Aircraft Thrust Reverser Doors with Lateral Deflection Grids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thrust reversers for aircraft turbojet engines are inefficient in redirecting thrust for improved braking, with complex structures and high mass, and there is a need to enhance their performance and reliability while reducing weight and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A thrust reverser system with pivotally mounted doors and integrated lateral deflection grids that capture and redirect air flow laterally, potentially eliminating the need for spoilers and simplifying the structure, allowing for increased performance and reduced bulk and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional door thrust reversers are used with spoilers for flow reorientation, then the flow can be redirected, but the structure becomes complex and mass increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes spoilers from the door structure entirely, extracting the problematic component that caused complexity and mass issues. The deflection grids are positioned independently in the nacelle structure, allowing doors to function without attached spoilers, thus simplifying the overall system while maintaining thrust reversal efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces deflection grids as an intermediary element between the doors and the flow reorientation function. These grids, positioned in the nacelle structure rather than attached to doors, serve as the mediating component that redirects flow without requiring complex door-mounted spoiler mechanisms.
2Reliability
If spoilers are added to doors for improved flow reorientation, then thrust reversal performance improves, but mass and bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts spoilers from the moving door assembly, eliminating their weight from the moving mass. By positioning deflection grids in the fixed nacelle structure, the system achieves flow reorientation without adding weight to the moving components, directly addressing the mass reduction goal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the thrust reverser system into fixed structural components (deflection grids in nacelle) and moving components (doors), allowing the heavy flow redirection function to be placed in the fixed structure. This segmentation enables mass reduction in moving parts while maintaining overall system performance.
3Ease of manufacture
If door surface area is reduced to simplify structure, then manufacturing and mass improve, but flow capture capability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the flow deflection function from the two-dimensional door surface to a three-dimensional spatial arrangement with deflection grids positioned in the nacelle structure. This dimensional change allows smaller doors to achieve the same flow capture by utilizing spatial positioning and grid structures that intercept flow in the nacelle volume rather than relying on large door surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The deflection grids serve as an intermediary that compensates for reduced door surface area. These grids, positioned strategically in the nacelle, capture and redirect flow that would otherwise escape, thereby maintaining flow inversion quantity despite smaller door dimensions and simplified manufacturing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system significantly enhances thrust reversal performance by increasing the amount of inverted air flow, reducing the need for spoilers and simplifying the structure, leading to improved reliability and reduced mass, while maintaining efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a thrust reverser system with pivotally mounted doors and integrated lateral deflection grids that capture and redirect air flow laterally
Implementation Method 2
these are the leakage zones at the level of which the flow of air can escape laterally without being deflected by the door. Thus, the lateral deflection grilles make it possible to capture this non-deflected air and to force its deflection
Implementation Method 3
the spoiler is oriented in a substantially longitudinal direction of the nacelle and forces the air flow in this direction
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a thrust reverser (1) having doors, which thrust reverser includes at least one stationary structure (3) on which at least one door (7) is mounted so it can pivot between a closed position in which said door closes the reverser, and constitutes a portion of an outer cowl, and an open position in which said door opens a passage in the stationary structure and is capable of blocking at least partially a flow of air generated by a jet engine in such manner as to reorient same, characterized in that the stationary structure also supports at least two sets of cascade vanes (10) that can be covered by the door when in the closed position, said sets of cascade vanes being arranged sideways on both sides of the door.