Hybrid mixer for a high bypass ratio gas turbofan engine

Claim 2

In a gas turbine engine including a core engine, a nacelle circumscribing the core engine in radial spaced relationship to define a bypass duct therebetween, and a fan within the nacelle for pressurizing air, a first portion of which enters the core engine to generate a hot gas stream and a second portion of which enters the bypass duct as a bypass stream, the improvement comprising a shroud circumscribing the core engine in radial spaced relationship to define an annulus therebetween, the inlet to said annulus being disposed downstream of said nacelle and sized to capture that portion of the bypass stream equivalent to a bypass ratio of substantially two and a mixer for mixing the captured portion with the hot gas stream.

Claim 3

The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said mixer is of the multilobed variety.

Claim 4

In a gas turbine engine including a core engine, a nacelle circumscribing the core engine in radial spaced relationship to define a bypass duct therebetween, and a fan within the nacelle for pressurizing air, a first portion of which enters the core engine to generate a hot gas stream and a second portion of which enters the bypass duct as a bypass stream, the improvement comprising a shroud circumscribing the core engine in radial spaced relationship to define an annulus therebetween having an inlet disposed within said bypass duct and sized to capture that portion of the bypass stream equivalent to a bypass ratio of substantially two and a mixer for mixing the captured portion with the hot gas stream, and an outlet termination downstream of said nacelle.

Claim 5

In a gas turbine engine including a core engine, a nacelle circumscribing the core engine in radial spaced relationship to define a bypass duct therebetween, and a fan within the nacelle for pressurizing air, a first portion of which enters the core engine to generate a hot gas stream and a second portion of which enters the bypass duct as a bypass stream, the improvement comprising a shroud circumscribing the core engine in radial spaced relationship to define an annulus therebetween having an inlet disposed within said bypass duct and sized to capture that portion of the bypass stream equivalent to a bypass ratio of substantially two and a mixer for mixing the captured portion with the hot gas stream, and an outlet termination downstream of said nacelle.

Claim 6

The invention as recited in claim 3 wherein said bypass duct terminates in an exit nozzle and said annulus inlet is upstream of the bypass duct exit nozzle.

Claim 7

In a high bypass ratio gas turbofan engine having a core engine and a bypass duct for generating a hot gas stream and a generally coannular bypass stream, the improvement comprising a shroud terminating downstream of the bypass duct for dividing the bypass stream into two portions, one portion equivalent to a bypass ratio of substantially two which is passed to a mixer wherein it is mixed with the hot gas stream and thereafter passed through a common exhaust nozzle and the other portion of which is routed around the shroud as a stream coannular with said mixed bypass stream portion.

Claim 8

In a high bypass ratio gas turbofan engine having a core engine and a bypass duct for generating a hot gas stream and a generally coannular bypass stream, the improvement comprising a shroud terminating downstream of the bypass duct for dividing the bypass stream into two portions, one portion equivalent to a bypass ratio of substantially two which is passed to a mixer wherein it is mixed with the hot gas stream and thereafter passed through a common exhaust nozzle and the other portion of which is routed around the shroud as a stream coannular with said mixed bypass stream portion.

Claim 9

In a method of operating a gas turbine engine including a core engine for generating a hot gas stream, a bypass duct generally concentric with the core engine for the passage of a bypass stream, and a shroud termination downsteam of the bypass, the steps of passing only a portion of the bypass stream equivalent to an engine bypass ratio of substantially two through an annulus formed between the shroud immersed in the bypass stream and the core engine, mixing the flow within the shroud with the core engine hot gas stream, and passing the remainder of the bypass flow around the outside of the shroud.

Claim 10

In a method of operating a gas turbine engine including a core engine for generating a hot gas stream, a bypass duct generally concentric with the core engine for the passage of a bypass stream, and a shroud termination downsteam of the bypass, the steps of passing only a portion of the bypass stream equivalent to an engine bypass ratio of substantially two through an annulus formed between the shroud immersed in the bypass stream and the core engine, mixing the flow within the shroud with the core engine hot gas stream, and passing the remainder of the bypass flow around the outside of the shroud.

Claim 11

A gas turbofan engine comprising a core engine for generating a hot gas stream, a bypass duct around said core engine for the passage of a bypass stream, a generally cylindrical shroud around said core engine termination downstream of said bypass duct and immersed in the bypass stream forming an annulus between said shroud and said core engine sized to pass only a portion of the bypass stream equivalent to an engine bypass ratio of substantially two, and a mixer within said shroud for mixing the bypass flow within said annulus with the core engine hot gas stream.

Claim 12

A gas turbofan engine comprising a core engine for generating a hot gas stream, a bypass duct around said core engine for the passage of a bypass stream, a generally cylindrical shroud around said core engine termination downstream of said bypass duct and immersed in the bypass stream forming an annulus between said shroud and said core engine sized to pass only a portion of the bypass stream equivalent to an engine bypass ratio of substantially two, and a mixer within said shroud for mixing the bypass flow within said annulus with the core engine hot gas stream.