Pusher aircraft power plant with swirl recovery vanes
A pusher aircraft power plant for propelling an aircraft is described. The pusher aircraft power plant is configured to improve serviceability of swirl recovery vanes. The pusher aircraft power plant includes a prime mover operable to generate motive power, an enclosure housing at least part of the prime mover, a bladed rotor drivingly coupled to the prime mover and disposed aft of the prime mover, and a plurality of vanes angularly distributed about a rotation axis of the bladed rotor and being non-rotatable about the rotation axis of the bladed rotor. The vanes are disposed aft of the bladed rotor to interact with a flow of air propelled by the bladed rotor during rotation of the bladed rotor. The vanes are disposed aft of the enclosure permitting the vanes to be uninstalled from the pusher aircraft power plant without accessing the enclosure.
1 . A pusher aircraft power plant for propelling an aircraft, the pusher aircraft power plant comprising:
a prime mover operable to generate motive power;
an enclosure housing at least part of the prime mover;
a bladed rotor drivingly coupled to the prime mover and disposed aft of the prime mover relative to a direction of propulsion of the pusher aircraft power plant; and
a plurality of vanes angularly distributed about a rotation axis of the bladed rotor and being non-rotatable about the rotation axis of the bladed rotor, the vanes being disposed aft of the bladed rotor to interact with a flow of air propelled by the bladed rotor during rotation of the bladed rotor, the vanes being disposed aft of the enclosure housing at least part of the prime mover,
wherein:
the bladed rotor is mounted to a hollow rotor shaft rotatable about the rotation axis of the bladed rotor;
the bladed rotor is drivingly coupled to the prime mover via the hollow rotor shaft; and
the vanes are mounted to a non-rotatable vane shaft that extends into the hollow rotor shaft.
2 . The pusher aircraft power plant as defined in claim 1 , wherein the enclosure includes a nacelle and the vanes are disposed aft of the nacelle.
3 . The pusher aircraft power plant as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the prime mover includes a combustion engine having an exhaust gas outlet; and
the vanes are disposed aft of the exhaust gas outlet.
4 . The pusher aircraft power plant as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the prime mover includes one or more turbines; and
the bladed rotor is disposed aft of all of the one or more turbines.
5 . The pusher aircraft power plant as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the prime mover is drivingly connected to an output shaft for delivering the motive power to the bladed rotor; and
the output shaft has an aft end that is disposed outside and aft of the enclosure of the prime mover.
6 . The pusher aircraft power plant as defined in claim 5 , wherein:
the bladed rotor is mounted to a rotor shaft rotatable about the rotation axis of the bladed rotor; and
the output shaft and the rotor shaft are non-coaxial.
7 . The pusher aircraft power plant as defined in claim 6 , wherein the rotor shaft is radially offset from the output shaft.
8 . The pusher aircraft power plant as defined in claim 7 , wherein the rotor shaft is drivingly coupled to the output shaft via gears housed inside a gearbox.
9 . The pusher aircraft power plant as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the hollow rotor shaft is drivingly coupled to the prime mover via gears housed inside a gearbox; and
the non-rotatable vane shaft is fixedly secured to a non-rotating structure inside of the gearbox.
10 . The pusher aircraft power plant as defined in claim 1 , wherein the bladed rotor and the vanes are open.
11 . The pusher aircraft power plant as defined in claim 1 , wherein the vanes have a variable pitch.
12 . The pusher aircraft power plant as defined in claim 1 , wherein the prime mover includes a Wankel engine.
13 . The pusher aircraft power plant as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the prime mover includes a gas turbine engine having a turbine section; and
the vanes are disposed aft of the turbine section.
14 . A pusher aircraft power plant for propelling an aircraft, the pusher aircraft power plant comprising:
a combustion engine operable to generate motive power, the combustion engine having a housing;
a bladed rotor for propelling the aircraft, the bladed rotor being drivingly coupled to the combustion engine and disposed aft of the housing of the combustion engine relative to a direction of propulsion of the pusher aircraft power plant; and
a circular array of swirl-recovery vanes coaxial with a rotation axis of the bladed rotor and non-rotatable about the rotation axis of the bladed rotor, the swirl-recovery vanes being disposed aft of the bladed rotor to interact with a flow of air exiting the bladed rotor during rotation of the bladed rotor,
wherein:
the combustion engine has an output shaft;
the bladed rotor is mounted to a hollow rotor shaft rotatable about the rotation axis of the bladed rotor;
the hollow rotor shaft is radially offset from the output shaft; and
the swirl-recovery vanes are mounted to a non-rotatable vane shaft that extends through the hollow rotor shaft and that is fixedly secured at a location that is forward of the hollow rotor shaft.
15 . The pusher aircraft power plant as defined in claim 14 , wherein the combustion engine is a Wankel engine.