Power plants – Reaction motor – With thrust direction modifying means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-04
2001-04-10
Kim, Ted (Department: 3746)
Power plants
Reaction motor
With thrust direction modifying means
C239S265350, C239S265390
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212877
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to axisymmetric variable throat thrust vectoring nozzles and, more particularly, to support and actuation apparatus of the vectoring ring that is used to pivot the nozzle flaps that vector the nozzle exhaust flow.
DISCUSSION OF THE BACKGROUND ART
For military aircraft applications, there exists a need to increase the maneuverability of the aircraft, both for air to air combat missions and complicated ground attack missions. Aircraft designers seek to replace or augment the use of conventional aerodynamic surfaces such as flaps and ailerons with vectorable nozzles which turn or vector the exhaust flow and thrust of the gas turbine engine powering the aircraft. U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,660, issued to Hauer, herein incorporated by reference, discloses an axisymmetric vectoring exhaust nozzle that provides a means for vectoring the thrust of an axisymmetric convergent/divergent nozzle by universally pivoting the divergent flaps of the nozzle in an asymmetric fashion or, in other words, pivoting the divergent flaps in radial and tangential directions with respect to the unvectored nozzle centerline. The flaps are pivoted by a vectoring ring which can be axially translated and gimballed or tilted about its horizontal and vertical axis (essentially have its attitude adjusted) through a limited range.
Vectored thrust produces tangential and radial loads referred to as side loads that are transmitted from the flaps by various load paths back to the engine casing through the actuators. These tremendous loads require heavy actuators to absorb the loads and, particularly, the bending moments exerted on the actuator shafts by thrust vectoring. U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,502, issued to Lippmeier et al., herein incorporated by reference, discloses a support for the vectoring ring that transfers at least a portion of the side loads acting generated by a gas turbine engine thrust vectoring nozzle to a relatively stationary portion of the engine. U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,502 discloses apparatus to minimize or eliminate the side loads transferred by the nozzle to the actuators, reduce or eliminate the bending moments that the actuators would be subject to due to the radial loads, and to minimize the size and weight of the nozzle actuators and hydraulic system used to power the actuators. The support includes pivotal links that provides for allowing two degree of freedom (2 DOF) pivoting or gimballing motion and axial translation of the vectoring ring. One of the embodiments has a dual link support means with a rectangular first link pivotally attached to the engine casing by a hinge. The first link is pivotally connected to a second link which in turn is universally hinged to the vectoring ring by a 3 DOF or spherical joint.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a vectoring ring support and actuation apparatus is provided for transferring the side loads acting on a vectoring ring and generated by a gas turbine engine thrust vectoring nozzle to a relatively stationary portion of the engine and tilting the vectoring ring to vector the thrust of the nozzle. The apparatus includes an axially pivotable first link pivotably mounted on a relatively stationary first portion of the engine, an is axially pivotable second link pivotably supported by and connected to the first link, and a vectoring ring connected to an aft end of the second link. An actuator is operably mounted between a relatively stationary second portion of the engine spaced axially apart from the stationary first portion of the engine and the second link to axially pivot the first link with respect to the first portion of the engine. The apparatus preferably includes a first joint linking the actuator to the second link and the first joint has at least first and second rotational degrees of freedom with corresponding first and second perpendicular axes of rotation. A second joint that may be used to pivotably connect the second link to the first link has one rotational degree of freedom and a third axis of rotation co-axial with one of the first and second perpendicular axes of rotation. The first joint is preferably a ball joint having three rotational degrees of freedom and a third axis of rotation mutually perpendicular to the first and second perpendicular axes of rotation.
In the drawings as hereinafter described, a preferred embodiment is depicted; however, various other modifications and alternate constructions can be made thereto without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.
ADVANTAGES
Among the advantages provided by the apparatus of the present invention is the combined ability to reduce or even eliminate the side loads transferred to the vectoring ring actuators and the bending moments that the actuators and their arms would be subjected to with the ability to actuate the vectoring ring. The present invention also reduces the overall size of the structure needed to perform both of these functions as compared to designs in the prior art. The present invention combines the actuation and support mechanisms for the vectoring ring rather than splitting up the functions of ring support and ring actuation into two separate interface points on the vectoring ring and accomplishes the two functions of ring actuation and support with a single mechanism making the apparatus less complicated and structurally improved over that of the prior art.
The present invention eliminates a set of clevises on the vectoring ring which would be used to fasten the actuators to the ring, thus, simplifying the ring and reducing its cost and weight. Placing the vectoring ring actuators in front of and in line with the support and actuation apparatus of the present invention opens up space in the circumferential direction around the nozzle engine casing, making it easier to find room for other nozzle hardware.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4994660 (1991-02-01), Hauer
patent: 5174502 (1992-12-01), Lippmeier et al.
patent: 5329763 (1994-07-01), Ibarreche Mendia et al.
patent: 5542607 (1996-08-01), Jourdain et al.
patent: 5613636 (1997-03-01), Zubillaga et al.
patent: 5794850 (1998-08-01), Gutierrez, Jr.
patent: 5820024 (1998-10-01), Ausdenmoore et al.
General Electric Company
Hess Andrew C.
Kim Ted
Young Rodney M.
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