A segmented engine bay cover

Abstract

The application provides a segmented engine cabin cover, which comprises a fixed cabin cover and a movable cabin cover, the fixed cabin cover and the movable cabin cover are arranged in sequence along the engine axial direction, and the movable cabin cover is connected with the fixed cabin cover; the fixed cabin cover is fixed relative to the engine, the fixed cabin cover comprises a fixed cabin cover body and a heat exchange pipeline, the fixed cabin cover body is arranged along the engine axial direction, and the heat exchange pipeline is laid on the surface of the fixed cabin cover body; the movable cabin cover is detachable relative to the engine, and the movable cabin cover comprises a movable cabin cover body, and the movable cabin cover body is arranged along the engine axial direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of engine structure, and more particularly to a segmented engine compartment cover. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional high-bypass turbofan engines typically have their air radiators installed inside the fan duct of the intermediate casing. However, existing propfan engines do not have an intermediate casing compared to turbofan engines, so their air radiators can only be placed on the core nacelle cover.

[0003] The core engine compartment cover is an open cover that can be removed from the core engine and reinstalled on the outside of the core engine. The air-cooled radiator includes heat exchange pipes that are laid inside the cover. With the disassembly of the core engine compartment cover, the heat exchange pipes inside the cover will have a dynamic sealing problem, which poses a great challenge to the structural design and installation of the heat exchange pipes inside the cover. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is at least to provide a segmented engine compartment cover that avoids the problem of active sealing when setting up heat exchange pipelines.

[0005] The following provides a brief overview of one or more aspects to offer a basic understanding of them. This overview is not an exhaustive summary of all conceived aspects, nor is it intended to identify key or decisive elements of all aspects, nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form to prepare for the more detailed descriptions that follow.

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention provides a segmented engine hood, which includes a fixed hood and a movable hood. The fixed hood and the movable hood are arranged sequentially along the engine axial direction, and the movable hood is connected to the fixed hood. The fixed hood is fixed relative to the engine and includes a fixed hood body and heat exchange pipes. The fixed hood body is arranged along the engine axial direction, and the heat exchange pipes are laid on the surface of the fixed hood body. The movable hood is detachable relative to the engine and includes a movable hood body, which is arranged along the engine axial direction.

[0007] In some embodiments, both the fixed shroud and the movable shroud are provided with heat exchange fin structures on their surfaces; the heat exchange fin structures include a plurality of heat exchange fins, which are arranged axially around the engine and have a height dimension along the engine radial direction.

[0008] In some embodiments, the height of the heat exchange fins is 15mm to 50mm.

[0009] In some embodiments, an acoustic liner structure is provided between the heat exchange fins in the circumferential direction around the engine axis. The acoustic liner structure includes multiple sound-absorbing cavities that are connected to the outside. The multiple sound-absorbing cavities have different volumes and are used to absorb noise in different frequency bands.

[0010] In some embodiments, the acoustic liner structure includes a panel for providing acoustic resistance, the panel blocking communication between a plurality of sound-absorbing cavities and the outside world, and the panel having holes distributed thereon through which the sound-absorbing cavities communicate with the outside world.

[0011] In some embodiments, the openings of the plurality of sound-absorbing cavities are located on the outer side of the sound-absorbing cavities along the radial direction of the engine, and the openings of the sound-absorbing cavities communicate with the outside through holes in the panel.

[0012] In some embodiments, a panel covers the surface of the acoustic liner structure, and the panel is made of a metallic material to provide protection against lightning.

[0013] In some embodiments, the fixed housing includes a pipe skin, in the radial direction of the engine, a heat exchange fin structure is disposed at a distance from the heat exchange pipes, the pipe skin covers the outside of the heat exchange pipes, and the heat exchange fin structure is disposed on the surface of the pipe skin.

[0014] In some embodiments, the axial dimension of the fixed cover is 1 / 4 to 1 / 5 of the axial dimension of the engine compartment cover.

[0015] In some embodiments, the movable cabin cover is provided with a locking member and a hinge member. The movable cabin cover includes two parts, which are connected by the hinge member and fixed by the locking member. When the locking member is in the open state, the two parts of the movable cabin cover can rotate relative to the hinge member to realize the opening and closing of the movable cabin cover.

[0016] The present invention relates to a segmented engine hood, which is divided into a fixed hood and a movable hood. By setting heat exchange pipes on the fixed hood, the heat dissipation effect of the engine core is ensured. The movable hood can be detachably wrapped around the core, and the core can be inspected and maintained by removing the movable hood. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The above-described features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood after reading the following detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components having similar related properties or features may have the same or similar reference numerals. Wherein:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a rotary engine structure having a segmented engine compartment cover as shown in some embodiments;

[0019] Figure 2This is a structural schematic diagram of a segmented engine compartment cover according to some embodiments;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the fixed chamber shown in some embodiments;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the acoustic liner structure according to some embodiments;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the movable cabin cover according to some embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the aspects described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention in any way.

[0024] It should be understood that the terms “structure,” “part,” and / or “assembly” used in this document are one method of distinguishing different components, elements, parts, sections, or assemblies at different levels. However, if other words can achieve the same purpose, they can be replaced by other expressions.

[0025] It is understood that the technical terms that may be used in the description of this specification, such as “center,” “longitudinal,” “lateral,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer,” indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the implementation method and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the invention.

[0026] It should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define features in this article is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding features. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0027] This specification presents an embodiment of a segmented engine hood, which is divided into a fixed hood and a movable hood. Heat exchange pipes are installed on the fixed hood to ensure effective heat dissipation for the engine core. The movable hood detachably encloses the engine core, allowing for inspection and maintenance of the core by disassembling the movable hood. The structure and contents of the segmented engine hood will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a rotary engine structure having a segmented engine compartment cover as shown in some embodiments. Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of a segmented engine compartment cover according to some embodiments.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the rotary engine 100 includes a fan rotor 0, a fan stator 1, a segmented engine nacelle 2, and a tail cone 3. The fan rotor 0, fan stator 1, segmented engine nacelle 2, and tail cone 3 are arranged sequentially along the engine axis. The segmented engine nacelle 2 encloses the core engine (not shown in the figure) of the rotary engine 100. The segmented engine nacelle 2 is located around the core engine of the rotary engine 100 to protect it. However, the internal space of the core engine compartment is limited, and the heat dissipation problem, inspection, and maintenance of the core engine need to be comprehensively considered. The segmented engine nacelle 2 needs to perform heat exchange, cooling, or heat dissipation for the core engine, and it also needs to be easy to disassemble.

[0030] The engine axial direction (see this manual) refers to the engine axial direction (see...) Figure 1 () refers to the direction along the engine rotor's axis of rotation, and the "front" and "rear" mentioned in the manual refer to the two sides along the engine's axial direction, respectively. The engine radial direction mentioned in this manual (see...) Figure 1 The term "inner" refers to the radial direction of the engine rotor, and the terms "inner" and "outer" in this manual refer to the two sides along the engine's radial direction, respectively. The term "engine circumferential direction" in this manual refers to the direction around the engine's axial direction.

[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the segmented engine nacelle 2 includes a fixed nacelle 21 and a movable nacelle 22, which are sequentially arranged axially along the engine axis, with the movable nacelle 22 connected to the fixed nacelle 21. The fixed nacelle 21 and the movable nacelle 22 together form the core engine's peripheral envelope structure. In some embodiments, the trailing edge of the fixed nacelle 21 and the leading edge of the movable nacelle 22 are connected to each other to the point of contact or proximity. In some embodiments, the leading edge of the fixed nacelle 21 is connected to the air intake splitter ring of the engine core engine.

[0032] The fixed cover 21 is the part that is fixed relative to the engine. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the fixed chamber shown in some embodiments. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the fixed chamber cover 21 includes a fixed chamber cover body 60 and heat exchange pipes 61.

[0033] The fixed housing body 60 is a wall structure that encloses the core engine. In some embodiments, the fixed housing body extends along the engine axis. In some embodiments, the fixed housing body 60 is a rotating structure about the engine axis. In some embodiments, the fixed housing body 60 is a rotating structure whose radius increases along the engine axis to accommodate the internal dimensions of the core engine compartment.

[0034] The heat exchange pipe 61 is a heat exchange component for cooling the core engine compartment. In some embodiments, the heat exchange pipe 61 is laid on the surface of the fixed engine compartment body 60, i.e., the outer side. Cooled lubricating oil (or fuel) passes through the heat exchange pipe 61. The lubricating oil in the heat exchange pipe 61 exchanges heat with the airflow outside the engine compartment through the heat exchange pipe 61 and the fixed engine compartment body 60, thereby reducing the temperature of the lubricating oil (or fuel) in the pipe and achieving the purpose of heat dissipation for the lubricating oil (or fuel). In some embodiments, the heat exchange pipe 61 is arranged entirely around the engine axis. In some embodiments, the heat exchange pipe 61 may be bent along the engine axis (e.g., Figure 3 As shown, the heat exchange pipes can be arranged in a bent manner around the engine axis, or in an inclined bent manner, or in other arrangements, so as to lay as many heat exchange pipes 61 as possible on the limited surface of the fixed housing body 60, so as to increase the heat exchange area and improve the heat exchange efficiency.

[0035] The movable hood 22 is an open hood that can be removed from the core machine and reinstalled on the outside of the core machine. The air-sliding radiator includes heat exchange pipes, which are laid inside the hood. With the disassembly of the core machine hood, the heat exchange pipes inside the hood will have a movable sealing problem, which poses a great challenge to the structural design and installation of the heat exchange pipes inside the hood.

[0036] In some embodiments described in this specification, the heat exchange piping is mounted on a fixed housing, which is fixed relative to the engine and does not require disassembly. Mounting the heat exchange piping on the fixed housing eliminates the need to consider the issue of sealing the moving parts of the heat exchange piping, simplifying installation and ensuring effective heat exchange for the core engine.

[0037] In some embodiments, to protect the heat exchange pipes 61 laid on the surface of the fixed chamber shroud 60, the fixed chamber shroud 21 includes a pipe skin 62, which covers the outside of the heat exchange pipes 61, and the heat exchange pipes 61 are fixed between the pipe skin 62 and the fixed chamber shroud 60. The pipe skin 62 is in close contact with the heat exchange pipes 61, and the heat of the heat exchange pipes 61 is conducted outward through the pipe skin 62. The pipe skin 62 not only encloses the heat exchange pipes 61 but also facilitates the heat conduction of the heat exchange pipes 61.

[0038] In some embodiments, to enhance heat exchange and cooling of the core engine compartment by the fixed housing 21, the fixed housing 21 includes a heat exchange fin structure. In the radial direction of the engine, the heat exchange fin structure is spaced from the heat exchange pipes 61 by a pipe skin 62, and the heat exchange fin structure is disposed on the surface of the pipe skin 62. In some embodiments, the heat exchange fin structure includes a plurality of heat exchange fins 63, which are spaced apart around the engine axial direction. The heat exchange fins 63 can increase the external heat exchange area of ​​the fixed housing 21 and improve heat exchange efficiency. In some embodiments, the heat exchange fins 63 have a length dimension along the engine axial direction. For example, the length dimension of the heat exchange fins 63 along the engine axial direction is equal to the length dimension of the fixed housing body 60 along the engine axial direction. In some embodiments, the heat exchange fins 63 extend along the engine axial direction. In some embodiments, the heat exchange fins 63 have a height dimension along the engine radial direction. In some embodiments, the height dimension of the heat exchange fins 63 is 15mm to 50mm (e.g., 20mm to 40mm) to achieve the effect of enhanced heat exchange.

[0039] In some embodiments, an acoustic liner structure 64 is provided between heat exchange fins 63 in the circumferential direction about the engine axis. The acoustic liner structure 64 is used to absorb the rear-transmission noise of the rotor. The groove formed between the heat exchange fins 63 provides space for the acoustic liner structure 64.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the acoustic liner structure according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the acoustic liner structure 64 includes multiple sound-absorbing cavities, such as sound-absorbing cavities 71, 74, and 75. These cavities are connected to the outside environment. Each cavity has a different volume and is used to absorb noise at different frequencies. Specifically, the noise transmitted from the rotor enters the sound-absorbing cavity and is reflected, interfered with, or resonates within it, causing noise attenuation and achieving noise reduction. Generally, a larger sound-absorbing cavity absorbs noise at lower frequencies. The volume of each cavity is adapted to the frequency band of the noise. By setting multiple sound-absorbing cavities with different volumes, it is convenient to absorb noise across the entire frequency range.

[0041] In some embodiments, multiple sound-absorbing cavities have openings along the radial outer side of the engine, and the sound-absorbing cavities communicate with the outside through the openings. In some embodiments, multiple sound-absorbing cavities are arranged side by side, for example, multiple sound-absorbing cavities are arranged in a straight line. In some embodiments, multiple sound-absorbing cavities are arranged in a concentric ring. In some embodiments, multiple sound-absorbing cavities are arranged overlappingly. In some embodiments, such as Figure 4As shown, the sound-absorbing cavity 71 is bent, which can overcome the height limitation of the groove between the heat exchange fins 63 along the radial direction of the engine, so as to set a larger sound-absorbing cavity, widen the noise reduction frequency band, and improve noise reduction performance. The sound-absorbing cavity 74 connects to the sound-absorbing cavity 71, and the sound-absorbing cavity 75 is disposed in the groove defined by the sound-absorbing cavities 74 and 71. Figure 4 The multiple sound-absorbing cavities shown allow the acoustic liner structure 64 to be assembled into a cuboid structure. In other embodiments, the acoustic liner structure 64 may also be a cylindrical or cylindrical structure. This specification does not limit the shape of the sound-absorbing cavities and the acoustic liner structure 64.

[0042] In some embodiments, the acoustic liner structure 64 includes an acoustic liner backing plate 70. The acoustic liner backing plate 70 is the portion opposite to the opening of the sound-absorbing cavity, and the acoustic liner backing plate 70 defines the sound-absorbing cavity. In some embodiments, the acoustic liner backing plate 70 is integrally formed with the pipe skin 62, which can reduce the thickness of the hood along the engine radial direction, thereby improving heat transfer performance and facilitating weight reduction of the hood.

[0043] In some embodiments, the acoustic liner structure 64 includes a panel 72, which provides acoustic resistance and blocks communication between the plurality of sound-absorbing cavities and the outside world. The panel 72 covers the openings of the acoustic liner structure 64. In some embodiments, the panel 72 has densely distributed perforations, through which the sound-absorbing cavities communicate with the outside world. The panel 72 provides viscous acoustic resistance, attenuating noise entering the sound-absorbing cavities and optimizing the noise reduction performance of the acoustic liner structure 64. In some embodiments, the panel 72 can be a perforated plate structure or a wire mesh structure.

[0044] In some embodiments, since panel 72 covers the surface of acoustic liner structure 64—in other words, panel 72 is located on the surface of fixed enclosure 21—the material of panel 72 includes metallic materials that conduct electrical charge to provide the enclosure with lightning protection. In some embodiments, panel 72 is an aluminum wire mesh structure, a copper wire mesh structure, or a wire mesh structure of other metallic materials, capable of conducting electrical charge while adapting to the curved shape of the surface of acoustic liner structure 64. In some embodiments, panel 72 may be glued or welded to the surface of acoustic liner structure 64.

[0045] The movable cover 22 is a removable part relative to the engine. By opening or removing the movable cover 22, key components of the core engine can be exposed, facilitating inspection and maintenance of the core engine. No heat exchange piping is installed on the movable cover 22 to avoid sealing issues with the heat exchange piping during disassembly and installation of the movable cover 22.

[0046] In some embodiments, in order to achieve heat dissipation of the core machine by the active shroud 22, the active shroud 22 includes a heat exchange fin structure. Figure 5This is a structural schematic diagram of the movable cabin cover according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the movable housing 22 includes a movable housing body 80, which is arranged along the engine axial direction. Heat exchange fin structures are disposed on the surface of the movable housing body 80. In some embodiments, to achieve noise reduction performance and lightning protection performance of the movable housing 22, the movable housing 22 includes an acoustic liner structure 81. Details regarding the heat exchange fin structure, the acoustic liner structure 81, and their relative arrangement on the movable housing 22 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 3 , Figure 4 Description of the heat exchange fin structure and acoustic liner structure 64 on the fixed chamber cover 21 shown.

[0047] In some embodiments, to enable the removable housing 22 relative to the engine, the housing 22 is provided with locking members and hinges. The housing 22 comprises two parts, with opposite ends of the two parts connected by a hinge (e.g., a pivot), and opposite ends of the two parts fixed by a locking member (e.g., a latch). When the locking member is in the open state, the two parts of the housing 22 can rotate relative to the hinge, thereby opening and closing the housing. In some embodiments, the two parts of the housing 22 can be considered as two parts cut along the diameter of the housing 22. Within the installation range of the locking member and hinge, the surface of the housing body 80 is not provided with heat exchange fin structures and acoustic liner structures 81 to avoid movement of the corner joints and locking members, which could damage the heat exchange fin structures and acoustic liner structures 81.

[0048] In some embodiments, taking into account factors such as air-fuel / oil cooling requirements, engine structural strength, and maintainability, the axial dimension of the fixed cover 21 is 1 / 4 to 1 / 5 of the axial dimension of the engine cover. The fixed cover 21 provides better heat exchange than the movable cover 22. By limiting the axial dimension of the fixed cover 21, it is possible to set a sufficiently long fixed cover 21 without affecting the core engine's inspection and maintenance, thus ensuring effective heat exchange for the core engine.

[0049] In some embodiments of this specification, the segmented engine nacelle is divided into a fixed nacelle and a movable nacelle. Heat exchange fin structures are provided on both the fixed and movable nacelles to increase the heat exchange area between the nacelles and the core engine compartment, thereby improving the heat exchange effect. Acoustic lining structures are also provided on both the fixed and movable nacelles to reduce noise transmitted from the fan rotor and to provide the engine with lightning protection.

[0050] The basic concepts have been described above. It is clear that the detailed disclosure above is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this specification, especially for those skilled in the art. Furthermore, unless expressly stated in the claims, the order of elements and sequences, the use of numbers and letters, or other names in this specification are not intended to limit the order of the processes and methods described herein. Although various examples of currently considered useful embodiments of the invention have been discussed in the foregoing disclosure, it should be understood that such details are for illustrative purposes only, and the appended claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Rather, the claims are intended to cover all modifications and equivalent combinations that conform to the substance and scope of the embodiments described herein.

Claims

1. A segmented engine compartment cover, characterized in that, The segmented engine compartment cover includes a fixed cover and a movable cover, which are arranged sequentially along the engine axial direction, and the movable cover is connected to the fixed cover. The fixed housing is fixed relative to the engine. The fixed housing includes a fixed housing body and heat exchange pipes. The fixed housing body is arranged along the axial direction of the engine, and the heat exchange pipes are laid on the surface of the fixed housing body. The movable cover is detachable from the engine, and the movable cover includes a movable cover body, which is arranged along the axial direction of the engine.

2. The segmented engine compartment cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the fixed chamber cover and the movable chamber cover are provided with heat exchange fin structures on their surfaces. The heat exchange fin structure includes multiple heat exchange fins arranged axially around the engine, and the heat exchange fins have a height dimension along the radial direction of the engine.

3. The segmented engine compartment cover according to claim 2, characterized in that, The height of the heat exchange fins is 15mm to 50mm.

4. The segmented engine compartment cover according to claim 2, characterized in that, In the circumferential direction around the engine axis, an acoustic liner structure is provided between the heat exchange fins. The acoustic liner structure includes multiple sound-absorbing cavities, which are connected to the outside. The multiple sound-absorbing cavities have different volumes and are used to absorb noise in different frequency bands.

5. The segmented engine compartment cover according to claim 4, characterized in that, The acoustic liner structure includes a panel for providing acoustic resistance, which blocks the communication between the plurality of sound-absorbing cavities and the outside world. The panel has holes distributed on it, and the sound-absorbing cavities communicate with the outside world through the holes on the panel.

6. The segmented engine compartment cover according to claim 5, characterized in that, The openings of the plurality of sound-absorbing cavities are located on the outer side of the sound-absorbing cavities along the radial direction of the engine, and the openings of the sound-absorbing cavities communicate with the outside through the holes on the panel.

7. The segmented engine compartment cover according to claim 5, characterized in that, The panel covers the surface of the acoustic liner structure, and the panel is made of a metallic material to provide protection against lightning.

8. The segmented engine compartment cover according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fixed housing includes a pipe skin. In the radial direction of the engine, the heat exchange fin structure is disposed at a distance from the heat exchange pipes by the pipe skin. The pipe skin covers the outside of the heat exchange pipes, and the heat exchange fin structure is disposed on the surface of the pipe skin.

9. The segmented engine compartment cover according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The axial dimension of the fixed cover is 1 / 4 to 1 / 5 of the axial dimension of the engine compartment cover.

10. The segmented engine compartment cover according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The movable cabin cover is equipped with a locking component and a hinge component. The movable cabin cover consists of two parts, which are connected by the hinge component and fixed by the locking component. When the locking component is in the open state, the two parts of the movable cabin cover can rotate relative to the hinge component, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the movable cabin cover.

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