Jet propulsion apparatus and method of operating the same

Claim 2

In an aircraft jet propulsion assembly wherein a jet engine is enclosed in a tubular nacelle, the combination comprising: a plurality of thrust nozzles mounted on the aft end of said nacelle and extending rearwardly therefrom in vertically stacked relation to one another, exhaust gas of said engine being discharged through said nozzles; a pair of thrust-reversing doors operatively associated with said assembly and formed so that in a stowed position thereof their forward edges respectively conform with and lie adjacent the aft portions of opposite sides of said nacelle and their aft edges respectively conformably fit around the aft portions of opposite sides of said nozzles, said doors being movable to a partially deployed position wherein their forward edges are respectively substantially axially aligned with and spaced outwardly from the exits of said nozzles and their aft edges are spaced apart downstream from said nozzles so that slipstream air flowing past said nacelle enters the gaps between said doors and said nozzles to thereby increase thrust and mix with exhaust gas issuing from the latter, said doors also being movable to a fully deployed position wherein their aft edges abut at a point downstream from said nozzles and said exhaust gas impinges on said doors and is thereby deflected forwardly; and means operatively associated with said assembly for synchronously moving said doors between said stowed, partially deployed, and fully deployed positions.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein each of said nozzles is circular in cross section.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 wherein each of said nozzles is formed with longitudinally extending lobes.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 1 wherein said nacelle is mounted on a strut and said doors are respectively mounted on a track attached to the bottom of said nacelle and on tracks attached to opposite sides of said strut.

Claim 6

In an aircraft jet propulsion assembly having a fan jet engine, the combination comprising: a tubular nacelle disposed in spaced relation around the aft portion of the casing of said engine and extending rearwardly therefrom, fan air of said engine being discharged through the space between said nacelle and casing; a corrugated ring attached to the aft edge of said casing and extending rearwardly therefrom, the corrugations of said ring extending longitudinally thereof and gradually increasing in depth in the downstream direction to thereby form on said ring a plurality of lobes which project both inwardly from said casing and outwardly to the wall of said nacelle, exhaust gas of said engine flowing through said lobes and said fan air flowing through the spaces there between; a plurality of thrust nozzles mounted on the aft end of said nacelle and extending rearwardly there from in vertically stacked relation to one another, said exhaust gas and said fan air being discharged together through said nozzles; a pair of thrust-reversing doors operatively associated with said assembly and formed so that in a stowed position thereof their forward edges respectively conform with and lie adjacent the aft portions of opposite sides of said nacelle and their aft edges respectively conformably fit around the aft portions of opposite sides of said nozzles, said doors being movable to a partially deployed position wherein their forward edges are respectively substantially axially aligned with and spaced outwardly from the exits of said nozzles and their aft edges are spaced apart downstream from said nozzles so that slipstream air flowing past said nacelle enters the gaps between said doors and said nozzles to thereby increase thrust and mix with exhaust gas issuing from the latter, said doors also being movable to a fully deployed position wherein their aft edges abut at a point downstream from said nozzles and said exhaust gas impinges on said doors and is thereby deflected forwardly; and means operatively associated with said assembly for synchronously moving said doors between said stowed, partially deployed, and fully deployed positions.

Claim 7

In an aircraft jet propulsion assembly having a fan jet engine, the combination comprising: a tubular nacelle disposed in spaced relation around the aft portion of the casing of said engine and extending rearwardly therefrom, fan air of said engine being discharged through the space between said nacelle and casing; a corrugated ring attached to the aft edge of said casing and extending rearwardly therefrom, the corrugations of said ring extending longitudinally thereof and gradually increasing in depth in the downstream direction to thereby form on said ring a plurality of lobes which project both inwardly from said casing and outwardly to the wall of said nacelle, exhaust gas of said engine flowing through said lobes and said fan air flowing through the spaces there between; a plurality of thrust nozzles mounted on the aft end of said nacelle and extending rearwardly there from in vertically stacked relation to one another, said exhaust gas and said fan air being discharged together through said nozzles; a pair of thrust-reversing doors operatively associated with said assembly and formed so that in a stowed position thereof their forward edges respectively conform with and lie adjacent the aft portions of opposite sides of said nacelle and their aft edges respectively conformably fit around the aft portions of opposite sides of said nozzles, said doors being movable to a partially deployed position wherein their forward edges are respectively substantially axially aligned with and spaced outwardly from the exits of said nozzles and their aft edges are spaced apart downstream from said nozzles so that slipstream air flowing past said nacelle enters the gaps between said doors and said nozzles to thereby increase thrust and mix with exhaust gas issuing from the latter, said doors also being movable to a fully deployed position wherein their aft edges abut at a point downstream from said nozzles and said exhaust gas impinges on said doors and is thereby deflected forwardly; and means operatively associated with said assembly for synchronously moving said doors between said stowed, partially deployed, and fully deployed positions.

Claim 10

The method of claim 6 wherein said engine is of the fan jet type and fan air and exhaust gas thereof are discharged together through said nozzles.