Thrust augmenting and sound suppressing apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for augmenting the thrust and suppressing the exhaust noise of a jet engine having a rearwardly discharging exhaust nozzle, comprising: an ejector barrel having an entrance end and an exit end; the ejector barrel being located in operative position aft of the exhaust nozzle with its entrance end adjacent to the nozzle exit and spaced at least in part from the nozzle to define inlet path means for the flow of free stream air; the barrel defining a mixing zone for the free stream air and the gas stream issuing from the nozzle; the inner wall of the barrel being divided into a forward section and an aft section; the leading edge of the aft section being spaced from the trailing edge of the forward section to define between them a rearwardly discharging auxiliary jet nozzle in the form of a peripheral slot through the inner wall; and means to supply gas under pressure to the jet nozzle to peripherally surround the gaseous stream and add energy thereto; the inner walls of the forward and aft sections being formed primarily of metallic acoustical and structural honeycomb paneling serving to maKe the walls self supporting and sound suppressing; the inner surfaces of the walls exposed to the mixing zone being provided with a multiplicity of apertures communicating with the honeycomb core cells to provide resonating cavities to suppress the sound energy of the gaseous stream.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1; and a smooth imperforate partition extending around the interior of the barrel and from its outer wall to the leading edge of the inner wall of the aft section; the outer surface of the forward inner wall being smooth and imperforate; the partition and the inner wall defining between them an annular plenum chamber for the jet nozzle which is devoid of flow obstructions; and conduit means extending between the engine exhaust nozzle and the plenum chamber to conduct energized gas from the engine to the plenum chamber.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 2; the partition converging rearwardly from the forward end of the plenum chamber to cooperate with the forward inner wall in directing the energized gas convergently rearward through the jet nozzle.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3; the leading edge of the aft inner wall being peripherally larger than the trailing edge of the forward inner wall to cause the jet nozzle exit to face primarily rearward.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1; portions of the inner and outer walls of the aft section of the ejector barrel being separate from the main body thereof and being pivotally mounted on transverse axes to swing rearwardly and inwardly toward each other to serve as thrust reversing blocker doors.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5; the inner walls of the blocker door portions in stowed position defining portions of the honeycomb panel inner wall construction of the aft section of the ejector barrel.

Claim 8

Apparatus for augmenting the thrust and suppressing the exhaust noise of a jet engine having a rearwardly discharging primary exhaust nozzle having attachment means in the general plane of the nozzle exit, comprising: a secondary exhaust nozzle having a first generally cylindrical section provided at its leading edge with attachment means for connection to the attachment means of the primary exhaust nozzle, and a second section in direct continuation of the first section and having the form of a lobed nozzle with a plurality of peripherally spaced radially and axially extending lobes defining between them valleys for the inflow of free stream air; an ejector barrel having an entrance end and an exit end; the ejector barrel being located in operative position aft of the lobed nozzle with its entrance end adjacent to the nozzle exit and being secured to the radially outer ends of the lobes to support it in position; the barrel defining a mixing zone for the free stream air and the gas stream issuing from the nozzle; the inner wall of the barrel being formed primarily of metallic acoustical and structural honeycomb paneling serving to make the wall self supporting and sound suppressing; the inner surface of the wall exposed to the mixing zone being provided with a multiplicity of apertures communicating with the honeycomb core cells to provide resonating cavities to suppress the sound energy of the gaseous stream; the side walls of each lobe of the secondary exhaust nozzle being formed of metallic acoustical and structural honeycomb paneling serving to make them self supporting and sound suppressing; the inner surface of each side wall exposed to the exhaust gases being provided with a multiplicity of apertures communicating with the honeycomb core cells to provide resonating cavities.

Claim 9

Apparatus for augmenting the thrust and suppressing the exhaust noise of a jet engine having a rearwardly discharging primary exhaust nozzle having attachment means in the general plane of the nozzle exit, comprising: a secondary exhaust nozzle having a first generally cylindrical section provided at its leading edge with attachment means for connection to the attachment means of the primary exhaust nozzle, and a second section in direct continuation of the first section and having the form of a lobed nozzle with a plurality of peripherally spaced radially and axially extending lobes defining between them valleys for the inflow of free stream air; an ejector barrel having an entrance end and an exit end; the ejector barrel being located in operative position aft of the lobed nozzle with its entrance end adjacent to the nozzle exit and being secured to the radially outer ends of the lobes to support it in position; the barrel defining a mixing zone for the free stream air and the gas stream issuing from the nozzle; the inner wall of the barrel being formed primarily of metallic acoustical and structural honeycomb paneling serving to make the wall self supporting and sound suppressing; the inner surface of the wall exposed to the mixing zone being provided with a multiplicity of apertures communicating with the honeycomb core cells to provide resonating cavities to suppress the sound energy of the gaseous stream; the side walls of each lobe of the secondary exhaust nozzle being formed of metallic acoustical and structural honeycomb paneling serving to make them self supporting and sound suppressing; the inner surface of each side wall exposed to the exhaust gases being provided with a multiplicity of apertures communicating with the honeycomb core cells to provide resonating cavities.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 7; the first section of the secondary exhaust nozzle also being formed of metallic acoustical and structural honeycomb paneling with its inner surface provided with a multiplicity of apertures communicating with the honeycomb core cells to provide resonating cavities; the first section serving as a cantilever member to support the second section and the ejector barrel.

Claim 11

Apparatus As claimed in claim 7; the inner wall of the ejector barrel being divided in a lateral plane intermediate the ends of the barrel to provide a peripheral slot serving as an auxiliary jet nozzle; the forward portion of the barrel being hollow to serve as a plenum chamber communicating with the jet nozzle; and a plurality of longitudinally extending conduits connected at their aft ends to the plenum chamber and at their forward ends to the first section of the secondary nozzle at its periphery to conduct energized gas from the engine to the plenum chamber; each of the conduits overlying the outer end of one of the lobes to leave the valleys between the lobes clear for the inflow of free stream air.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9; each conduit being united throughout the major portion of its length with the outer end of its associated lobe for mutual reinforcement.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9; the primary exhaust nozzle being divided into a first central duct discharging turbine gas and a second peripheral duct surrounding the first duct and discharging fan air; the forward ends of the conduit at the periphery of the first section of the secondary nozzle being in longitudinal alignment with the second duct to receive primarily fan air for transfer to the plenum chamber.

Claim 14

Apparatus for augmenting the thrust and suppressing the exhaust noise of a jet engine having a rearwardly discharging exhaust nozzle, comprising: an ejector barrel having an entrance end and an exit end; the ejector barrel being located in operative position aft of the exhaust nozzle with its entrance end adjacent to the nozzle exit and spaced at least in part from the nozzle to define inlet path means for the flow of free stream air; the barrel defining a mixing zone for the free stream air and the gas stream issuing from the nozzle; the inner wall of the barrel being formed primarily of metallic acoustical and structural honeycomb paneling serving to make the wall self supporting and sound suppressing; the inner surface of the wall exposed to the mixing zone being provided with a multiplicity of apertures communicating with the honeycomb core cells to provide resonating cavities to suppress the sound energy of the gaseous stream.

Claim 15

Apparatus for augmenting the thrust and suppressing the exhaust noise of a jet engine having a rearwardly discharging exhaust nozzle, comprising: an ejector barrel having an entrance end and an exit end; the ejector barrel being located in operative position aft of the exhaust nozzle with its entrance end adjacent to the nozzle exit and spaced at least in part from the nozzle to define inlet path means for the flow of free stream air; the barrel defining a mixing zone for the free stream air and the gas stream issuing from the nozzle; the inner wall of the barrel being formed primarily of metallic acoustical and structural honeycomb paneling serving to make the wall self supporting and sound suppressing; the inner surface of the wall exposed to the mixing zone being provided with a multiplicity of apertures communicating with the honeycomb core cells to provide resonating cavities to suppress the sound energy of the gaseous stream.