By-pass engine having a single, thrust diverter valve mechanism for a v/stol aircraft

Claim 1

A bypass fan engine incorporating a main, forward thrustproducing, turbojet portion including compressor, turbine, combustion and main exhaust sections for acting on, and producing the main, forward thrust of the engine from the hot combustible products of the mixture of fuel and a primary air flow therethrough; and a combined, forward thrust-augmentation and vertical-takeoff-and-landing producing portion including a bypass annulus arranged in concentric and surrounding relation to, and outwardly of and between the casing of the said turbojet engineportion constituting an inner shell element, and an outer shell element spaced from said inner shell element; said by-pass annulus further having an upstream or inlet end portion open to the main air inlet of the engine, a fan for directing, pressurizing and converting a portion of the main engine-incoming air into a by-pass or secondary air flow initially entering the said upstream or inlet end portion of said by-pass annulus, and a combined wall and valve mechanism-support member intermediatelydisposed between the said inner and outer shell elements comprising said by-pass annulus, and oriented in surrounding relation to the said turbojet engine-portion, said wall and support member being further arranged to divide said bypass annulus into both substantially horizontally and verticallyoriented flow paths respectively comprised of a first, relatively narrow and horizontal, bypass or secondary air flow-passage means disposed in immediate concentric relation to the casing/inner shell element of said turbojet engine-portion and having a first, relatively small inlet portion in open communication with, and receiving the bypass or secondary air flow from, the upstream or inlet end portion of said bypass annulus, and a first, horizontally-oriented exhaust means forming a first, substantially straight-through and relatively narrow flow pathpassage with the said upstream or inlet end portion of said bypass annulus for thereby exhausting the bypass or secondary air flow entering the said bypass annulus and said substantially straight-through flow path-passage in a rearward direction to thus substantially augment the main, forward thrust being produced by the turbojet engine-portion; and a second, separate, relatively enlarged and substantially vertically-oriented, bypass or secondary air flow path-passage means disposed further outwardly of, and between the said combined wall and valve mechanism-support member forming the said first-named passage means and the said by-pass annulus-outer shell element, said relatively enlarged and substantially vertically-oriented, flow path-passage means further having a second, relatively enlarged, inlet portion in open communication with, and receiving the bypass or secondary air flow from, the upstream or inlet end portion of said bypass annulus at an angle relative to, and further outwardly of, the said first, inlet portion of said first-named passage means, and a second, downwardly-oriented, exhaust means forming a second, substantially vertical, flow path-passage with the said upstream or inlet end portion of said bypass annulus for thereby exhausting the bypass or secondary air flow entering said bypass annulus and said second, verticallyoriented flow path-passage in a vertically-downward direction representing the vertical-takeoff-and-landing mode of engine operation; and thrust diverter valve means for alternately directing the bypass or secondary air flow entering said bypass annulus into one or the other of said first and second-named, bypass or secondary air flow-passages to thereby either augment the main, forward thrust being produced in the engine, or to establish the vertical-takeoff-and-landing configuration thereof; said thrust divertEr valve means comprising; a plurality of separate flap segments interconnected in sealed relation to each other, in a predetermined number of sets, by a series of flap sections pivotally mounted in alternate relation between successive flap segments, and being further collectively hinged, for pivotal movement, in circumferential relation to, and around the upstream end of the said combined wall and valve mechanismsupport member; said thrust diverter valve means further comprising power means respectively interconnected with each of the said predetermined number of flap segment-sets for thereby pivoting said plurality of flap segments to either of two alternate positions respectively blocking either the first-named, forward thrust-augmenting, straight-through flow path-passage, or the second-named, substantially vertically-oriented, flow pathpassage; said flap segments further having a tapered configuration with the greater width at the hinge axis for thereby positively accommodating for the reduced area available when the said flap segments have pivoted to the said first-named passage in blocking position immediately upstream of the first, relatively small inlet portion of the said relatively narrow and horizontal, bypass or secondary air flow-passage means comprising the forward thrust-augmentation mode of engine operation.