Inlet turning vanes having trailing edge features for improved flow uniformity
View Patent ↗A gas turbine engine includes a bypass duct, a heat exchanger, and an inlet shroud. The bypass duct is configured to direct air through a flow path. The heat exchanger is configured to receive a portion of the air flowing through the flow path of the bypass duct. The inlet shroud is coupled with the heat exchanger and configured to adjust a direction of the portion of the air entering the heat exchanger.
1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a bypass duct configured to direct air through a flow path to provide thrust to propel the gas turbine engine, the bypass duct including an outer wall that defines an outer boundary of the flow path and an inner wall that defines an inner boundary of the flow path,
a heat exchanger configured to receive a portion of the air flowing through the flow path of the bypass duct and to transfer heat from a cooling fluid passing through the heat exchanger to the portion of the air, and
an inlet shroud coupled with the heat exchanger and configured to adjust a direction of the portion of the air entering the heat exchanger, the inlet shroud including a vane frame coupled with the heat exchanger and a plurality of inlet turning vanes coupled with the vane frame, each of the plurality of inlet turning vanes having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and a suction side extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge on an opposing side of each of the plurality of inlet turning vanes,
wherein the trailing edge of each of the plurality of inlet turning vanes is formed to include notches that extend into the trailing edge toward the leading edge so that a first part of the air flowing on the pressure side of each of the plurality of inlet turning vanes flows through the notches and mixes with a second part of the air flowing on the suction side of each of the plurality of inlet turning vanes to increase uniformity of a velocity profile of the portion of the air exiting the inlet shroud and entering the heat exchanger,
wherein the plurality of inlet turning vanes includes a first inlet vane and a second inlet vane located adjacent the first inlet vane, and the notches formed in the trailing edge of the first inlet vane are offset in a spanwise direction relative to the notches formed in the trailing edge of the second inlet vane.
2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the notches formed in the trailing edge of the first inlet vane have a shape, and the notches formed in the trailing edge of the second inlet vane have the shape.
3. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first inlet vane includes tips that define the notches, and the tips of the first inlet vane are aligned spanwise with the notches formed in the trailing edge of the second inlet vane.
4. The gas turbine engine of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of inlet turning vanes includes a third inlet vane neighboring the first inlet vane to locate the first inlet vane directly between the third inlet vane and the second inlet vane, the third inlet vane includes tips that define the notches, and the tips of the third inlet vane are aligned spanwise with the tips formed in the trailing edge of the second inlet vane.
5. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the notches are chevron shaped.
6. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inlet turning vanes are formed to include tips that define the notches.
7. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inlet turning vanes includes a third inlet vane neighboring the first inlet vane to locate the first inlet vane directly between the third inlet vane and the second inlet vane, and the notches formed in the trailing edge of the first inlet vane are offset in the spanwise direction relative to the notches formed in the trailing edge of the third inlet vane.
8. The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein the first inlet vane has a first chord length, the second inlet vane has a second chord length equal to the first chord length of the first inlet vane, and the third inlet vane has a third chord length different from the first chord length and the second chord length.
9. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein inlet shroud includes a continuous inlet vane having a leading edge and a continuous trailing edge formed without notches, and the continuous inlet vane is the axially forwardmost vane of the plurality of inlet turning vanes located in the vane frame.
10. An inlet shroud comprising:
a vane frame configured to direct air through a flow path,
a first inlet vane located in the vane frame and configured to adjust a direction of the air flowing through the flow path, the first inlet vane having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and a suction side extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge on an opposing side of the first inlet vane, a first part of the air flowing on the pressure side of the first inlet vane and a second part of the air flowing on the suction side of the first inlet vane, the trailing edge of the first inlet vane formed to include first notches that extend into the trailing edge toward the leading edge so that a portion of the first part of the air flowing on the pressure side of the first inlet vane flows through the first notches and mixes with the second part of the air flowing on the suction side of the first inlet vane to increase uniformity of a velocity profile of the air exiting the first inlet vane, and
a second inlet vane located in the vane frame neighboring the first inlet vane, the second inlet vane having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and a suction side extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge on an opposing side of the second inlet vane,
wherein the trailing edge of the second inlet vane is formed to include second notches that extend into the trailing edge toward the leading edge,
wherein the first notches formed in the trailing edge of the first inlet vane are offset in a spanwise direction relative to the second notches formed in the trailing edge of the second inlet vane.
11. The inlet shroud of claim 10 , wherein the first notches formed in the trailing edge of the first inlet vane have a first shape, the second notches formed in the trailing edge of the second inlet vane have a second shape, and the first shape is the same as the second shape.
12. The inlet shroud of claim 1 , further comprising a third inlet vane having a leading edge and a continuous trailing edge formed without notches, and the third inlet vane is the axially forwardmost vane in the vane frame.
13. The inlet shroud of claim 10 , wherein the first inlet vane includes first tips that define the first notches, and the first tips of the first inlet vane are aligned spanwise with the second notches formed in the trailing edge of the second inlet vane.
14. The inlet shroud of claim 10 , wherein the first notches and the second notches are chevron shaped.
15. The inlet shroud of claim 10 , further comprising a third inlet vane neighboring the first inlet vane to locate the first inlet vane directly between the third inlet vane and the second inlet vane, the third inlet vane having a leading edge and a trailing edge formed to include third notches that extend into the trailing edge toward the leading edge.
16. The inlet shroud of claim 15 , wherein the first notches formed in the trailing edge of the first inlet vane are offset in the spanwise direction relative to the third notches formed in the trailing edge of the third inlet vane.
17. The inlet shroud of claim 15 , wherein the first inlet vane has a first chord length, the second inlet vane has a second chord length equal to the first chord length of the first inlet vane, and the third inlet vane has a third chord length different from the first chord length and the second chord length.
18. A method comprising:
providing a bypass duct configured to direct air through a flow path,
arranging a heat exchanger in the bypass duct, the heat exchanger configured to receive the air flowing through the flow path of the bypass duct,
coupling an inlet shroud with the heat exchanger upstream of the heat exchanger, the inlet shroud including a vane frame and a first inlet vane coupled with the vane frame, the first inlet vane having a leading edge, a trailing edge formed to include first notches that extend into the trailing edge toward the leading edge, a pressure side extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and a suction side extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge on an opposing side of the first inlet vane,
coupling a second inlet vane having a leading edge and a trailing edge formed to include second notches that extend into the trailing edge toward the leading edge adjacent the first inlet vane in the vane frame, the second notches of the second inlet vane being offset relative to the first notches of the first inlet vane in a spanwise direction of the first inlet vane and the second inlet vane,
directing a first part of the air along the pressure side of the first inlet vane,
directing a second part of the air along the suction side of the first inlet vane,
conducting a portion of the first part of the air flowing on the pressure side of the first inlet vane through the first notches formed on the trailing edge of the first inlet vane, and
mixing the portion of the first part of the air with the second part of the air flowing on the suction side of the first inlet vane.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising coupling a third inlet vane having a leading edge and a continuous trailing edge formed without notches adjacent the first inlet vane to locate the first inlet vane between the second inlet vane and the third inlet vane.