Bypass duct with angled drag links
A gas turbine engine includes an engine core outer casing and a fan nacelle spaced radially outwardly relative to the engine core outer casing to define a bypass duct. A plurality of drag links is used to pivot blocker doors into a flow blocking position in the bypass duct when a thrust reverser is deployed. The plurality of drag links is located within the bypass duct in an area of non-uniform flow defined by a plurality of local airflow angles. Each drag link is individually configured to align with one of the local flow angles.
1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
an engine core outer casing;
a fan nacelle spaced radially outwardly relative to the engine core outer casing to define a bypass duct; and
a plurality of drag links that cause blocker doors to pivot into a flow blocking position in the bypass duct when a thrust reverser is deployed, and wherein the plurality of drag links are located within the bypass duct in an area of non-uniform flow defined by a plurality of local airflow angles, and wherein each drag link is individually configured to align with one of the local flow angles.
2. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of drag links includes at least a first drag link and a second drag link, the first drag link being aligned with a first local airflow angle and the second drag link being aligned with a second local airflow angle different from the first local airflow angle.
3. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , wherein each drag link comprises a link body having a first end pivotally connected to the engine core outer casing at a first pivot attachment and a second end pivotally attached to one of the blocker doors at a second pivot attachment.
4. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , wherein the drag links are circumferentially spaced about the engine core outer casing to define a plurality of drag link positions, and wherein the plurality of local air flow angles comprises a specific local airflow angle at each drag link position, and wherein each drag link at a respective drag link position is individually configured to align with the specific local airflow angle for that respective drag link position.
5. The gas turbine engine according to claim 4 wherein the drag links are not aligned with the respective specific local airflow angle at connection points to the engine core outer casing and blocker doors.
6. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , wherein alignment of each drag link is determined prior to installation based on computational analysis of predicted air flow through the bypass duct.
7. A gas turbine engine comprising:
an engine core outer casing;
a fan nacelle spaced radially outwardly relative to the engine core outer casing to define a bypass duct;
a plurality of drag links that cause blocker doors to pivot into a flow blocking position in the bypass duct when a thrust reverser is deployed, and wherein each drag link comprises a link body having a first end pivotally connected to the engine core outer casing at a first pivot attachment and a second end pivotally attached to one of the blocker doors at a second pivot attachment; and
wherein the plurality of drag links are located within the bypass duct in an area of non-uniform flow defined by a plurality of local airflow angles, and wherein each link body is individually configured to align with one of the local flow angles.
8. The gas turbine engine according to claim 7 , wherein the drag links are circumferentially spaced about the engine core outer casing to define a plurality of drag link positions, and wherein the plurality of local air flow angles comprises a specific local airflow angle at each drag link position, and wherein each link body at a respective drag link position is individually configured to align with the specific local airflow angle for that respective drag link position.
9. The gas turbine engine according to claim 8 , wherein the first and second ends of the drag links are not aligned with the respective specific local airflow angle at the first and second pivot attachments.
10. The gas turbine engine according to claim 8 , wherein alignment of each drag link is determined prior to installation based on computational fluid dynamic analysis of predicted air flow through the bypass duct.
11. The gas turbine engine according to claim 10 , including a first shaft surrounded by the engine core outer casing and defining an axis of rotation, a low pressure turbine configured to drive the first shaft, a low pressure compressor driven by the first shaft, and a fan connected to the first shaft through a geared architecture to drive the fan at a lower speed than the first shaft.
12. The gas turbine engine according to claim 11 , including a second shaft surrounded by the engine core outer casing and rotatable about the axis of rotation, a high pressure turbine configured to drive the second shaft, and a high pressure compressor driven by the second shaft.
13. The gas turbine engine according to claim 8 , wherein each drag link comprises a mounting flange for connection to the first end of the respective link body, and wherein each mounting flange comprises a base portion that is attached to the engine core outer casing and an outwardly extending mounting boss that defines the first pivot attachment.
14. The gas turbine engine according to claim 13 , wherein each mounting boss comprises a slot orientated at a first angle that receives the first end of the respective link body, and wherein the link body is oriented at a second angle that is different than the first angle.
15. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , wherein the bypass duct defines a primary bypass flowpath direction, and wherein the local airflow angles vary from each other relative to the primary bypass flowpath direction, and wherein at least one drag link is orientated to align with a local airflow flowpath that is defined by one of the local airflow angles that is not aligned with the primary bypass flowpath direction.
16. The gas turbine engine according to claim 15 , wherein at least one other drag link is orientated to align with another local airflow flowpath that is defined by another of the local airflow angles that is aligned with the primary bypass flowpath direction.
17. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , wherein the engine core outer casing defines an engine center axis and with at least some of the local airflow angles being orientated to be non-parallel with the engine center axis, and wherein at least one drag link is orientated to align with a local airflow angle that is non-parallel with the engine center axis.
18. The gas turbine engine according to claim 3 , wherein the first end of the link body is connected to a mounting flange comprising a base portion that is attached to the engine core outer casing and an outwardly extending mounting boss that defines the first pivot attachment, and wherein the mounting boss includes a slot orientated at a slot angle, and wherein the first end of the link body is received within the slot such that the link body is oriented at different angle than the slot angle.
19. The gas turbine engine according to claim 18 , wherein the link body is aligned with one of the local flow angles.
20. The gas turbine engine according to claim 7 , wherein the bypass duct defines a primary bypass flowpath direction, and wherein the local airflow angles vary from each other relative to the primary bypass flowpath direction, and wherein at least one drag link is orientated to align with a local airflow flowpath that is defined by one of the local airflow angles that is not aligned with the primary bypass flowpath direction, and wherein at least one other drag link is orientated to align with another local airflow flowpath that is defined by another of the local airflow angles that is aligned with the primary bypass flowpath direction.
21. The gas turbine engine according to claim 7 , wherein the engine core outer casing defines an engine center axis and with at least some of the local airflow angles being orientated to be non-parallel with the engine center axis, and wherein at least one drag link is orientated to align with a local airflow angle that is non-parallel with the engine center axis.
22. The gas turbine engine according to claim 7 , wherein the first end of the link body is connected to a mounting flange comprising a base portion that is attached to the engine core outer casing and an outwardly extending mounting boss that defines the first pivot attachment, and wherein the mounting boss includes a slot orientated at a slot angle, and wherein the first end of the link body is received within the slot such that the link body is oriented at different angle than the slot angle, and wherein the link body is aligned with one of the local flow angles.