IP Library Granted Patent US 9,790,861
Granted Patent B2
US 9,790,861 · App. 14/430,798 · Granted Oct 17, 2017

Gas turbine engine having support structure with swept leading edge

Inventor: Brent Veiga (Higganum, CT)
Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
F02C7/20F01D5/143F01D5/145F01D9/041F01D25/24F01D25/28F05D2240/121Y02T50/673
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,790,861
App. No.
14/430,798
Granted
Oct 17, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A gas turbine engine nacelle assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a core casing defined about an axis; a fan nacelle mounted at least partially around the core nacelle; and a support structure extending radially from the core nacelle to the fan nacelle, wherein the support structure has a leading edge that is swept.

Claims (26)

1. A nacelle assembly for a gas turbine engine comprising:

a core casing defined about an axis;

a fan nacelle mounted at least partially around the core nacelle;

a guide vane extending between the core casing and the fan nacelle; and

a support structure extending radially from the core casing to the fan nacelle, wherein the support structure has a leading edge that is swept and the support structure is aft of the guide vane relative to the axis,

wherein the leading edge has an angle relative to a radial axis of the gas turbine engine, the angle is from 10 degrees to 20 degrees, and

wherein the support structure comprises an upper bifurcation and a lower bifurcation each defining a respective one of the leading edge, the angle of the leading edge corresponding to the upper bifurcation being different from the angle of the leading edge corresponding to the lower bifurcation.

2. The nacelle assembly of claim 1 , wherein an interface between the core casing and the support structure is further upstream than an interface between the fan nacelle and the support structure relative to a direction of flow.

3. The nacelle assembly of claim 1 , wherein opposing sides of the support structure are contoured between the leading edge and a trailing edge.

4. The nacelle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the leading edge extends radially from the core casing to the fan nacelle.

5. A gas turbine engine having the nacelle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the gas turbine engine is a geared gas turbine engine.

6. The nacelle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the guide vane is swept.

7. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a fan, a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section, the turbine section configured to drive a shaft to rotatably drive the fan and the compressor;

a geared architecture rotatably coupling the shaft and the fan; and

a nacelle having an inner wall providing a bypass duct configured to receive bypass air from the fan, a support structure extending radially from a core of the gas turbine engine to the inner wall, the support structure having at least one leading-edge that is swept, and the support structure being downstream of a plurality of guide vanes in the bypass duct,

wherein the at least one leading edge has an angle relative to a radial axis of the gas turbine engine, the angle is from 10 degrees to 20 degrees, and

wherein the support structure comprises an upper bifurcation and a lower bifurcation each defining a respective one of the at least one leading edge, the angle of the at least one leading edge corresponding to the upper bifurcation being different from the angle of the at least one leading edge corresponding to the lower bifurcation.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein the at least one leading edge extends radially from the core to the inner wall.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein each guide vane of the plurality of guide vanes is swept.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 9 , wherein at least one guide vane of the plurality of guide vanes is circumferentially aligned with the support structure.

11. A method of influencing flow within a gas turbine engine, comprising:

providing a support structure within a bypass flowpath, the support structure having a swept leading edge downstream of a guide vane in the bypass flowpath,

wherein the swept leading edge has an angle relative to a radial axis of the gas turbine engine, the angle is from 10 degrees to 20 degrees, and

wherein the support structure comprises an upper bifurcation and a lower bifurcation each defining a respective one of the swept leading edge, the angle of the swept leading edge corresponding to the upper bifurcation being different from the angle of the swept leading edge corresponding to the lower bifurcation.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the guide vane is swept.

Assignments (5)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 27, 2023
From: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RTX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064714/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE AND REMOVE PATENT APPLICATION NUMBER 11886281 AND ADD PATENT APPLICATION NUMBER 14846874. TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 054062 FRAME: 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF ADDRESS. Recorded Mar 4, 2021
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055659/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 4, 2020
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054062/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 21, 2020
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053260/0375 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 24, 2015
From: VEIGA, BRENT
To: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 035243/0627 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61706853 · Sep 28, 2012
Related Publication 20150252728A1 · Sep 10, 2015