FR3058474A1 - AIRCRAFT PROPULSIVE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE GUIDE SYSTEM FOR A PUSH REVERSING DEVICE SUPPORTED BY A BLOWER HOUSING - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the invention is an aircraft propulsion unit which comprises an upstream section (34), a central section (36), a fan casing (28) and a thrust reverser device (40) comprising: at least one moving part (50) in translation between a closed position in which the movable part (50) is in contact with the middle section (36) and an open position in which the movable part (50) is separated from the middle section ( 36) for creating at least one lateral opening (52), - a guide system (54) which comprises at least one fixed frame (58) along which each movable part (50) slides between the closed position and the open position, each fixed frame (58) comprising at least two attachment points (72.1, 72.2) spaced from each other, one of the attachment points being connected to the fan casing (28) and the other fixing point being associated with at least one element of the upstream section (34).

Description

® FRENCH REPUBLIC

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY © Publication number: 3,058,474 (to be used only for reproduction orders) (© National registration number: 16 60703

COURBEVOIE © IntCI ⁸

F02 K 1/72 (2017.01), F 02 K 1/70, 1/64

A1 PATENT APPLICATION

(§) Date of filing: 04.11.16. (© Applicant (s): AIRBUS OPERATIONS Company by (30) Priority: simplified actions - FR. @ Inventor (s): PORTE ALAIN, ALBET GREGORY, CZAPLA LIONEL and PIARD FREDERIC. (43) Date of public availability of the request: 11.05.18 Bulletin 18/19. (© List of documents cited in the report of preliminary research: Refer to end of present booklet (© References to other national documents @ Holder (s): AIRBUS OPERATIONS Company by related: simplified actions. ©) Extension request (s): @ Agent (s): CABINET ALLICI.

POWERED AIRCRAFT ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE GUIDING SYSTEM FOR A DRIVING DEVICE SUPPORTED BY A BLOWER HOUSING.

FR 3 058 474 - A1 (tv) The invention relates to an aircraft propulsion unit which comprises an upstream section (34), a middle section (36), a fan casing (28) and a reversing device thrust (40) comprising:

- at least one mobile part (50) in translation between a closed position in which the mobile part (50) is in contact with the middle section (36) and an open position in which the mobile part (50) is spaced from the section median (36) to create at least one lateral opening (52),

- A guide system (54) which comprises at least one fixed frame (58) along which each movable part (50) slides between the closed position and the open position, each fixed frame (58) comprising at least two fixing points (72.1,72.2) distant from each other, one of the fixing points being connected to the fan casing (28) and the other fixing point being associated with at least one element of the upstream section (34 ).

POWERED AIRCRAFT ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE GUIDANCE SYSTEM

OF A THRUST REVERSING DEVICE SUPPORTED BY A BLOWER HOUSING

The present application relates to an aircraft propulsion unit comprising at least one system for guiding a thrust reverser device supported by a fan casing.

According to one configuration, an aircraft comprises several propulsion units each connected by a mast to the wing.

A propulsion unit includes a turbojet engine positioned inside a nacelle.

The turbojet engine comprises a reactor and a fan which comprises a rotor provided with blades and a fan casing. The turbojet engine is connected to the mast by engine mounts. The basket has an approximately tubular shape. It is positioned around the turbojet and defines with the reactor an annular duct. The nacelle includes an upstream section called the air inlet and positioned at the front of the blower, a middle section in which the blower is positioned and a downstream section which includes a thrust reverser device.

During a landing, the thrust reversing device makes it possible to divert at least part of the air flow circulating in the annular duct towards the outside and the front of the nacelle. To this end, the thrust reversing device comprises at least one movable part making it possible to generate a lateral opening towards which the deflected air flow is oriented. According to one embodiment, the mobile part is a tubular O-shaped cover which translates between a closed position in which the mobile part is in contact with the middle section and an open position in which the mobile part is spaced from the middle section.

The propulsion unit comprises a guidance system for guiding in translation the movable part between the closed position and the open position.

According to one embodiment, the guide system comprises at least a first guide rail positioned in the upper part of the propulsion unit (so-called position at 12 o'clock) and possibly a second rail positioned in the lower part of the propulsion unit (so-called position at 6 a.m.).

Each guide rail extends at the rear of the middle section and includes a first end connected to the fan casing and a second end connected to the mast.

According to one embodiment, the thrust reversing device also comprises grids which make it possible to orient the deflected air flow. These grids are connected to the fan casing and positioned at the rear of the latter. According to this arrangement, the grids are covered by the movable part in the closed position. When the movable part is in the open position, it releases the grids which are then positioned in the lateral opening (s).

In flight, the nacelle and the turbojet engine move slightly relative to the mast due to aerodynamic loads. The guidance system being connected on the one hand to the turbojet engine and on the other hand to the mast, clearances and offsets appear between the middle section of the nacelle and the movable part or parts of the reversing device. thrust which penalizes the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft. The new turbojet architectures which have longer and larger diameter fan casings generate greater clearances and offsets which further penalize the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft.

The present invention aims to remedy all or part of the drawbacks of the prior art.

To this end, the subject of the invention is an aircraft propulsion unit comprising a fan casing which extends from a front end to a rear end, a nacelle which has an upstream section positioned at the front of the fan casing, a middle section positioned around the fan casing and a downstream section which comprises a thrust reverser device, said thrust reverser device comprising:

at least one part movable in translation between a closed position in which the movable part is in contact with the middle section and an open position in which the movable part is spaced from the middle section to create at least one lateral opening, a guidance system which comprises at least one fixed frame comprising a front end, along which slides each movable part between the closed position and the open position, and at least one grid positioned at each lateral opening when the movable part is in the open position and configured to deflect an air flow passing through each side opening.

According to the invention, each fixed frame comprises at least two attachment points distant from each other, one of the attachment points being connected to the fan casing and the other attachment point being associated with at least one element of the upstream section.

According to this configuration, all the elements of the thrust reversing device are connected to the turbojet engine and more particularly to the fan casing. Thus, the turbojet engine the nacelle and the thrust reversal device follow the same movements relative to the mast. This makes it possible to reduce or even eliminate the clearances and offsets between the thrust reverser device and the rest of the nacelle due to the aerodynamic loads. According to another characteristic, a first attachment point is associated on the one hand with the front end of the fixed frame and on the other hand with the front end of the fan casing. According to one embodiment, the air inlet comprises an outer wall extending rearward and above a part of the fan casing and each fixed frame is connected on the one hand, by its front end , at the end of a connecting rod which is connected by an opposite end to a support integral with the external wall of the air inlet and on the other hand by a flange fixed by one of its ends to the support and by an end opposite to the air intake duct.

According to another characteristic, a second attachment point is connected to the rear end of the fan casing.

According to another characteristic, the second fixing point is positioned at the level of the first front half of the fixed frame. According to one embodiment, the second attachment point is separated from the front end of the fixed frame by a distance approximately equal to 1/3 of the total length of the fixed frame.

According to another characteristic, each grid is connected to the mobile part and positioned in the middle section of the nacelle when each mobile part is in the closed position. The invention also relates to an aircraft which comprises at least one propulsion unit according to the invention.

Other characteristics and advantages will emerge from the description of the invention which follows, description given by way of example only, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an aircraft,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a nacelle according to one embodiment,

FIG. 3 is a section of a part of a nacelle equipped with a system for guiding a thrust reversing device in the closed position which illustrates an embodiment of the invention, and

Figure 4 is a section of the part of the nacelle visible in Figure 3 in the open position.

FIG. 1 shows an aircraft 10 which comprises propulsion units 12 each connected by a mast 14 to a wing 16.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a propulsion unit comprises a turbojet engine 18 positioned inside a nacelle 20.

For the remainder of the description, the longitudinal direction corresponds to the direction of the axis A18 of the turbojet engine 18. The terms front / upstream and rear / downstream refer to the direction of flow of the air flow in the nacelle. The front or upstream corresponds to an area where the air flow enters the nacelle and the rear or downstream corresponds to an area where the air flow exits from the nacelle.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the turbojet engine 18 comprises:

a blower 22 which comprises a rotor 24 provided with blades 26 and a blower casing 28 positioned around the rotor 24, and a reactor 30 which comprises a primary duct in which are arranged in the direction of air flow, stages compressors, a combustion chamber and turbine stages.

The turbojet engine 18 is connected to the mast 14 by engine attachments (not shown).

The nacelle 20 has an approximately tubular shape and is positioned around the turbojet engine 18. The nacelle 20 defines with the reactor 30 an annular duct 32. The nacelle 20 comprises an upstream section 34 called the air inlet and positioned at the front of the blower 22, a middle section 36 in which the blower 22 is positioned and a downstream section 38 which comprises a thrust reverser device 40.

The fan casing 28 has a tubular shape and extends from a front end 42 to a rear end 44. The front end 42 of the fan casing is connected to a duct 45 of the air inlet 34 by a link 46. The middle section 36 is in the form of at least one cover 47 connected to the fan casing and to the air inlet 34, positioned in the extension of an outer wall 49 of the inlet air 34. As illustrated in FIG. 2, this cover 47 comprises at least one movable part 48 called the door. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, two doors 48 are arranged on either side of the mast 14.

The thrust reverser device 40 comprises:

- At least one movable part 50 making it possible to generate at least one lateral opening 52 configured to make the annular duct 32 communicate with the outside E of the nacelle 20, said movable part 50 being movable in translation between a first closed position (FIG. 3 ) in which the moving part 50 is in contact with the middle section 36, and a second open position (FIG. 4) in which the moving part 50 is spaced from the middle section 36, a guidance system 54 configured to guide each moving part 50 between the closed position and the open position,

- at least one actuator (not shown) to control the movement of the mobile part 50, an air flow orientation system (not shown) configured to occupy an active state in which it deflects the air flow which flows in the annular duct 32 in the direction of the lateral opening 52 and a passive state in which it does not interfere with the air flow which flows in the annular duct 32, and

- At least one grid 56 positioned at each lateral opening 52 when the movable part 50 is in the open position, said grid 56 being configured to deflect the air flow passing through the lateral opening 52 towards the front of the nacelle.

The guide system 54 comprises at least one fixed frame 58 along which the movable part 50 slides.

According to a first embodiment, the fixed frame 58 comprises a guide rail parallel to the longitudinal direction, positioned at 12 o'clock, in the upper part of the propulsion unit. The thrust reversing device comprises a movable part 50 with an approximately cylindrical shape. The movable part 50 comprises a first longitudinal edge which cooperates with a first face of the guide rail and a second longitudinal edge which cooperates with a second face of the guide rail.

According to a second embodiment, the fixed frame 58 comprises an upper guide rail parallel to the longitudinal direction, positioned at 12 o'clock, in the upper part of the propulsion unit and a lower guide rail parallel to the upper guide rail and positioned at 6h, in the lower part of the propulsion unit. The thrust reverser includes:

a first mobile part 50 positioned to the right of the guide rails which has an upper edge which cooperates with a first face of the upper guide rail and a lower edge which cooperates with a first face of the lower guide rail, and a second mobile part 50 positioned to the left of the guide rails which has an upper edge which cooperates with a second face of the upper guide rail and a lower edge which cooperates with a second face of the lower guide rail.

According to one embodiment, the movable part 50 comprises an outer face 60 positioned in the extension of the outer face of the cover 47 of the middle section 36 of the nacelle 20 and an inner face 62 positioned in the extension of the inner face of the casing blower 28 when the movable part 50 is in the closed position. The outer face 60 and the inner face 62 are connected at the front by a front edge 64 and at the rear by a trailing edge 66.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the fixed frame 58 is connected only to the fan casing 28 and to at least one element of the upstream section 34.

In such a configuration, no element of the thrust reverser device 40 is connected to the mast 14. All the elements of the thrust reverser device 40 are connected to the turbojet engine 18, and more particularly to the fan casing 28, and at least one element of the upstream section 34. Thus, the turbojet engine 18, the nacelle 20 and the thrust reversal device 40 follow the same movements relative to the mast 14. This makes it possible to reduce or even eliminate the clearances and shifts between the thrust reverser and the rest of the nacelle due to aerodynamic loads. As a result, the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft is improved compared to the solutions of the prior art.

The fixed frame 58 includes a front end 68 and a rear end 70.

The fixed frame 58 comprises at least two attachment points 72.1, 72.2 distant from each other. Preferably, the attachment points 72.1 and 72.2 are connected to the fan casing 28 at remote anchor points 74.1 and 74.2.

According to one embodiment, the fixed frame 58 is connected to the rear end 44 of the fan casing. The front end 68 of the fixed frame 58 is connected directly or indirectly to the front end 42 of the fan casing 28. According to a configuration visible in FIGS. 3 and 4, the propulsion unit comprises:

a connecting rod 76 which connects the front end 68 of the fixed frame 58 and a support 78 integral with the cover 47 of the middle section 36 and / or of the external wall 49 of the air inlet

34, a flange 80 which connects the support 78 and the duct 45 of the air inlet 34 which is itself connected to the fan casing 28.

Alternatively, the front end 68 of the fixed frame 58 is connected directly to the front end

42 of the fan casing by a flange.

The second attachment point 72.2 is positioned at the first front half of the fixed frame 58. According to one embodiment, the second attachment point 72.2 is separated from the front end 68 of the fixed frame 58 by an approximately equal distance at 1/3 of the total length of the fixed frame 58, the total length corresponding to the distance separating the front 68 and rear 70 ends of the fixed frame 58.

Each grid 56 is connected to the mobile part 50. Thus, when the mobile part 50 is in the closed position, as illustrated in FIG. 3, each grid 56 is positioned in the middle section 36 between the cover 47 and the fan casing 28 When the mobile part 50 is in the open position, as illustrated in FIG. 4, each grid 56 is positioned at the lateral opening 52 between the middle section 36 of the nacelle 20 and the mobile part 50.

This configuration makes it possible to obtain greater compactness and to reduce the dimensions of the downstream section 38 of the nacelle.

Claims (8)

1. Aircraft propulsion assembly comprising a fan casing (28) which extends from a front end (42) to a rear end (44), a nacelle (20) which has an upstream section (34) positioned in front of the fan casing (28), a middle section (36) positioned around the fan casing (28) and a downstream section (38) which comprises a thrust reverser device (40), said device reverse thrust comprising: at least one movable part (50) in translation between a closed position in which the movable part (50) is in contact with the middle section (36) and an open position in which the movable part (50) is spaced from the middle section (36) to create at least one lateral opening (52), a guide system (54) which comprises at least one fixed frame (58) comprising a front end (68), along which each movable part (50) slides between the closed position and the open position, and at least one grid (56) positioned at each lateral opening (52) when the movable part (50) is in the open position and configured to deflect an air flow passing through each lateral opening (52), characterized in that each fixed frame (58) comprises at least two fixing points (72.1, 72.2) distant from each other, one of the fixing points being connected to the fan casing (28 ) and the other attachment point being associated with at least one element of the upstream section (34). 2. Propulsion unit according to claim 1, characterized in that a first attachment point (72.1) is associated on the one hand with the front end (68) of the fixed frame (58) and on the other hand with the front end (42) of the fan casing (28). 3. propulsion unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the air inlet (34) comprises an outer wall (49) extending rearward and above a part of the fan casing (28 ) and in that each fixed frame (58) is connected on the one hand, by its front end (68), to the end of a connecting rod (76) which is connected by an end opposite to a support (78) integral with the outer wall (49) of the air inlet (34), and on the other hand by a flange (80) fixed by one of its ends to the support (78) and by an end opposite to the duct (45) from the air inlet (34). 4. Propulsion unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a second fixing point (72.2) is connected to the rear end (44) of the fan casing (28). 5. propulsion unit according to claim 4, characterized in that the second attachment point 5 (72.2) is positioned at the first front half of the fixed frame (58). 6. propulsion unit according to claim 5, characterized in that the second attachment point (72.2) is separated from the front end (68) of the fixed frame (58) by a distance approximately equal to 1/3 of the length total of the fixed frame (58). 7. Propulsion unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each grid (56) is connected to the mobile part (50) and positioned in the middle section (36) of the nacelle when each mobile part (50) is in the closed position. 8. Aircraft comprising at least one propulsion unit according to one of the preceding claims. A18