General Dynamics has been granted a patent for an aircraft propulsion system that includes an engine and an inlet with a forward cowl lip and an aft cowl lip. The forward cowl lip can move between retracted and deployed positions, and the controller restricts the engine’s maximum thrust when the aircraft is on the ground and below a certain speed. The controller also controls the cowl lip to deploy when the aircraft is on the ground and retracts it during takeoff. GlobalData’s report on General Dynamics gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on General Dynamics, fuel transport marine vessels was a key innovation area identified from patents. General Dynamics's grant share as of June 2023 was 1%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Patent granted for aircraft propulsion system with adjustable cowl lip
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11686246B2) describes a propulsion system for aircraft that includes an engine with a predetermined tolerance for flow distortion. The system also includes an inlet with a forward cowl lip and an aft cowl lip, which can move between a retracted position and a deployed position. When the forward cowl lip is in the retracted position, it is adjacent to the aft cowl lip in a sealed arrangement, preventing air from passing between them. However, when the forward cowl lip is in the deployed position, it is spaced apart from the aft cowl lip, allowing air to flow between them. The forward cowl lip has a smaller or equal radius of curvature compared to the aft cowl lip.
The propulsion system further includes a controller that is connected to the engine and the inlet. The controller is designed to impose a restriction on the maximum thrust commanded position of the engine when the aircraft is on the ground and moving below a predetermined speed. This restriction is lifted when the aircraft reaches at least the predetermined speed. The controller also controls the movement of the forward cowl lip between the retracted and deployed positions based on the phase of flight of the aircraft. Additionally, the controller retracts the forward cowl lip to the retracted position when the aircraft takes off from the ground surface.
The patent also mentions that the propulsion system can include a weight-on-wheels sensor, which provides information to the controller about whether the aircraft is on the ground or off the ground. Based on this information, the controller controls the movement of the forward cowl lip accordingly.
The system described in the patent aims to optimize the performance of the propulsion system by controlling the flow of air through the inlet and maintaining predetermined distortion indices at the aerodynamic interface plane. The controller ensures that the maximum thrust commanded position of the engine and the power of the engine are limited to levels that correspond with these distortion indices. The radius of curvature of the aft cowl lip is determined based on the amount of flow separation at the inlet and the imposed restrictions on the engine's thrust commanded position.
Overall, this patent describes a propulsion system for aircraft that includes a controller to optimize the performance of the engine and maintain desired flow characteristics at the inlet. The system takes into account the phase of flight and the aircraft's speed to control the movement of the forward cowl lip and the engine's thrust commanded position.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
