IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,742,423
Granted Patent B2
US 12,742,423 · App. 18/824,100 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Gas turbine engine

Inventors: Daniel John Oehrle (West Chester, OH); Randy M. Vondrell (Newport, KY)
Assignee: General Electric Company
F02C7/32B64D27/12
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,742,423
App. No.
18/824,100
Granted
Sep 22, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A gas turbine engine defines an axial direction and a radial direction and comprises a turbomachine having an unducted primary fan, a core engine a combustor casing enclosing a combustor and defining an outer surface, a core cowl surrounding at least a portion of the core engine. The outer surface of the core cowl defines a peak cowl diameter (D) in the radial direction, and the outer surface of the combustor casing defines a maximum combustor casing diameter (d) along the radial direction. The core engine defines an overall core axial length (L) along the axial direction and an under-core cowl axial length (L 1 ) along the axial direction. The gas turbine engine defines a core cowl diameter ratio (CDR) equal to the peak cowl diameter (D) divided by the maximum combustor casing diameter (d) and a core cowl length ratio (CLR) equal to the under-core cowl axial length (L 1 ) divided by the overall core axial length (L). The CDR is between 2.7 and 3.5 and the CLR is between 0.25 and 0.50.

Claims (31)

1 . A gas turbine engine defining an axial direction and a radial direction, the gas turbine engine comprising:

a turbomachine having an unducted primary fan, a core engine including a combustor and a combustor casing enclosing the combustor and defining an outer surface, a core cowl surrounding at least a portion of the core engine and defining an inner surface and an outer surface;

wherein the core engine defines an overall core axial length (L) along the axial direction and an under-core cowl axial length (L 1 ) along the axial direction,

wherein the gas turbine engine defines a core cowl length ratio (CLR) equal to the under-core cowl axial length (L 1 ) divided by the overall core axial length (L),

wherein the CLR is 0.25 and 0.50,

wherein the turbomachine defines an initial compression axial length (L 2 ), the core engine comprising a gearbox, the primary fan being drivingly coupled to the core engine across the gearbox, and

wherein the turbomachine defines an initial compression length ratio (ICLR) equal to the initial compression axial length (L 2 ) divided by the under-core cowl axial length (L 1 ), wherein the ICLR is greater than or equal to 0.3 and less than or equal to 0.9.

2 . The gas turbine engine as in claim 1 , wherein the ICLR is greater than or equal to 0.6 and less than or equal to 0.75, and wherein the CLR is 0.3 to 0.45.

3 . The gas turbine engine as in claim 1 , wherein the ICLR is greater than or equal to 0.7 and less than or equal to 0.89, and wherein the CLR is 0.40 to 0.45.

4 . The gas turbine engine as in claim 1 , wherein a void is defined between the outer surface of the combustor casing and the inner surface of the core cowl.

5 . The gas turbine engine as in claim 4 , further comprising at least one engine accessory coupled to the inner surface of the core cowl.

6 . The gas turbine engine as in claim 1 , further comprising:

a rear frame including a strut having a trailing edge, wherein the primary fan includes a primary fan blade having a leading edge, and wherein the overall core axial length (L) along the axial direction is measured from the leading edge of the primary fan blade to the trailing edge of the strut.

7 . The gas turbine engine as in claim 1 , further comprising:

a high-pressure compressor inlet guide vane having a leading edge, and a rear frame including a strut having a trailing edge, wherein the under-core cowl axial length (L 1 ) along the axial direction is measured from the leading edge of the inlet guide vane to the trailing edge of the strut.

8 . The gas turbine engine as in claim 1 , further comprising a ducted secondary fan disposed downstream from the primary fan.

9 . The gas turbine engine as in claim 8 , wherein the ducted secondary fan is a single stage secondary fan.

10 . The gas turbine engine as in claim 8 , wherein the gas turbine engine is a three-stream gas turbine engine.

11 . An aircraft, comprising:

a wing; and

a gas turbine engine mounted to the wing, the gas turbine engine defining an axial direction and a radial direction, the gas turbine engine comprising:

a turbomachine having an unducted primary fan, a core engine including a combustor and a combustor casing enclosing the combustor and defining an outer surface, a core cowl surrounding at least a portion of the core engine and defining an inner surface and an outer surface;

wherein the core engine defines an overall core axial length (L) along the axial direction and an under-core cowl axial length (L 1 ) along the axial direction,

wherein the gas turbine engine defines a core cowl length ratio (CLR) equal to the under-core cowl axial length (L 1 ) divided by the overall core axial length (L), wherein the CLR is 0.25 and 0.5,

wherein the turbomachine defines an initial compression axial length (L 2 ), the core engine comprising a gearbox, the primary fan being drivingly coupled to the core engine across the gearbox, and

wherein the turbomachine defines an initial compression length ratio (ICLR) equal to the initial compression axial length (L 2 ) divided by the under-core cowl axial length (L 1 ), wherein the ICLR is greater than or equal to 0.3 and less than or equal to 0.9.

12 . The aircraft as in claim 11 , wherein the ICLR is greater than or equal to 0.6 and less than or equal to 0.75, and wherein the CLR is 0.3 and 0.45.

13 . The aircraft as in claim 11 , wherein the ICLR is greater than or equal to 0.7 and less than or equal to 0.89, and wherein the CLR is 0.40 to 0.45.

14 . The aircraft as in claim 11 , wherein a void is defined between the outer surface of the combustor casing and the inner surface of the core cowl of the gas turbine engine, and wherein at least one engine accessory is coupled to the inner surface of the core cowl.

15 . The aircraft as in claim 11 , wherein the gas turbine engine further comprises a rear frame including a strut having a trailing edge, wherein the primary fan includes a plurality of primary fan blades where each of the plurality of primary fan blades has a leading edge, and wherein the overall core axial length (L) along the axial direction is measured from a leading edge of a respective primary fan blade of the plurality of primary fan blades to the trailing edge of the strut.

16 . The aircraft as in claim 11 , wherein the gas turbine engine further comprises a high-pressure compressor inlet guide vane having a leading edge, and a rear frame including a strut having a trailing edge, wherein the under-core cowl axial length (L 1 ) along the axial direction is measured from the leading edge of the inlet guide vane to the trailing edge of the strut.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 4, 2024
From: OEHRLE, DANIEL JOHN; VONDRELL, RANDY M.
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 068485/0505 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17972720 · Oct 25, 2022
Related Publication 20240426249A1 · Dec 26, 2024
References Cited (39)
US 6943699B2 · Ziarno · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 7010906B2 · Cazenave et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 8607578B2 · Fert · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8961114B2 · Ruthemeyer · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9259808B2 · Broughton et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9562828B2 · Broughton · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9611047B2 · Kohn et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9677501B2 · Pierluissi et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9788447B2 · Dalton · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9845768B2 · Pesyna et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9863366B2 · Froemming et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10167814B2 · Ferrier et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10190506B2 · Ruberte Sanchez · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10264688B2 · Richardson et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10787996B2 · Kupratis et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 11066179B2 · Ramlaoui et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11248534B2 · Schofield · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20210301827A1 · Stretton et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210310417A1 · Hrubec et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220049911A1 · Djelassi et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220055760A1 · Schmitter et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
Air transportation safety investigation A14Q0068, Bombardier Inc., Transportation Safety Board of Canada, May 29, 2014, 54 Pages. [cited by applicant]
Analysis: the PW1100 GTF Engine and the Airbus A320NEO, Sahifa, Bangalore Aviation, Jan. 20, 2017, 9 Pages. Retrieved from: https://www.bangaloreaviation.com/2017/01/analysis-pw1100-gtf-engine-airbus-a320neo.html. [cited by applicant]
Atsushi et al., Development of PW1100G-JM Turbofan Engine, IHI Engineering Review, vol. 47, No. 1, 2014, 6 Pages. [cited by applicant]
Aviation Investigation—4 Docket Items—ENG19IA029, NTSB National Transportation Safety Board, Jan. 13, 2021, 85 Pages. Retrieved from: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/?NTSBNumber=ENG19IA029#. [cited by applicant]
Dorsey et al., Design Space Exploration of Future Open Rotor Configurations, AIAA 2020-3680, Cycle Performance and MDAO, 2020. (Abstract Only) Retrieved from: https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/6.2020-3680. [cited by applicant]
“E00063EN”, General Electric Company, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration Type Certification Data Sheet, Revision 8, Nov. 22, 2016, 12 Pages. [cited by applicant]
“E00070EN”, General Electric Company, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration Type Certification Data Sheet, Revision 13,Jul. 14, 2021, 10 Pages. [cited by applicant]
“E00076EN”, General Electric Company, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration Type Certification Data Sheet, Revision 21, Aug. 19, 2021, 22 Pages. [cited by applicant]
“E00087EN”, General Electric Company, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration Type Certification Data Sheet, Revision 6, May 6, 2019, 9 Pages. [cited by applicant]
“E00088EN”, General Electric Company, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration Type Certification Data Sheet, Revision 5, Nov. 4, 20191, 11 Pages. [cited by applicant]
“E00089EN”, General Electric Company, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration Type Certification Data Sheet, Revision 7, Feb. 7, 2019, 17 Pages. [cited by applicant]
“E00090EN”, General Electric Company, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration Type Certification Data Sheet, Revision 10, Jun. 2, 2022, 8 Pages. [cited by applicant]
“E00091EN”, General Electric Company, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration Type Certification Data Sheet, Revision 2, Mar. 18, 2019, 9 Pages. [cited by applicant]
“E00095EN”, General Electric Company, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration Type Certification Data Sheet, Revision 2, Apr. 2, 2021, 9 Pages. [cited by applicant]
Gliebe et al., Ultra-High Bypass Engine Aeroacoustic Study, NASA/CR-2003-212525, NASA, 2003, 109 pages. [cited by applicant]
Halliwell et al., Fuel Burn Benefits of a Variable-Pitch Geared Fan Engine, AIAA 2012-3912, 48 [cited by applicant]
Jackson, Optimisation of Aero and Industrial Gas Turbine Design for the Environment, Thesis Cranfield University, 2009. (Abstract Only) Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1826/4316. [cited by applicant]
The Flying Engineer, Pratt and Whitney PW1100G Geared Turbofan Engine, The Flying Engineer—Technically and Operationally Commercial Aviation, Nov. 26, 2013, 24 Pages. Retrieved from: https://theflyingengineer.com/flight… [cited by applicant]