JPS5925102B2 - Swing door particle separation and anti-icing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The functioning of a gas turbine engine relies on a large amount of airflow flowing continuously through each component of the engine.

Because these components, such as the compressor rotor, rotate at extremely high speeds, foreign matter present in the airflow will adversely affect engine performance.

For example, particles such as supercooled water droplets that impinge on the rotor have a large force that can cause instability and even destruction.

It is therefore important to provide means for separating foreign objects from the airflow entering the engine plenum.

A wide variety of barrier filters have been used in the past.

However, these filters have the disadvantage of promoting ice formation at the inlet, eventually blocking the inlet and obstructing air flow to the engine.

Inertial separators are used to separate high mass particles in the inlet air stream from the engine intake via a bypass duct.

A typical example of this type is described in US Pat. No. 3,329,377, issued June 4, 1967.

In this device, a deflection vane is hingedly placed in a duct upstream of the air intake of the engine plenum.

The wings extend into the duct and restrict airflow.

The airflow is accelerated and turned around the deflection vanes through a considerable angle.

Particles with large mass cannot be turned over and are discharged via the bypass duct.

Hinging the wings allows the amount of air bypassed to be adjusted.

Because the deflection vanes are mounted on the forward wall of the engine plenum inlet, they are an obstruction to airflow even when fully retracted.

This causes pressure loss and prevents maximum ram air operation, thus unnecessarily limiting engine performance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In summary, an improved particle separation and waterproofing device for use in gas turbine engine inlet ducts is provided.

An inlet duct extends axially along the engine compartment from a forward facing inlet to an aft facing outlet.

An opening communicating with the engine plenum is formed in the intermediate portion of the duct.

Inlets are provided to flow large amounts of air when high performance is required.

A swinging door is attached to the lever arm at the plenum entrance.

The lever arm is pivotally connected to the engine structure.

An actuation mechanism is provided for swinging the door from a position that partially closes the plenum inlet to a position that fully closes the exit portion of the duct.

In the particle separation mode, the door is swung into the plenum entrance.

This requires the incoming air to bend through an increased angle before entering the engine.

Particles with large inertia, such as ice, will be separated and ejected from the duct outlet.

When maximum performance is required from the gas turbine engine, the swing door is moved to a position that closes the duct outlet.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a gas turbine engine 1 mounted to and surrounded by the nose of an engine compartment 2. As shown in FIG.

The engine 1 is connected to drive a propeller 3 that generates thrust for moving the aircraft.

Air is connected to the annular plenum 5 through an air intake port (intake port)
4 to the engine.

An inlet duct 6 is formed between a housing provided below and outside the engine compartment 2, that is, a scoop 15, and the engine compartment.

The duct 6 extends axially from the front lower part to the rear outlet 8.

An opening 16 is provided in the middle part of the duct to provide an inlet for incoming air into the engine plenum 5.

The inlet is thus formed between the curved wall section 17 and the corner region 18 of the engine compartment.

A swinging door 9 is attached to a lever arm 10 of the entrance 16.

Lever arm 10 is secured to a shaft 13 rotatably mounted to a portion of an engine support structure (not shown).

Rotation of the shaft 13 will move the door 9 from a forward position, as shown in FIG. 2, to a rearward position, shown in broken lines in FIG.

The door 9 has a curved surface 17 extending into the plenum entrance 16.
The inlet airflow forms an extension of the plenum and is shaped such that the inlet airflow must turn through a large angle to enter the plenum.

This increase in turning angle creates an inertial separation effect that separates heavy particles in the airflow to the outside of the turning flow.

Due to the large inertia of the particles, no turning movement takes place and the particles pass through the corner region 18 and leave through the outlet 8 of the duct 6.

In this manner, ice and other foreign matter are prevented from entering the engine intake.

Under such conditions, ice may adhere to the corner region 18 and an ice sheet covering may form.

To prevent this situation, a heater 14 may be provided on the surface 18 as shown.

The heater 14 can utilize high-temperature exhaust gas flowing from the engine.

If in use no separation of particles is required or maximum performance is required, the swinging door 9 is placed in a rear position, i.e. in engagement with the corner wall section 18 and across the duct 6; It is moved to a position such that the outlet 8 is occluded.

This condition provides maximum ram air to the engine intake.

Controlled rotation of shaft 130 can be accomplished using air cylinder 11 powered by engine outflow air.

A piston rod 20 is connected to an actuating lever 12, which is also fixed to a shaft 13.

By actuation of the cylinder 11, the swing door 9 is moved between a front position and a rear position.

The swinging door 9 is designed to match the shape of the duct 6 and not restrict the air flow through the duct.

This minimizes performance degradation due to particle separator functionality.

The swinging door 9 can also be constructed in the form of a flat plate, as illustrated in FIG.

In particle separation mode, the door is moved into position, extending into the duct to deflect the air flow over a greater angle, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the separation action.

By swinging the door to the rearward position, the engine plenum is supplied with maximum ram air in the same manner as the embodiment illustrated in FIG.

An effective waterproofing and particle separation device is provided in the above manner,
Maximum ram air is allowed under these conditions.

According to a preferred embodiment, performance reduction factors are minimized.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of the nose portion of the engine compartment cut away to show the gas turbine engine and its inlet duct. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a particle separator according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment. 1... Gas turbine engine, 2... Engine room,
4...Intake port, 5...Plenum, 6...Duct,
7... Duct inlet, 8... Duct outlet, 9... Swinging door, 10... Lever arm, 11-... Air cylinder, 12... Operating lever, 13... Shaft, 14・・・
- Heater, 16--Plenum inlet, 20... Piston Rondo.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A particle separation and waterproofing device for the inlet of a gas turbine engine provided in the engine compartment of an aircraft, comprising:
A housing is provided outside the engine compartment, and a longitudinal duct extending axially between the housing and the outside of the engine compartment; said duct having a forward facing inlet and an aft facing inlet for flowing air. a facing outlet; an opening in the intermediate portion of the duct for providing an air inlet to the engine plenum; the air inlet to the plenum being between a first position and a second position; a door is mounted for movement in the first position, the door extending partially across the air inlet to the plenum and forcing the airflow into the plenum over a substantial angle; and in said second position, the door is configured to block a rear exit of the duct and allow substantially all of the air entering the duct to flow into said plenum; A particle separation and waterproofing device characterized in that actuating means are provided associated with the door for movement between second positions. 2. The actuating means comprises a shaft rotatably mounted in the vicinity of the plenum air inlet; at least one lever mounted on the shaft and extending into the plenum air inlet to receive the door; an air cylinder; a piston of said air cylinder connected to said shaft to rotate said shaft upon actuation of said air cylinder; and an air supply source for supplying high pressure air to said air cylinder for controlling said air cylinder. A particle separation and waterproofing device according to claim 1.