초록 ▼

A supersonic nacelle design is disclosed herein that employs a bypass flow path internal to the nacelle and around the engine. By shaping the nacelle, the nacelle may function to reduce sonic boom strength, cowl drag, and /or airframe interference drag. The nacelle may also function to improve total

A supersonic nacelle design is disclosed herein that employs a bypass flow path internal to the nacelle and around the engine. By shaping the nacelle, the nacelle may function to reduce sonic boom strength, cowl drag, and /or airframe interference drag. The nacelle may also function to improve total pressure recovery and/or total thrust of the primary flow path through the engine.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A supersonic nozzle for a supersonic engine, comprising: an outer wall;a bypass wall disposed within the outer wall, the bypass wall having a bypass wall leading edge positioned proximate an outer wall leading edge, the bypass wall being configured to continuously separate an aft directed airflow

1. A supersonic nozzle for a supersonic engine, comprising: an outer wall;a bypass wall disposed within the outer wall, the bypass wall having a bypass wall leading edge positioned proximate an outer wall leading edge, the bypass wall being configured to continuously separate an aft directed airflow inside the outer wall into a primary flow portion and a bypass flow portion around the supersonic engine, the primary flow portion passing through the supersonic engine and the bypass flow portion passing through a bypass that bypasses the supersonic engine;a set of struts configured to couple the outer wall with the bypass wall, the set of struts configured to tailor a direction of the bypass flow portion, andan external compression inlet having an external compression surface upstream of the supersonic engine. 2. The supersonic nozzle of claim 1, wherein the set of struts comprises composite or other lightweight material for providing structural stiffness to the supersonic nozzle. 3. The supersonic nozzle of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the struts is configured to control an expansion of an exhaust from the supersonic engine. 4. The supersonic nozzle of claim 1, wherein the set of struts is constructed using linear surfaces. 5. The supersonic nozzle of claim 1, wherein the set of struts controls an amount of airflow depending on local blockage characteristics within the bypass flow portion; andwherein the set of struts shapes the bypass flow portion around internal blockages created by a gearbox of the supersonic engine. 6. The supersonic nozzle of claim 1, wherein the set of struts directs the bypass flow portion into a substantially circumferentially uniform pattern prior to exhaust. 7. The supersonic nozzle of claim 1, wherein the outer wall comprises a trailing edge that defines an exit cross-sectional area of the supersonic nozzle. 8. The supersonic nozzle of claim 1, wherein the supersonic nozzle expands the bypass flow portion to maximize a thrust of the supersonic engine and to minimize a sonic boom signature generated by exhaust of the primary flow portion. 9. The supersonic nozzle of claim 1, wherein the outer wall comprises a thin-wall composite construction. 10. A low shock supersonic nacelle, comprising: an engine;an external compression inlet having an external compression surface upstream of the engine;an outer wall;a bypass wall disposed within the outer wall, the bypass wall having a bypass wall leading edge positioned proximate an outer wall leading edge;a set of struts configured to couple the outer wall with the bypass wall; an inlet module comprising front portions of the outer wall and the bypass wall, the inlet module configured to decelerate an incoming airflow to a speed compatible with the engine; anda nozzle module comprising rear portions of the outer wall and the bypass wall, the nozzle module configured to accelerate an exhaust from the engine and a bypass;wherein the bypass wall continuously divides the incoming aft directed airflow into a primary flow portion directed into the engine and a bypass flow portion directed into the bypass around the engine wherein the bypass flow portion bypasses the engine. 11. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, wherein the inlet module comprises: a leading edge configured to generate a first shock wave;a compression surface positioned downstream of the leading edge and having at least one curved section configured to generate compression; anda cowl lip on a cowling spatially separated from the compression surface such that the cowl lip and the compression surface define an inlet opening for receiving a supersonic flow;wherein the compression surface is configured to generate a second shock wave that, during operation of the inlet module at a predetermined cruise speed, extends from the compression surface to intersect the first shock wave at a point substantially adjacent to the cowl lip. 12. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 11, wherein the compression generated by the curved section is characterized by a series of Mach lines where, during operation of the inlet module at the predetermined cruise speed, at least a plurality of the Mach lines do not focus on the point substantially adjacent to the cowl lip. 13. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, wherein the bypass flow portion receives and captures a substantial region of flow distortion created by the inlet module. 14. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, further comprising a diffuser that receives the primary flow portion and delivers a subsonic flow to the engine. 15. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, wherein the set of struts comprises composite materials configured to provide structural stiffness to the nozzle module. 16. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, wherein a thickness of the struts is configured to control an expansion of exhaust from the engine. 17. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, wherein the set of struts is constructed using linear surfaces within the nozzle module. 18. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, wherein the set of struts controls an amount of airflow depending on local blockage characteristics within the bypass; andwherein the set of struts shapes the bypass flow portion around internal blockages created by a gearbox mounted on and about the engine. 19. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, wherein the set of struts directs the bypass flow portion into a substantially circumferentially uniform pattern prior to exhaust. 20. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, wherein the outer wall comprises a trailing edge that defines an exit cross-sectional area of the nozzle module. 21. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, wherein the nozzle module expands the bypass flow portion to maximize a thrust of the supersonic engine and to minimize a sonic boom signature created by the primary flow portion. 22. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, wherein the outer wall comprises a thin-wall composite construction. 23. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, wherein increasing a distance between the outer wall and the engine increases opportunities for localized, tailored, three-dimensional shaping of the outer wall. 24. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, wherein the bypass attenuates instabilities in the incoming airflow at the inlet opening. 25. The low shock supersonic nacelle of claim 10, wherein the front portions of the outer wall and the bypass wall comprise aerodynamically coupled leading edges at a low flight speeds configured to generate an internal recirculating flow region immediately aft of the leading edge of the outer wall; andwherein the internal recirculating flow region generates a smoothly curved virtual aerodynamic surface that reduces a downstream flow separation and distortion within the primary flow portion leading to the engine. 26. A method of decelerating a supersonic flow for a supersonic propulsion system, the method comprising: cruising at a predetermined supersonic speed;receiving a supersonic flow in an external compression inlet having an external compression surface, a bypass splitter, and a cowl lip, the cowl lip spatially separated from and aft of the external compression surface;splitting a subsonic flow into a primary flow portion and a bypass flow portion around an engine, whereby the bypass flow portion receives and captures a substantial region of a flow distortion created by the inlet;diffusing the primary flow portion with a diffuser to a predetermined speed suitable for an engine;expanding the primary flow portion after the primary flow portion leaves the engine and reaches a nozzle; anddirecting the bypass flow portion into a substantially circumferentially uniform pattern prior to exhaust. 27. The method of claim 26, further comprising: generating a first shock wave from a leading edge of the external compression surface of the external compression inlet;generating a second shock wave that, during operation of the external compression inlet a predetermined supersonic speed, extends from the external compression surface to intersect the first shock wave at a point substantially adjacent to the cowl lip; and generating compression of the supersonic flow by a curved section of the external compression surface.