Hybrid open type rotor engine

Abstract

The invention aims to provide a hybrid open type rotor engine. The hybrid open type rotor engine comprises a case, a center assembly, a first paddle fan and a second paddle fan. The center assembly comprises an air inlet cap hood arranged on the upstream side of the casing in the air inlet direction, a core machine unit and a power turbine unit. The first paddle fan is annularly arranged on the periphery of the air inlet cap hood and is in transmission connection with the power turbine unit. Wherein the casing is provided with an annular opening, and the annular opening is formed in the upstream side of the core engine unit in the air inlet direction; the second paddle fan penetrates through the annular opening and is provided with a first section located in the inner culvert flow channel and a second section protruding out of the outer side of the casing, a driving component is further arranged in the casing, the hybrid open type rotor engine further comprises an energy storage unit, the energy storage unit provides energy for the driving component, and the second paddle fan is driven by the driving component to rotate. The engine with the structure can exert performance advantages under the low-altitude low-speed working condition and the high-altitude high-speed working condition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of aviation engines, and in particular to a hybrid open rotor engine. Background Art

[0002] Guided by goals such as carbon neutrality and green aviation, the aviation industry is facing increasingly stringent emission and economic requirements, and the transformation and development of aircraft and power systems has become increasingly important and urgent. The large bypass ratio turbofan engines currently in operation have limited capabilities in reducing fuel consumption and improving economy. When the bypass ratio increases to a certain extent, the increase in its installation loss offsets the increase in fuel saving benefits of improved propulsion efficiency, and a critical point is reached. If the bypass ratio increases further, the aircraft's fuel consumption will not only not improve, but will get worse.

[0003] An open rotor engine is a gas turbine engine that uses fuel gas to output power through a power turbine to drive a propeller fan. An open rotor engine can maintain high propulsion efficiency at high flight speeds. It has the advantages of high propulsion efficiency and low fuel consumption of a turboprop engine and high flight speed of a turbofan engine. It is one of the next-generation aircraft engine configuration solutions for achieving goals such as carbon emission reduction and green aviation. From the perspective of rotation form, open rotor engines can be divided into two types: single-row propeller fans and counter-rotating propeller fans. In the single-row propeller fan scheme, the propeller fan is composed of a row of rotor propeller fans and a row of stator propeller fans. The rear row of stator propeller fans can extract and utilize the dissipated power of the front row of rotor propeller fans to a certain extent, but the single-row propeller fan has low compression ratio and exhaust speed. As the working altitude and speed increase, the engine thrust decays seriously. Therefore, the single-row propeller fan has the characteristics of surplus thrust under low-altitude and low-speed conditions, but tight thrust and low engine propulsion efficiency under high-altitude and high-speed conditions. It is necessary to increase the engine power and size to meet the high-altitude and high-speed performance requirements; in the counter-rotating propeller fan scheme, the propeller fan is composed of two rows of counter-rotating propeller fans. The rear row of rotor propeller fans can extract and utilize the dissipated power of the front row of rotor propeller fans to the greatest extent, and can also give play to the structural advantages of counter-rotating propeller fans under various working conditions, but counter-rotating propeller fans also increase the output power of the power turbine, and have higher requirements on the structure and size of the entire engine.

[0004] There is an urgent need to provide a new configuration engine that can improve engine propulsion efficiency, reduce fuel consumption, and reduce emissions without increasing the complexity of engine structure and size, so that the engine can exert its performance advantages under both low-altitude and low-speed and high-altitude and high-speed operating conditions. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a hybrid open rotor engine that can enable the engine to exert its performance advantages under both low-altitude and low-speed and high-altitude and high-speed operating conditions.

[0006] A hybrid open rotor engine for achieving the above-mentioned purpose comprises:

[0007] Receiver;

[0008] A central component, wherein an internal flow channel is defined between the central component and the casing, and comprises:

[0009] An air intake cap, arranged on the upstream side of the casing along the air intake direction;

[0010] A core engine unit is disposed in the casing; and

[0011] A power turbine unit is arranged in the casing and is arranged on the downstream side of the core unit along the air intake direction;

[0012] A first propeller fan is arranged around the outer periphery of the air intake cap and is drivingly connected to the power turbine unit; and

[0013] Second paddle fan;

[0014] Among them, the casing is provided with an annular opening, and the annular opening is arranged on the upstream side of the core engine unit along the air intake direction, and the annular opening divides the casing into a first casing and a second casing; the second propeller fan is arranged through the annular opening, and has a first section located in the internal flow channel and a second section protruding from the outside of the casing, and a driving component is also arranged in the casing. The hybrid open rotor engine also includes an energy storage unit, and the driving component is provided with energy by the energy storage unit, and the second propeller fan is driven to rotate by the driving component.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the power turbine unit includes a power turbine rotor and a power turbine stator, and the first propeller fan is transmission-connected to the power turbine rotor via a turbine shaft.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the first propeller fan includes a first propeller fan shaft, and the first propeller fan shaft is drivingly connected to the turbine shaft through a gear box.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the casing includes a load-bearing frame, and the first propeller shaft is supported on the load-bearing frame through a bearing.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the driving component is a motor, and the energy storage unit is a battery.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the second propeller fan includes a second propeller fan shaft, and the second propeller fan shaft is drivingly connected to the output shaft of the motor.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the casing includes a load-bearing frame, and the second propeller shaft is supported on the load-bearing frame through a bearing.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the casing includes a load-bearing frame, and the power turbine rotor is supported on the load-bearing frame through bearings.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the core engine unit includes a high-pressure compressor, a combustion chamber, and a high-pressure turbine.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, a control unit is further included, which controls the start and stop and the rotation direction of the second propeller through the driving unit according to the working condition of the hybrid open rotor engine.

[0024] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0025] In the hybrid open rotor engine with this configuration, the first propeller and the second propeller are independently driven by different drive units, so that the second propeller is a variable mode propeller. Through the control of the control unit, in the low-altitude and low-speed stage, the second propeller is stationary, and the engine thrust is generated by the first propeller; in the high-altitude and high-speed stage, the second propeller is driven by the motor, and the steering is opposite to that of the first propeller. The first propeller and the second propeller form a counter-rotating propeller, which jointly provide engine thrust, improve engine propulsion efficiency, and reduce fuel consumption.

[0026] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present application. Moreover, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to represent the same components. In the drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the configuration of the hybrid open rotor engine is shown;

[0029] Figure 2 A comparison diagram of the equivalent bypass ratio of an engine having the present configuration and an existing engine under high-altitude and high-speed operating conditions is shown;

[0030] Figure 3 A comparison diagram of the net thrust of an engine having the present configuration and an existing engine under high-altitude and high-speed conditions is shown;

[0031] Figure 4A comparison chart of the fuel consumption of an engine having this configuration and an existing engine under high-altitude and high-speed conditions is shown;

[0032] Figure 5 A comparison chart of the propulsion efficiency of an engine with this configuration and an existing engine under high-altitude and high-speed conditions is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following embodiments of the technical solution of the present application will be described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application, and are therefore only used as examples, and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by technicians in the technical field to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0035] Since the propeller fan open rotor engine has excess engine thrust at low altitude and low speed conditions, but the engine propulsion efficiency is low and the thrust attenuation is serious at high altitude and high speed conditions; the counter-rotating propeller fan open rotor engine can take into account the performance requirements at both low altitude and low speed and high altitude and high speed conditions, but the counter-rotating propeller fan open rotor engine has high requirements for the power turbine output power, the core engine size is large, and the counter-rotating propeller fan has a high noise level during the take-off phase. Based on this, the present application provides a hybrid open rotor engine, and the engine with this configuration can exert its performance advantages at both low altitude and low speed and high altitude and high speed conditions.

[0036] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the configuration of the hybrid open rotor engine is shown, which includes a casing 1, a central assembly 2, a first propeller fan 3 and a second propeller fan 4. It can be understood that the first propeller fan 3 and the second propeller fan are both exhaust fan configurations, which include a plurality of blades arranged at intervals along the circumference of the engine. Figure 1 The configuration shown only shows one cross section of the hybrid open rotor engine.

[0037] An inner flow channel 10 is defined between the casing 1 and the central component 2. Along the air intake direction a, the central component 1 includes an air intake cap 11, a core unit 12, and a power turbine unit 13 in sequence. It can be understood that the air intake direction a is the flow direction of the airflow of the engine in actual working conditions. The airflow flows in the inner flow channel 10, passes through the core unit 12 and the power turbine unit 13, and is ejected from the nozzle 14 to generate power.

[0038] The air intake cap 11 is arranged at the upstream side of the casing 1 along the air intake direction a, and the core unit 12 is arranged in the casing. Specifically, the core unit 12 includes a high-pressure compressor 121, a combustion chamber 122 and a high-pressure turbine 123. The gas is heated and pressurized by the high-pressure compressor 121 and the combustion chamber 122 and then ejected.

[0039] The power turbine unit 13 is disposed in the casing 1 and is disposed on the downstream side of the core engine unit 12 along the air intake direction a.

[0040] The first propeller fan 3 is arranged around the outer periphery of the air intake cap 11 , is transmission-connected to the power turbine unit 13 , and is driven to rotate by the power turbine unit 13 .

[0041] The casing 1 is provided with an annular opening 100, and the annular opening 10 is arranged on the upstream side of the core engine unit 12 along the air intake direction a, and the annular opening 100 divides the casing 1 into a first casing 101 and a second casing 102; the second propeller fan 4 is arranged through the annular opening 100, so that the second propeller fan 4 has a first section 41 located in the internal flow channel 10 and a second section 42 protruding from the outside of the casing 1. It can be understood that the first section 41 and the second section 42 can be a component forming an integral whole, or they can be two components assembled through an assembly relationship. A driving component 5 is also provided in the casing 1, and the hybrid open rotor engine also includes an energy storage unit 6. The driving component 5 is provided with energy 6 by the energy storage unit, so as to drive the second propeller fan 3 to rotate.

[0042] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0043] In some embodiments of the hybrid open rotor engine, the power turbine unit 13 includes a power turbine rotor 131 and a power turbine stator 132 , and the first propeller fan 4 is transmission-connected to the power turbine rotor 131 via a turbine shaft 130 .

[0044] In some embodiments of the hybrid open rotor engine, the first propeller 3 includes a first propeller shaft 31, which is transmission-connected to the turbine shaft 130 via a gearbox 7. Specifically, the first propeller shaft 31 is connected to the output shaft of the gearbox 7, thereby driving the first propeller 3 to rotate via the power turbine rotor 131.

[0045] In some embodiments of the hybrid open rotor engine, the casing 1 includes a load-bearing frame 15 , and the first propeller shaft 31 is supported on the load-bearing frame 15 through a bearing 16 .

[0046] In some embodiments of the hybrid open rotor engine, the driving component 5 is a motor and the energy storage unit 6 is a battery. In some other suitable embodiments, the driving component may also be a hydraulic mechanism. Figure 1 As shown, the motor and the battery are electrically connected via a cable 61 .

[0047] In some embodiments of the hybrid open rotor engine, the second propeller fan 4 includes a second propeller fan shaft 43, and the second propeller fan shaft 43 is drivingly connected to the output shaft of the motor (driving component 5).

[0048] In some embodiments of the hybrid open rotor engine, the casing 1 includes a load-bearing frame 15, and the second propeller shaft 43 is supported on the load-bearing frame through bearings.

[0049] In some embodiments of the hybrid open rotor engine, the casing includes a load-bearing frame 15, and the power turbine rotor 131 is supported on the load-bearing frame 15 through bearings.

[0050] In some embodiments of the hybrid open rotor engine, the hybrid open rotor engine further includes a control unit, which controls the start and stop and the rotation direction of the second propeller through a drive unit according to the working conditions of the hybrid open rotor engine.

[0051] In the hybrid open rotor engine with this configuration, the first propeller fan 3 and the second propeller fan 4 are independently driven by different drive units, so that the second propeller fan 4 is a variable mode propeller fan. Through the control of the control unit, in the low-altitude and low-speed stage, the second propeller fan 4 is stationary, and the engine thrust is generated by the first propeller fan 3; in the high-altitude and high-speed stage, the second propeller fan 4 is driven by the motor (drive component 5), and the steering is opposite to the steering of the first propeller fan 3. The first propeller fan 3 and the second propeller fan 4 constitute counter-rotating propellers, which jointly provide engine thrust, improve engine propulsion efficiency, and reduce fuel consumption.

[0052] At the same time, the second propeller fan 4 includes a first section 41 located in the internal flow channel 10. When the engine is in a high-altitude and high-speed operating condition, the internal airflow can be further compressed through the first section 41 before entering the core engine unit to increase the total pressure ratio and further improve the engine propulsion efficiency.

[0053] like Figure 2 The figure shows the equivalent bypass ratio comparison between the engine with this configuration and the existing engine under high altitude and high speed conditions. Figure 2 It can be seen that the equivalent bypass ratio of the engine with this configuration under high-altitude and high-speed conditions is improved by about 6% compared with the existing engine configuration.

[0054] like Figure 3The net thrust comparison diagram of the engine with this configuration and the existing engine under high altitude and high speed conditions is shown. Figure 3 It can be seen that the net thrust of the engine with this configuration under high-altitude and high-speed conditions is increased by about 30% compared with the existing engine configuration.

[0055] like Figure 4 The fuel consumption ratio of the engine with this configuration and the existing engine under high altitude and high speed conditions is shown in FIG. Figure 4 It can be seen that the fuel consumption of the engine with this configuration under high-altitude and high-speed conditions is reduced by about 30% compared with the existing engine configuration.

[0056] like Figure 5 The figure shows the propulsion efficiency comparison between the engine with this configuration and the existing engine under high altitude and high speed conditions. Figure 5 It can be seen that the propulsion efficiency of the engine with this configuration under high-altitude and high-speed conditions is improved by about 5% compared with the existing engine configuration.

[0057] Among them, it can be understood that the high-altitude and high-speed operating conditions mentioned in the article refer to the terminal climbing state and cruising state of the aircraft.

[0058] pass Figures 2 to 5 As shown in the comparison diagram, the hybrid open rotor engine with this configuration has better overall performance parameters than the reference configuration at the high-altitude and high-speed stage. In the low-altitude and low-speed stage, the second propeller fan 4 is stationary, and only the first propeller fan 3 provides thrust, which reduces the noise level of the engine while meeting the take-off thrust requirements. In the high-altitude and high-speed stage, the second propeller fan 4 is driven by the electric propulsion auxiliary power system to form a counter-rotating propeller fan with the first propeller fan 3, which has higher propulsion efficiency, can reduce fuel consumption when the flight Mach number remains unchanged, or can obtain greater thrust under the premise of a comparable fuel consumption level, thereby cruising at a greater speed. Since the second propeller fan 4 is independently controlled by the electric propulsion auxiliary power system, there is no additional power requirement for the power turbine, which can further reduce the size and weight of the open rotor engine. At the same time, when the engine fails, the second propeller fan 4 independently controlled by the electric propulsion auxiliary power system can still provide a certain thrust, reducing the harsh requirements of the aircraft on the engine when dealing with single-engine failure.

[0059] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0060] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0061] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and they should all be included in the scope of the claims and specification of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any way. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A hybrid open rotor engine, characterized in that: include: Receiver; A central component, wherein an internal flow channel is defined between the central component and the casing, and comprises: An air intake cap, arranged on the upstream side of the casing along the air intake direction; A core engine unit is disposed in the casing; and A power turbine unit is arranged in the casing and is arranged on the downstream side of the core unit along the air intake direction; A first propeller fan is arranged around the outer periphery of the air intake cap and is drivingly connected to the power turbine unit; and Second paddle fan; Among them, the casing is provided with an annular opening, and the annular opening is arranged on the upstream side of the core engine unit along the air intake direction, and the annular opening divides the casing into a first casing and a second casing; the second propeller fan is arranged through the annular opening, and has a first section located in the internal flow channel and a second section protruding from the outside of the casing, and a driving component is also arranged in the casing. The hybrid open rotor engine also includes an energy storage unit, and the driving component is provided with energy by the energy storage unit, and the second propeller fan is driven to rotate by the driving component.

2. The hybrid open rotor engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power turbine unit includes a power turbine rotor and a power turbine stator, and the first propeller fan is drivingly connected to the power turbine rotor via a turbine shaft.

3. The hybrid open rotor engine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first propeller fan includes a first propeller fan rotating shaft, and the first propeller fan rotating shaft is drivingly connected to the turbine shaft through a gear box.

4. The hybrid open rotor engine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The casing includes a load-bearing frame, and the first propeller shaft is supported on the load-bearing frame through a bearing.

5. The hybrid open rotor engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving component is a motor, and the energy storage unit is a battery.

6. The hybrid open rotor engine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second propeller fan includes a second propeller fan rotating shaft, and the second propeller fan rotating shaft is drivingly connected to the output shaft of the motor.

7. The hybrid open rotor engine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The casing includes a load-bearing frame, and the second propeller shaft is supported on the load-bearing frame through a bearing.

8. The hybrid open rotor engine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The casing comprises a load-bearing frame, and the power turbine rotor is supported on the load-bearing frame through bearings.

9. The hybrid open rotor engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core engine unit includes a high-pressure compressor, a combustion chamber and a high-pressure turbine.

10. The hybrid open rotor engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a control unit, which controls the start and stop and the rotation direction of the second propeller through the driving unit according to the working condition of the hybrid open rotor engine.

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