A thrust reverser assembly 40 (e.g. for a turbofan 30) comprising at least one air flow conditioning plasma actuator 50. The actuator may have a pair of electrodes 52, 54 spaced by a dielectric layer 56 and a working gap 58, ionising air molecules to form low temperature plasma. The assembly may comprise a cascade with an array of aerofoil vanes 44 and an array of perpendicular airfoil ribs. Plasma actuators may be provided on the vanes and ribs, inducing airflow acceleration, energising a boundary layer. The ribs and/or plasma actuators may distort the efflux pattern (62, figure 4). Plasma actuators may be provided on a ramped surface 46 forming the cascade inlet and on an airflow supply duct, accelerating airflow to counteract swirl in the duct. A plasma actuator may be provided adjacent a blocker door deployable to deflect airflow in the duct. The plasma actuator may accelerate the air away from a gap, joint or step associated with the blocker door, reducing aerodynamic losses. The plasma actuator may alter airflow direction to avoid surface impingement, reducing noise. The plasma actuators may provide acoustic suppression by active noise cancelling, operating at the same frequency as airflow pressure fluctuations.
Thrust reverser assembly
2017-11-22
Patent
Electronic Resource
English