Power plants – Reaction motor – Air passage bypasses combustion chamber
Reexamination Certificate
1982-07-08
2001-07-03
Tudor, Harold J. (Department: 3641)
Power plants
Reaction motor
Air passage bypasses combustion chamber
C060S039500, C060S264000, C181S213000, C181S220000, C239S265170
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253540
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an infrared suppressor system for a gas turbine engine, and more specifically, to an infrared suppressor system which blocks the line of sight into the engine and which provides for mixing of cooling air with the hot exhaust gases of the engine.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
With recent advancements in weapons detection technology, there is growing recognition, in the field, of the importance of reducing the infrared signature associated with gas turbine engines powering military aircraft and land combat vehicles. Signature reductions reduce the possibility of detection and pursuit by enemy anti-aircraft forces including heat-seeking missiles. In the past, various apparatus have been utilized to suppress infrared radiation from gas turbine engines. Generally, these prior art devices admit to two categories: one in which a center plug is disposed in the exhaust flow and cooperates to block the line of sight to the hot turbine parts of the engine; and the other of which blocks line of sight by ejecting the hot gases from the suppressor at substantial angle from the axial center line of the engine.
Prior art suppressors of they type just mentioned have been numerous. Improved suppressors have been developed to provide size and weight advantages and minimize installation penalties.
An example of such improved suppressors is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,332, Steyer et al, which shows the use of splitters that perform a dual function of mixing hot and cool gas flows to reduce gas temperatures and also block line-of-sight infrared radiation. Since the conception of the suppressor disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,332, further developments have made possible even more compact and higher performance suppressor construction arrangements.
An additional consideration is that infrared suppressors are only necessary when an aircraft is flown under combat conditions. It is undesirable to use infrared suppressors under non-combat conditions because of their associated performance penalties. Previous practice has been to remove an entire suppressor under certain operational conditions. Removing an entire suppressor can be difficult and time consuming.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved infrared radiation suppressor system for a gas turbine engine in a construction arrangement that is compact yet allows acceptable levels of engine performance.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an infrared radiation suppressor which obstructs the line of sight of the hot turbine parts of the engine when this is desired but can be easily altered to improve engine performance when infrared suppression is unnecessary.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an infrared suppressor which provides complete and thorough mixing of hot exhaust gases with cooler ambient air to effect a reduction in the signature of the exhaust plume in a compact arrangement with acceptable losses of engine performance, but can be easily altered to improve engine performance when infrared suppression is unnecessary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects of the invention which will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings are accomplished by the present invention which, in one form, provides an apparatus for suppressing infrared radiation emitted from the hot metal parts at the aft end of a gas turbine engine and from a stream of exhaust gases flowing out the aft end during engine operation. More specifically, the present invention provides duct means adapted to receive the stream of hot gases from the engine and to confine the exhaust gases to flow through the duct. The duct is provided with opening means that permits a cooling gas flow, such as engine bay air to enter the interior of the duct. A pair of outer baffle assemblies are disposed in a region downstream of the opening means. An inner baffle assembly is generally disposed at least partly between and at least partly downstream of the outer baffle assemblies. The outer baffle assemblies split the exhaust gas flow into two outer and an inner flowstream. The inner baffle assembly then splits the inner gas flow into an upper and lower inner flowstream. It can be appreciated that this combination of baffles breaks down what originally a single hot exhaust flowstream into four separate flowstreams. In the process of breaking down the flowstream, the baffles tend to draw cooling air through opening means into the exhaust flowstream while simultaneously blocking line-of-sight infrared radiation. All of this is accomplished with a unique and compact baffle arrangement that is incorporated into a single baffle module.
The suppressor is provided with features that permit the baffle module to be easily removed from the suppressor when so desired. The removable features include baffle end plates that can be slidably engaged with an interference fit inside the duct to form a sealing relationship.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3210934 (1965-10-01), Smale
patent: 3693880 (1972-09-01), Versaw et al.
patent: 3710890 (1973-01-01), True et al.
patent: 3889882 (1975-06-01), Hull, Jr. et al.
patent: 3921906 (1975-11-01), Nye et al.
patent: 3970252 (1976-07-01), Smale et al.
patent: 3981143 (1976-09-01), Ross et al.
patent: 4002024 (1977-01-01), Nye et al.
patent: 4004416 (1977-01-01), Amelio et al.
patent: 4007587 (1977-02-01), Banthin et al.
patent: 4018046 (1977-04-01), Hurley
patent: 4044555 (1977-08-01), McLoughlin et al.
patent: 4136518 (1979-01-01), Hurley et al.
patent: 4295332 (1981-10-01), Steyer et al.
patent: 4369937 (1983-01-01), Le Bell et al.
Chew Thomas
Harrold Michael Charles
Moore Clinton Clark
Steyer William
General Electric Company
Hess Andrew C.
Tudor Harold J.
Young Rodney M.
LandOfFree
Removable baffle infrared suppressor does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Removable baffle infrared suppressor, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Removable baffle infrared suppressor will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2531754