Apparatus and method for augmenting the lift of an aircraft having short take-off and landing capabilities

Claim 2

Apparatus for augmenting the lift of an aircraft having at least one cruise engine of the type having a plurality of turbines driven by hot combustion gases from the engine; said apparatus comprising: compressed air generator means separate from said engine, high lift means including air flow directing means for directing air flow energized by said compressed air generator means, hot gas extraction means for extracting a portion of the hot gases from said engine at a position upstream of a low pressure one of said turbines, and hot gas conducting means for conducting said portion of the hot gases to said compressed air generator means to drive said compressed air generator means, wherein said at least one cruise engine is of multiple-spool, multiple-stream construction with said turbines being arranged in series with one another, and wherein said hot gas extraction means includes means for extracting said portion of the hot gases at a position intermediate the most downstream and the second most downstream of said turbines, said most downstream turbine being said low pressure one of said turbines.

Claim 3

Apparatus for augmenting the lift of an aircraft having at least one cruise engine of the type having a plurality of turbines driven by hot combustion gases from the engine; said apparatus comprising: compressed air generator means separate from said engine, high lift means including air flow directing means for directing air flow energized by said compressed air generator means, hot gas extraction means for extracting a portion of the hot gases from said engine at a position upstream of a low pressure one of said turbines, and hot gas conducting means for conducting said portion of the hot gases to said compressed air generator means to drive said compressed air generator means, wherein said at least one cruise engine is of multiple-spool, multiple-stream construction with said turbines being arranged in series with one another, and wherein said hot gas extraction means includes means for extracting said portion of the hot gases at a position intermediate the most downstream and the second most downstream of said turbines, said most downstream turbine being said low pressure one of said turbines.

Claim 4

Apparatus for augmenting the lift of an aircraft having at least one cruise engine of the type having a plurality of turbines driven by hot combustion gases from the engine; said apparatus comprising: compressed air generator means separate from said engine, high lift means including air flow directing means for directing air flow energized by said compressed air generator means, hot gas extraction means for extracting a portion of the hot gases from said engine at a position upstream of a low pressure one of said turbines, and hot gas conducting means for conducting said portion of the hot gases to said compressed air generator means to drive said compressed air generator means, wherein said at least one cruise engine is of multiple-spool, multiple-stream construction with said turbines being arranged in series with one another, and wherein said hot gas extraction means includes means for extracting said portion of the hot gases at a position intermediate the most downstream and the second most downstream of said turbines, said most downstream turbine being said low pressure one of said turbines.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said hot gas extraction means includes an annular extraction chamber surrounding each of said at least one cruise engines, and a plurality of small holes for communicating each of said respective annular extraction chambers with a respective flow duct immediately upstream of a respective one of said low pressure one of said turbines, and wherein said hot gas conducting means includes a hot gas line leading from each of said extraction chambers to said compressed air generator means.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said hot gas conducting means further includes restrictor type shut-off valves in each of said hot gas lines and control means for placing said valves in a restricting position during aircraft take-off with high cruise engine thrust conditions and in a wide open position during aircraft landing with lower cruise engine thrust conditions.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one cruise engine is suspended under lifting wing means of the aircraft by struts, and wherein said hot gas conducting means includes a hot gas line leading from each of said engines to said compressed air generator means through respective ones of said struts near respective trailing edges of said struts.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising struts for suspending each of said at least one cruise engines under lifting wing means of the aircraft, and wherein each of said respective hot gas lines lead from respective ones of said engines to said compressed air generator means through respective ones of said struts near respective trailing edges of said struts.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said cruise engines is installed together with an associated one of said compressed air generator means in a tail portion of the aircraft.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least one of said cruise engines is installed together with an associated one of said compressed air generator means in a tail portion of the aircraft.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said compressed air generator means includes generator turbine means driven by said portion of the hot gases supplied by the hot gas conducting means, and wherein said compressed air generator means are arranged at least partially within trailing ends of the wing means of the aircraft.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said compressed air generAtor means includes generator turbine means driven by said portion of the hot gases supplied by the hot gas conducting means, and wherein said compressed air generator means are arranged at least partially within trailing ends of the wing means of the aircraft.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said compressed air generator means includes generator turbine means driven by said portion of the hot gases supplied by the hot gas conducting means, and wherein said compressed air generator means are arranged at least partially within trailing ends of the wing means of the aircraft.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said high lift means includes suction slots on wing means of the aircraft for removing portions of the boundary layer of air on said wing means.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said suction slots are connected with a common manifold line within the wing means, and wherein said common manifold line is connected with said compressed air generator means such that said compressed air generator means effects a suction at said suction slots to remove said portions of the boundary layer.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said compressed air generator means includes a plurality of separate generators corresponding to a plurality of cruise engines and connected with said common manifold line.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one cruise engine is suspended under lifting wing means of the aircraft by struts, and wherein said hot gas conducting means includes a hot gas line leading from each of said engines to said compressed air generator means through respective ones of said struts near respective trailing edges of said struts.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said suction slots are connected with a common manifold line within the wing means, and wherein said common manifold line is connected with said compressed air generator means such that said compressed air generator means effects a suction at said suction slots to remove said portions of the boundary layer.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said compressed air generator means includes generator turbine means driven by said portion of the hot gases supplied by the hot gas conducting means, and wherein said compressed air generator means are arranged at least partially within trailing ends of the wing means of the aircraft.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said high lift means includes exhaust slots along the top of wing means of the aircraft for exhausting air energized by said compressed air generator means.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said exhaust slots are connected with a common manifold line within the wing means, said common manifold line being connected to a plurality of separate generators of said compressed air generator means.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said at least one cruise engine is suspended under lifting wing means of the aircraft by struts, and wherein said hot gas conducting means includes a hot gas line leading from each of said engines to said compressed air generator means through respective ones of said struts near respective trailing edges of said struts.

Claim 23

Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein a hot gas line and associated separate generator is provided for each of said engines.

Claim 24

Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein each of said separate generators includes a generator turbine driven by hot gases from respective ones of said hot gas lines and a generator exhaust separate from said exhaust slots for exhausting hot gases from said turbine.

Claim 25

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air flow directing means includes a manifold line communicating with a plurality of generators of said compressed air generator means and a check valve arranged between each of said generators and said manifold line.

Claim 26

Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said air flow directing means includes a manifold line communicating with a pluraLity of generators of said compressed air generator means and a check valve arranged between each of said generators and said manifold line, said suction slots communicating with said manifold line.

Claim 27

Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said air flow directing means includes a manifold line communicating with a plurality of generators of said compressed air generator means and a check valve arranged between each of said generators and said manifold line, said exhaust slots communicating with said manifold line.

Claim 28

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein ambient air is supplied to said compressed air generator means through port means in the top of wing means of the aircraft and inlet duct means.

Claim 29

Apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said compressed air generator means includes a plurality of separate generators driven by hot gases extracted from respective separate cruising engines of the aircraft, and wherein said port means and inlet duct means include separate ports and inlet ducts for each of said generators.

Claim 30

Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said high lift means includes suction slots on wing means of the aircraft for removing portions of the boundary layer of air on said wing means.

Claim 31

Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said high lift means includes exhaust slots along the top of wing means of the aircraft for exhausting air energized by said compressed air generator means.

Claim 32

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the air for the high lift means is gained from the boundary layer of air removed off of the upper side of the wing and compressed by the compressed air generator means and then directed by said air flow directing means to said high lift means.

Claim 33

Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said compressed air generator means are at least partially enclosed in wing means of the aircraft, and wherein the boundary layer of air on said wing means can be drawn off by the compressors of said compressed air generator means from a position in the wings downstream of the suction slots.

Claim 34

Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said compressed air generator means are at least partially enclosed in wing means of the aircraft, and wherein the boundary layer of air on said wing means can be drawn off by the compressors of said compressed air generator means from a position in the wings downstream of the exhaust slots.

Claim 35

Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said high lift means further includes exhaust slots at the upper side of said wing means, and wherein said compressed air generator means sucks ambient air from the boundary layer through said suction slots, compresses said air, and exhausts said air through said exhaust slots.

Claim 36

Apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said exhaust slots are located downstream of said suction slots on the upper side of said wing means.

Claim 37

Apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said compressed air generator means includes a separate turbine type generator for each of a plurality of said cruise engines, and wherein said hot gas conducting means includes a separate hot gas line leading from each of said engines to drive the turbine of respective associated compressed air generator means.

Claim 38

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said hot gas conducting means includes a hot gas line leading from each of said at least one cruise engines to said compressed air generator means, wherein said hot gas conducting means further includes resistor type shut-off valves in each of said hot gas lines and control means for placing said valves in a restricting position during aircraft take-off with high cruise engine thrust conditions and in a wide open position during aircraft landing with lower cruise engine thrust conditions, and wherein said aircraft includes a plurality of cruise engines, further comprising control means for controlling the throttling action of respective shut-off valves of each of said engines as a function of the magnItude of hot gas extraction from other of said engines whereby reduction of hot gas extraction from an engine is accommodated for by increased hot gas extraction from the remaining engines.

Claim 39

Apparatus for augmenting the lift of an aircraft having at least one cruise engine of the type having a plurality of turbines driven by hot combustion gases from the engine; said apparatus comprising: compressed air generator means separate from said engine, high lift means including air flow directing means for directing air flow energized by said compressed air generator means, hot gas extraction means for extracting a portion of the hot gases from said engine at a position upstream of a low pressure one of said turbines, and hot gas conducting means for conducting said portion of the hot gases to said compressed air generator means to drive said compressed air generator means, wherein said hot gas conducting means includes a hot gas line leading from each of said at least one cruise engines to said compressed air generator means, wherein said hot gas conducting means further includes restrictor type shut-off valves in each of said hot gas lines and control means for placing said valves in a restricting position during aircraft take-off with high cruise engine thrust conditions and in a wide open position during aircraft landing with lower cruise engine thrust conditions, wherein said aircraft includes a plurality of cruise engines, further comprising control means for controlling the throttling action of respective shut-off valves of each of said engines as a function of the magnitude of hot gas extraction from other of said engines whereby reduction of hot gas extraction from an engine is accommodated for by increased hot gas extraction from the remaining engine.

Claim 40

Apparatus for augmenting the lift of an aircraft having at least one cruise engine of the type having a plurality of turbines driven by hot combustion gases from the engine; said apparatus comprising: compressed air generator means separate from said engine, high lift means including air flow directing means for directing air flow energized by said compressed air generator means, hot gas extraction means for extracting a portion of the hot gases from said engine at a position upstream of a low pressure one of said turbines, and hot gas conducting means for conducting said portion of the hot gases to said compressed air generator means to drive said compressed air generator means, wherein said hot gas conducting means includes a hot gas line leading from each of said at least one cruise engines to said compressed air generator means, wherein said hot gas conducting means further includes restrictor type shut-off valves in each of said hot gas lines and control means for placing said valves in a restricting position during aircraft take-off with high cruise engine thrust conditions and in a wide open position during aircraft landing with lower cruise engine thrust conditions, wherein said aircraft includes a plurality of cruise engines, further comprising control means for controlling the throttling action of respective shut-off valves of each of said engines as a function of the magnitude of hot gas extraction from other of said engines whereby reduction of hot gas extraction from an engine is accommodated for by increased hot gas extraction from the remaining engine.

Claim 41

Apparatus according to claim 36, wherein at least one of said cruise engines is installed together with an associated one of said compressed air generator means in a tail portion of the aircraft.

Claim 42

Apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said hot gas extraction means includes an annular extraction chamber surrounding each of said at least one cruise engines, and a plurality of small holes for communicating each of said respective annular extraction chamber with a respective flow duct immediately upstream of the respective one of said low pressure one of said turbines, and wherein each of said hot gas lines leads from respective ones of said extraction chambers to said compressed air generator means.