IP Library Granted Patent US 12,313,021
Granted Patent B1
US 12,313,021 · App. 18/604,610 · Granted May 27, 2025

Outer nacelle with inlet guide vanes and acoustic treatment

Inventors: Arthur William Sibbach (Boxford, MA); Nicholas Joseph Kray (Mason, OH); Brandon Wayne Miller (Liberty Township, OH); Gary Willard Bryant, Jr. (Loveland, OH)
Assignee: General Electric Company
F02K3/06F02C7/045F02C7/24F04D29/526F04D29/541F04D29/542F04D29/664F04D29/667F01D9/042F01D25/24F05D2220/36F05D2260/14F05D2260/96
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,313,021
App. No.
18/604,610
Granted
May 27, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

A gas turbine engine is provided having: a turbomachine; a fan rotatable by the turbomachine, the fan comprising a fan blade, the fan blade defining an outer tip along the radial direction, a trailing edge at the tip, and a length, L FB , at the tip along the axial direction; and an outer nacelle surrounding the fan and surrounding at least in part the turbomachine, the outer nacelle comprising a stage of pre-swirl inlet guide vanes located upstream of the fan, the stage of pre-swirl inlet guide vanes having a pre-swirl inlet guide vane, the outer nacelle further comprising an inner surface along the radial direction and an acoustic treatment coupled to or integrated with the inner surface.

Claims (23)

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

a turbomachine;

a fan rotatable by the turbomachine, the fan comprising a fan blade, the fan blade defining an outer tip along the radial direction, a trailing edge at the outer tip, and a length, L FB , at the outer tip along the axial direction; and

an outer nacelle surrounding the fan and surrounding at least in part the turbomachine, the outer nacelle comprising a stage of pre-swirl inlet guide vanes located upstream of the fan, the stage of pre-swirl inlet guide vanes having a pre-swirl inlet guide vane defining a 15% span location and a leading edge at the 15% span location, the pre-swirl inlet guide vane further defining a length, L IGV , along the axial direction at the 15% span location, the outer nacelle further comprising an inner surface along the radial direction and an acoustic treatment coupled to or integrated with the inner surface, the acoustic treatment defining a length, L AT , along the axial direction; wherein the gas turbine engine defines a length, L S , from the leading edge of the pre-swirl inlet guide vane at the 15% span location to the trailing edge of the fan blade at the outer tip of the fan blade, and wherein the length, L AT , of the acoustic treatment is as follows: (L IGV 2 /L S )×UCF 1 <L AT <(L FB 3 /L IGV )×UCF 2 , wherein UCF 1 is a first unit correction factor equal to 1 −1 inch and UCF 2 is a second unit correction factor equal to 1 −2 inch.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the length, L IGV , is greater than or equal to 0.3 inches and less than or equal to 11 inches, and wherein the length, L FB , is greater than or equal to 3 inches and less than or equal to 15 inches.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the length, L IGV , is greater than or equal to 1.5 inches and less than or equal to 9 inches, and wherein the length, L FB , is greater than or equal to 5 inches and less than or equal to 11 inches.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the length, L S , is greater than or equal to 4 inches and less than or equal to 30 inches.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the length, L S , is greater than or equal to 7.5 inches and less than or equal to 24 inches.

6. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic treatment is integrated into the inner surface of the outer nacelle.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic treatment is positioned along the axial direction at least partially between the stage of pre-swirl inlet guide vanes and the outer tip of the fan blade.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic treatment is positioned along the axial direction at least partially at the stage of pre-swirl inlet guide vanes.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic treatment is positioned along the axial direction at least partially at the outer tip of the fan blade.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic treatment is at least in part integrated with a surface of the pre-swirl inlet guide vane.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic treatment extends continuously along a circumference of the inner surface of the outer nacelle.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic treatment comprises a plurality of acoustic treatment panels.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of acoustic treatment panels are spaced along a circumferential direction of the gas turbine engine.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of acoustic treatment panels are spaced along the axial direction of the gas turbine engine.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic treatment extends from a first location forward of the stage of pre-swirl inlet guide vanes to a second location aft of the stage of pre-swirl inlet guide vanes.

16. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the gas turbine engine is configured as a direct drive gas turbine engine.

17. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the pre-swirl inlet guide vane defines a span, wherein the fan blade defines a fan blade diameter, and wherein the span is greater than or equal to 5% of the fan blade diameter and less than or equal to 50% of the fan blade diameter.

18. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the pre-swirl inlet guide vane is attached to or integrated with a body of the outer nacelle.

19. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic treatment comprises a perforated sheet and a hollow body.

20. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic treatment includes at least a portion that extends to the pre-swirl inlet guide vane.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2024
From: SIBBACH, ARTHUR WILLIAM; KRAY, NICHOLAS JOSEPH; MILLER, BRANDON WAYNE; BRYANT, GARY WILLARD, JR
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 066767/0495 →
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