IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,018,575
Granted Patent B2
US 12,018,575 · App. 18/295,897 · Granted Jun 25, 2024

Turbine engine with a cowl door

Inventors: John Carl Glessner (Kings Mill, OH); Mark Edward Linz (Cincinnati, OH)
Assignee: General Electric Company
F01D25/24F05D2220/323F05D2240/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,018,575
App. No.
18/295,897
Granted
Jun 25, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A turbine engine including an engine core, a nacelle, and a cowl door. The engine core including in serial, axial flow arrangement a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section and defining a first airflow axially through the engine core. The nacelle circumscribing at least a portion of the engine core and having an exterior surface defining a second airflow along the exterior surface and an internal passage located between the exterior surface and the engine core and defining a third airflow. The cowl door located along the nacelle.

Claims (36)

1. A turbine engine comprising:

an engine core having in serial, axial flow arrangement a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section and defining a first airflow path extending through the engine core;

a nacelle circumscribing at least a portion of the engine core and having an exterior surface and a second airflow path, the exterior surface defining an external airflow path extending along the exterior surface, the second airflow path being coupled to the first airflow path and being located between the exterior surface and the engine core; and

a cowl door located along the nacelle and movable between opened and closed positions to provide selective access to at least a portion of the engine core, wherein the cowl door has an interior forming at least a portion of the second airflow path;

wherein the second airflow path is at least partially formed by the interior extends continuously over a circumferential area that extends greater than 180 degrees about the engine core.

2. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the cowl door comprises a pair of gull wing doors.

3. The turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein each door of the pair of gull wing doors extends 180 degrees about the engine core.

4. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the second airflow path extends discontinuously about the engine core.

5. The turbine engine of claim 4 , wherein the second airflow path extends, in total, at least 240 degrees about the engine core.

6. The turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of rotatable fan blades extending radially beyond the exterior surface of the nacelle.

7. The turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of rotatable fan blades are at least one of either axially upstream of or axially downstream of the combustor section.

8. The turbine engine of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of stationary fan vanes extending radially beyond the exterior surface of the nacelle and downstream from the plurality of rotatable fan blades.

9. A turbine engine having an engine centerline, the turbine engine comprising:

an engine core having in serial, axial flow arrangement a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section and defining a first airflow path extending through the engine core;

a nacelle circumscribing at least a portion of the engine core and having an exterior surface, the exterior surface defining an external airflow path along the exterior surface; and

a pair of gull wing doors including a first gull wing door and a second dull wing door each extending between a first outer edge and a second outer edge, the pair of gull wing doors being located along the nacelle and moveable between opened and closed positions to provide selective access to at least a portion of the engine core, the pair of gull wing doors being non-symmetric about a vertical plane extending along the engine centerline and intersecting the second outer edge of the first pull wing door and the second pull wing door when the pair of gull wing doors are in the closed position;

wherein each door of the pair of gull wing doors includes an inner barrel and an outer barrel located radially outward from the inner barrel with respect to the engine core.

10. The turbine engine of claim 9 , further comprising:

an engine mount; and

a hinge for each gull wing door, the hinge adjacent the engine mount and mounting the pair of gull wing doors to the nacelle.

11. The turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the pair of gull wing doors include a hinge edge, coupled to the corresponding hinge such that at least one of the inner barrel or the outer barrel of each gull wing door are independently movable with respect to one another.

12. The turbine engine of claim 9 , wherein the pair of gull wing doors define a second airflow path that extends discontinuously about the engine core.

13. The turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the second airflow path extends, in total, at least 240 degrees about the engine core.

14. The turbine engine of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of rotatable fan blades extending radially beyond the exterior surface of the nacelle.

15. The turbine engine of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of rotatable fan blades are at least one of either axially upstream of or axially downstream of the combustor section.

16. A turbine engine comprising:

an engine core having in serial, axial flow arrangement a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section and defining a first airflow path extending through the engine core;

a nacelle circumscribing at least a portion of the engine core and having an exterior surface and a second airflow path, the exterior surface defining an external airflow hath, the second airflow hath being coupled to the first airflow path and being located between the exterior surface and the engine core; and

a cowl door located along the nacelle and movable between opened and closed positions to provide selective access to at least a portion of the engine core, the cowl door having:

an inner barrel;

an outer barrel located radially outward from the inner barrel with respect to the engine core, with the outer barrel and the inner barrel being independently movable with respect to one another between an open position and a closed position; and

an interior defined by a space between the inner barrel and the outer barrel when the inner barrel and the outer barrel are in the closed position, the interior defining at least a portion of the second airflow path.

17. The turbine engine of claim 16 , wherein the cowl door comprises a pair of gull wing doors, with each gull wing door of the pair of gull wing doors including a respective inner barrel and outer barrel.

18. The turbine engine of claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of rotatable fan blades extending radially beyond the exterior surface of the nacelle.

19. The turbine engine of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of rotatable fan blades are at least one of either axially upstream of or axially downstream of the combustor section.

20. The turbine engine of claim 16 , wherein the interior extends continuously over a circumferential area that extends greater than 90 degrees about the engine core.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 5, 2023
From: GLESSNER, JOHN CARL; LINZ, MARK EDWARD
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 063227/0641 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17368214 · Jul 6, 2021
Related Publication 20230250733A1 · Aug 10, 2023
Cited By (1)
US 12,674,422