Granted Patent B2

US 12,486,817 · App. 18/770,902 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller (Middletown, OH); Randy M. Vondrell (Newport, KY); David Marion Ostdiek (Liberty Township, OH); Craig Williams Higgins (Liberty Township, OH); Alexander Kimberley Simpson (Cincinnati, OH)

Assignee: General Electric Company

F02K3/065F02C3/06

Abstract

Claims (43)

1 . A gas turbine engine comprising:

a turbomachine comprising a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section arranged in serial flow order, the turbomachine defining an engine inlet to an inlet duct, a fan duct inlet to a fan duct, and a core inlet to a core duct;

a primary fan driven by the turbomachine; and

a secondary fan located downstream of the primary fan within the inlet duct,

the gas turbine engine defining a thrust to power airflow ratio between 3.5 and 100 and a core bypass ratio between 0.1 and 10, wherein the thrust to power airflow ratio is a ratio of an airflow through a bypass passage over the turbomachine plus an airflow through the fan duct to an airflow through the core duct, and wherein the core bypass ratio is a ratio of the airflow through the fan duct to the airflow through the core duct;

an effector; and

one or more processors configured to:

determine an effector demand based at least in part on an effector schedule and one or more constraints, and

cause the effector to adjust an airflow through the fan duct based at least in part on the effector demand.

2 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more constraints include at least one of:

i) a thermal demand associated with a thermal management system coupled to or integrated with the gas turbine engine;

ii) an operability demand associated with operability of the gas turbine engine; and

iii) a thrust limit associated with controllability of an aircraft incorporating the gas turbine engine.

3 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the effector is an array of inlet guide vanes positioned upstream of the secondary fan.

4 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the effector is a variable nozzle positioned along the fan duct.

5 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the effector includes an array of inlet guide vanes positioned upstream of the secondary fan and a variable nozzle positioned along the fan duct.

6 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the effector is an electric machine mechanically coupled with a shaft of the turbomachine, and wherein in causing the effector to adjust the airflow through the fan duct, the one or more processors are configured to:

cause the electric machine to adjust a torque applied to the shaft.

7 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the effector is the primary fan, and wherein in causing the effector to adjust the airflow through the fan duct, the one or more processors are configured to:

cause at least one of:

i) adjustment of a pitch of fan blades of the primary fan; and

ii) adjustment of a rotational speed of the primary fan.

8 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the effector schedule is determined based at least in part on a thrust demand associated with thrust to be produced by the gas turbine engine.

9 . The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , further comprising:

a secondary effector positioned downstream of the secondary fan along the core duct, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

determine a secondary effector demand based at least in part on a secondary effector schedule and one or more secondary constraints, the secondary effector schedule being determined based at least in part on the thrust demand, the one or more secondary constraints including at least one of:

i) an operability demand associated with operability of the secondary effector; and

ii) an operability demand associated with operability of the secondary fan; and

cause the secondary effector to assist with adjustment of the airflow through the fan duct based at least in part on the secondary effector demand.

10 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the thrust to power airflow ratio and the core bypass ratio are defined when the gas turbine engine is operated at a rated speed during standard day operating conditions.

11 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the thrust to power airflow ratio is between 4 and 75.

12 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the primary fan is an unducted primary fan, and wherein the thrust to power airflow ratio is between 30 and 60.

13 . The gas turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the thrust to power airflow ratio is between 35 and 50.

14 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the core bypass ratio is between 0.3 and 5.

15 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the gas turbine engine is a turboprop engine, and wherein the thrust to power airflow ratio is between 40 and 100.

16 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the primary fan is a ducted primary fan, and wherein the thrust to power airflow ratio is between 3.5 and 40.

17 . The gas turbine engine of claim 16 , wherein the gas turbine engine is a direct drive gas turbine engine, and wherein the thrust to power airflow ratio is between 3.5 and 20.

18 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the secondary fan is a single stage secondary fan.

19 . A method of operating a gas turbine engine, comprising:

operating the gas turbine engine at a rated speed, wherein operating the gas turbine engine at the rated speed comprises operating the gas turbine engine to define a thrust to power airflow ratio between 3.5 and 100 and a core bypass ratio between 0.1 and 5, wherein the thrust to power airflow ratio is a ratio of an airflow through a bypass passage over a turbomachine of the gas turbine engine plus an airflow through a fan duct to an airflow through a core duct, and wherein the core bypass ratio is a ratio of the airflow through the fan duct to the airflow through the core duct;

determining an effector demand based at least in part on an effector schedule and one or more constraints, and

causing an effector to adjust an airflow through the fan duct based at least in part on the effector demand.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (159)