edge by a first distance, the second side surface having a second peak spaced aft of the leading edge by a second distance greater than the first distance. 7. The inlet guide vane of claim 6 wherein the variable incidence airfoil is pivotable in the direction of the first side surface about the axis to a maximum incidence angle and wherein the first peak is spaced aft of a point on the first surface that lies on a tangent to the trailing edge of the fixed airfoil when the variable incidence airfoil is pivoted to the maximum incidence angle. 8. The inlet guide vane of claim 1 wherein the leading edge of the variable incidence airfoil extends from an inner edge to an outer edge and wherein a distance between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the variable incidence airfoil is higher at the outer edge than at the inner edge. 9. The inlet guide vane of claim 8 wherein the distance between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the variable incidence airfoil increases continuously from the inner edge to the outer edge. 10. The inlet guide vane of claim 8 wherein a camber of the variable incidence airfoil increases from the inner edge to the outer edge. 11. The inlet guide vane of claim 1 wherein the trailing edge of the variable incidence airfoil is not parallel to the axis. 12. The inlet guide vane of claim 1 wherein the leading edge and the trailing edge of the variable incidence airfoil extend between an inner edge and an outer edge, the outer edge is curved convexly between the leading edge and the trailing edge. 13. The inlet guide vane of claim 12 further including a housing having an inner surface having a spherical portion, wherein the outer edge of the variable incidence airfoil is adjacent the spherical portion of the inner surface of the housing. 14. The inlet guide vane of claim 1 wherein the leading edge and the trailing edge of the variable incidence airfoil extend between an inner edge and an outer edge, an uppermost portion of the leading edge of the variable incidence airfoil is straight, the variable incidence airfoil including a flange on a forward portion of the outer edge, the flange protruding forwardly past the leading edge of the variable incidence airfoil and having a tapered rearward portion. 15. The inlet guide vane of claim 1 wherein the full variable range of incidence of the variable incidence airfoil extends from the zero deflection position to the fully deflected position. 16. An inlet guide vane comprising: a fixed airfoil having a leading edge and a trailing edge; and a variable incidence airfoil having a leading edge aft of the trailing edge of the fixed airfoil, the variable incidence airfoil being pivotable about an axis near the leading edge of the variable incidence airfoil, the variable incidence airfoil including a trailing edge tab protruding from a first side surface thereof near the trailing edge, wherein the trailing edge of the variable incidence airfoil extends from an inner edge to an outer edge and wherein the trailing edge tab protrudes from the first side surface proximate one of the inner edge and the outer edge, but not the other of the inner edge and the outer edge. 17. The inlet guide vane of claim 16 wherein the trailing edge tab protrudes from the first side surface proximate the inner edge, but not the outer edge. 18. The inlet guide vane of claim 17 wherein the trailing edge tab is a first trailing edge tab, further including a second trailing edge tab protruding from a second side surface proximate the outer edge, but not the inner edge, the second side surface opposite the first side surface. 19. The inlet guide vane of claim 16 wherein the trailing edge tab protrudes from the first side surface proximate the outer edge, but not the inner edge. 20. A method for designing an inlet guide vane including the steps of: a) determining a shape of a strut in order to control a velocity distribution at a trailing edge of the strut; b) determining a position of a flap to have a leading edge adjacent the trailing edge of the strut and spaced from the trailing edge of the strut by a gap, the flap having a selectively variable incidence relative to the strut; and c) determining a shape of the flap based upon the shape of the strut and the position of the flap in order to energize low momentum flow in the gap and entrain the flow from the gap in a boundary layer on a pressure side of the flap during operation, said step c) including the step of determining the shape of the flap such that the leading edge of the flap remains masked behind the trailing edge of the strut throughout a full variable range of incidence of the flap and wherein the flap is completely masked behind the trailing edge of the strut on a suction side when the flap is in the fully deflected position. 21. The method of claim 20 further including the step of: d) determining a pivot axis for the flap to pivot relative to the strut. 22. The method of claim 21 wherein said steps c) and d) further include the step of determining the shape of the flap and the pivot axis such that the leading edge of the flap is masked behind the trailing edge of the strut through a full range of the variable incidence of the flap. 23. The method of claim 20 wherein the shape of the strut determined in said step a) includes side surfaces each having continuous curvature from a leading edge to the trailing edge of the strut. 24. An inlet guide vane comprising: a fixed airfoil having a leading edge and a trailing edge, the fixed airfoil defining a centerline through the inlet guide vane; and a flap having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side surface and a suction side surface, the pressure side surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, the leading edge and the trailing edge of the flap both positioned on the same side of the centerline when the inlet guide vane is in a zero deflection position, the pressure side surface having a peak spaced aft of the leading edge by a first distance, the suction side surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, the suction side surface having a peak spaced aft of the leading edge by a second distance greater than the first distance, the leading edge of the flap adjacent the trailing edge of the fixed airfoil, the flap being pivotable about an axis on the pressure side of the centerline. 25. The inlet guide vane of claim 24 wherein the flap includes a trailing edge tab protruding normally from the pressure side surface near the trailing edge. 26. The inlet guide vane of claim 24 further including an upper edge extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge, wherein the upper edge is curved convexly. 27. The inlet guide vane of claim 26 wherein the pivot axis intersects a centerpoint spaced away from the flap, and wherein the centerpoint is the centerpoint of the curve of the upper edge of the flap. 28. The inlet guide vane of claim 24 wherein the fixed airfoil has a pair of continuously curved side surfaces. 29. The inlet guide vane of claim 24 disposed upstream of a compressor of a turbine engine. 30. An inlet guide vane comprising: a fixed airfoil having a leading edge, a trailing edge and a centerline extending through a center of the fixed airfoil; and a variable incidence airfoil having a leading edge aft of the trailing edge of the fixed airfoil, the variable incidence airfoil being pivotable about an axis near the leading edge of the variable incidence airfoil, wherein the leading edge of the variable incidence airfoil remains masked behind the trailing edge of the fixed airfoil throughout a full variable range of incidence of the variable incidence airfoil and wherein the variable incidence airfoil is completely masked behind the trailing edge of the fixed airfoil on a suction side when the variable incidence airfoil is in a fully deflected position and when the variable incidence airfoil is in a zero deflected position, wherein the leading edge and the trailing edge of the variable incidence airfoil are both on the same side of the centerline when the inlet guide vane is in a zero deflection position. 31. The inlet guide vane of claim 30 wherein the variable incidence airfoil has a first side surface and a second side surface between the leading edge and the trailing edge, the first side surface having a first peak spaced aft of the leading edge by a first distance, the second side surface having a second peak spaced aft of the leading edge by a second distance greater than the first distance.
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