Tip turbine engine integral case, vane, mount and mixer
A tip turbine engine assembly includes an engine support structure with a rear case, exit guide vanes, an exhaust mixer, and engine mounts. The rear case is disposed about an engine centerline. The exit guide vanes extend radially inwardly from the rear case. The exhaust mixer extends in a flow path of a combustor to mix a high energy gas stream from the combustor with bypass air from a bypass fan. The engine mounts are located on the periphery of the rear case for mounting the engine to an aircraft. The rear case, exit guide vanes, exhaust mixer, and engine mounts form a unitary engine support structure which is installable as a single piece into an engine.
1. A tip turbine engine case assembly comprising:
an engine support structure unitarily installable into an engine aft of a fan-turbine rotor assembly in the tip turbine engine, said engine support structure including an engine case disposed about an engine centerline, an engine mount aft of the fan-turbine rotor assembly, and an exit guide vane fixed to said engine case, said exit guide vane extending radially inwardly from said engine case.
2. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said exit guide vane is fixed to said engine case with a welded joint.
3. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said exit guide vane is formed with said engine case in a casting process.
4. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said exit guide vane is fixed to said engine case with a fastener.
5. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust mixer fixed to said engine support structure and extending in a flow path from a combustor.
6. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an engine mount fixed to said engine case and extending radially from said engine case.
7. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said exit guide vane is one of a plurality of exit guide vanes.
8. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said engine support structure further comprises an exhaust mixer extending in a flow path from a combustor and an engine mount extending radially from said engine case.
9. A tip turbine engine assembly comprising:
a static support;
a fan mounted on said static support, said fan including a hollow fan blade defining a core airflow passage therethrough;
a combustor in fluid communication with said core airflow passage; and
an engine support structure unitarily installable on said static support aft of a fan-turbine rotor assembly in the tip turbine engine, said engine support structure including an engine case disposed about an engine centerline and an exit guide vane fixed to said engine case, said exit guide vane extending radially inward from said engine case.
10. The assembly as recited in claim 9 , further comprising an axial compressor upstream from and in fluid communication with said fan.
11. The assembly as recited in claim 9 , wherein said engine support structure is downstream from said fan and said combustor.
12. A method of assembling a tip turbine engine comprising the steps of:
(a) securing, as a single unit, an engine case of a unitary engine support structure, which includes the engine case, an engine mount, and an exit guide vane, to a forward case portion of an engine such that the engine mount is aft of a fan-turbine rotor assembly in the tip turbine engine; and
(b) securing the exit guide vane of the unitary engine support structure to a static support housing of the engine.
13. The method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising the step of forming the unitary engine support structure to include the engine case and the exit guide vane before said step (a) and said step (b).
14. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein said step (a) further comprises welding the engine case to the engine.
15. The method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising securing an exhaust mixer to the engine case.
16. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein said step (b) further comprises welding the exit guide vane to the engine.
17. The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising forming the engine case to additionally include an engine mount.
18. The assembly as recited claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust mixer fixed to said engine support structure and extending in a flow path from a combustor, and an engine mount fixed to said engine case and extending radially from said engine case, said exhaust mixer and said engine mount being coplanar along a plane that is perpendicular to the engine centerline.
19. The assembly as recited in claim 18 , wherein the exhaust mixer, the engine mount, and the exit guide vane are coplanar along the plane that is perpendicular to the engine centerline.
20. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the engine is a tip turbine engine including a hollow fan blade defining a core passage therethrough and a combustor in fluid communication with said core airflow passage.
21. The assembly as recited in claim 9 , wherein said core airflow passage includes a turn directing airflow axially forward into said combustor.
22. The assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fan-turbine rotor assembly includes a hollow fan blade defining a core airflow passage therethrough, an inducer, and a diffuser that turns airflow axially forward in the engine.