Aft air inlet particle separator for turbine engine
A propulsion system for an aircraft includes a gas generating core engine, a propulsor that is driven by an exhaust gas flow that is generated by the core engine, and an inlet assembly where an inlet airflow is communicated to the core engine. The inlet assembly is disposed aft of the core engine and includes a turning duct that directs inlet air into the core engine, and a particle exhaust outlet that directs particulates away from the core engine.
1 . A propulsion system for an aircraft comprising:
a gas generating core engine disposed about an engine axis;
a propulsor driven by an exhaust gas flow generated by the gas generating core engine;
an inlet assembly where an inlet airflow is communicated to the gas generating core engine, the inlet assembly is disposed aft of the gas generating core engine and includes
an inlet opening to a turning duct directing inlet air into the gas generating core engine,
a particulate passage radially outward of the turning duct,
an annular particulate inlet, and
a particle exhaust outlet directing particulates away from the gas generating core engine,
wherein the turning duct is centered along and across the engine axis and the particle exhaust outlet is disposed along the engine axis aft of the turning duct.
2 . The propulsion system as recited in claim 1 , including an exhaust duct routing an exhaust gas flow away from the gas generating core engine, the exhaust duct spaced radially apart from the inlet opening of the turning duct.
3 . The propulsion system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the exhaust duct is spaced radially apart from the particle exhaust outlet.
4 . The propulsion system as recited in claim 2 , including a nacelle surrounding the gas generating core engine and defining a bypass flow path, wherein the exhaust duct is disposed within the nacelle.
5 . The propulsion system as recited in claim 1 . wherein the annular particle inlet is aft of the inlet opening for inlet airflow.
6 . The propulsion system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the gas generating core engine includes a turbine section engine forward of a combustor section and a compressor section and the inlet assembly communicates inlet airflow into the compressor section.
7 . The propulsion system as recited in claim 6 , including a power turbine coupled to drive the propulsor, the power turbine is engine forward of the turbine section and is rotatable independent of the turbine section by at least a portion of the exhaust gas flow.
8 . A propulsion system for an aircraft comprising:
a gas generating core engine where an exhaust gas flow is generated to drive a turbine section that is engine forward of a combustor section and a compressor section;
a propulsor driven by the exhaust gas flow generated by the gas generating core engine;
a power turbine coupled to drive the propulsor, the power turbine is engine forward of the turbine section and is rotatable independent of the turbine section by at least a portion of the exhaust gas flow;
an inlet assembly where an inlet airflow is communicated to the gas generating core engine, the inlet assembly is disposed aft of the gas generating core engine and includes an inlet opening, a turning duct where inlet airflow is communicated engine forward into the compressor section, a particle passage, an annular particle inlet, and a particle exhaust outlet that directs particulates away from the gas generating core engine, wherein the turning duct is centered along and across the engine axis and the particle exhaust outlet is disposed along the engine axis aft of the turning duct; and
an exhaust duct routing the exhaust gas flow away from the gas generating core engine, the exhaust duct spaced radially apart from particle exhaust outlet.
9 . The propulsion system as recited in claim 8 , including a nacelle surrounding the gas generating core engine and defining a bypass flow path, wherein at least a portion of the exhaust duct is disposed within the nacelle.
10 . The propulsion system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the turning duct is configured to turn the inlet airflow radially inward and axially forward through an outlet where the inlet airflow is directed axially forward into the gas generating core engine, wherein the inlet assembly includes the annular particle inlet disposed radially outward from the turning duct, the annular particle inlet is where particles within the inlet airflow are directed radially inward toward the particulate exhaust outlet.
11 . The propulsion system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the annular particle inlet is aft of the inlet opening for inlet airflow.