Abstract:
An air cycle machine (10) has a first stage turbine (60) mounted to a central portion of a common shaft (12), a compressor (50) mounted to the central portion of the shaft (12), a second stage turbine (30) mounted to a first end of the shaft (12), and a fan (40) mounted to a second end of the shaft (12), all for rotation therewith about a longitudinal axis (14). The first and second stage turbines (60, 30) are operative to extract energy from a flow of compressed air for driving the shaft (12), and the fan (40) and the compressor (50), in rotation about the axis (14). A bypass air discharge nozzle (20) is disposed coaxially with the turbine shroud (32) of the outboard turbine (30) at the outlet (134) thereof or downstream thereof at the discharge end (38) of the turbine diffuser (36) so as to receive in a central region the turbine exhaust (3) discharging from the turbine (30) and to define an annular flow inlet (28) through which a flow of bypass air (5) is directed into an outer circumferential region thereof to flow substantially parallel to and about the cooled expanded conditioning air exhaust flow (3) discharged from the turbine (30).
Abstract:
A premix gas nozzle has longitudinal tangential entrance slots (42) to a cylindrical chamber (40). There is an axially increasing flow area (56) toward the chamber outlet (54), with pilot fuel (60, 62) centrally introduced near the outlet. A lean mix low NOx fuel nozzle is thereby stabilized.
Abstract:
A turbine section having a seal cavity with effectively continuous flow surfaces is disclosed. Various construction details are developed which disclose a fluid cooled stator assembly having a plurality of ejectors for flowing cooling fluid into the seal cavity. In one embodiment, the ejectors (114) include a wall (132) which have circumferentially spaced mating edges (134, 136) arranged in a cascade type configuration. The arrangement of the walls provides an effectively continuous flow surface for the radially flowing annulus of cooling fluid within a seal cavity (108). In an alternate embodiment, an opening (152) between adjacent mating edges (154, 156) provides access to mechanical fasteners (162) which retain a sealing shroud (164) to a stator assembly (150).
Abstract:
A normal acceleration schedule limits the rate of engine acceleration. A second acceleration schedule permits a higher acceleration, which causes higher thermal stress in the hot engine parts. The higher schedule is enabled only during a landing approach, thus limiting the number of such stress cycles, while achieving improved performance for the selected mode.
Abstract:
An improved method of burning a hydrocarbon fuel in a combustion system includes burning the fuel in a main burner under fuel-lean conditions to produce a main flame and burning a low heating value fuel in a pilot burner to stabilize the main flame and limit the amount of NOx produced in the pilot burner. The pilot fuel can inherently have a low heating value, can be diluted high heating value fuel, or can be made by partially oxidizing a high heating value fuel. An improved combustion system for burning a hydrocarbon fuel with limited NOx emissions has a main burner (2), a pilot burner (10), and a partial oxidation stage (4) capable of converting a high heating value fuel to a low heating value fuel in a partial oxidation reaction. The system also has means for burning the low heating value fuel in the pilot burner. The system can include means (16) for removing heat from the partial oxidation stage or low heating value fuel to lower the temperature of the pilot flame.
Abstract:
A fiber reinforced glass matrix composite has a glass matrix and a plurality of primary and secondary reinforcing fibers dispersed in the matrix. The secondary reinforcing fibers are shorter than the primary fibers. The composite may be made by uniformly distributing the secondary reinforcing fibers in a dispersant. A glass powder is mixed in a carrier liquid to create a slurry and the secondary reinforcing fibers and dispersant are slowly added to the slurry so the fibers uniformly disperse as they are added. A binder is also added to the slurry. A continuous fiber is impregnated with the slurry and the impregnated fiber is dried to remove the carrier liquid. The impregnated yarn is cut to a suitable length and molded by a suitable molding method to form a fiber reinforced glass matrix composite.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus to install and remove heavy components mounted on a base structure is disclosed. Various construction details are developed which provide means for coupling the component and base structure in a manner permitting relative rotation and translation about an axis of rotation. In one embodiment, an aircraft engine component (18) has a pair of hooks (32) and an aircraft engine (10) has a pair of pins (46) which engage the hooks to couple the component and engine to permit rotational and translational motion of the component relative to the engine. For this embodiment, a method for relative motion between an installed and uninstalled condition is comprised of maneuvering the component and engine between a coupled and uncoupled position, moving the coupled component relative to the engine about the axis of rotation, and manipulating a fastener means between a secured and unsecured position.
Abstract:
A rotary wing aircraft flight control system (21) which receives signals indicative of aircraft pitch rate (88), pitch attitude (86), bank angle (87) and airspeed (66), and responds to a pitch command from a sidearm controller (29) to control the pitch of an aircraft comprises means for scheduling and providing a set point signal indicative of the desired aircraft pitch rate of change, means for computing the difference between the said point and the pitch rate signal, and for providing a pitch rate error signal indicative thereof, inverse model means (56) responsive to said set point signal for scheduling a feedforward command signal to drive the aircraft to respond in a manner which is essentially equal to said set point signal, means for providing maneuvering feel on the sidearm controller (29) when the bank angle of the aircraft exceeds a predetermined value by conditioning said set point signal, means for integrating over time said conditioned set point signal to provide a desired pitch attitude set point, for comparing said pitch attitude set point and the pitch attitude signal (86) and providing a pitch attitude error signal indicative of the difference, and means responsive to said pitch rate error signal, said feedforward command signal, and said pitch attitude error signal, for providing a pitch command signal to the main rotor of the aircraft.
Abstract:
A rate model algorithm responsive to the pilot attitude command signal, flight parameters sensors and an inverse vehicle model algorithm provide signals to rotary wing aircraft flight command to get the aerodynamical response to the pilot command.