Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Donald Freund

Derek Muzychka

John Louis

Joseph Gavin

Till Gerhardt

Benjamin Walke

William Mcfarland

Andrew Clemens

Joe Gavin

Douglas Klutzke

Nicholas Powell

Shawn Bennett

Various non-limiting embodiments of a nozzle assembly for use with a propulsion system and a sleeve assembly for use with the nozzle assembly are disclosed herein. In a non-limiting embodiment, the nozzle assembly includes, but is not limited to, a nacelle. The nozzle assembly further includes, but is not limited to, a sleeve assembly mounted within the nacelle downstream of the engine. The sleeve assembly is configured to receive the mass flow from the engine and to guide the mass flow to an exit of the propulsion system. The sleeve assembly is comprised of a plurality of sleeve segments arranged in a circumferential configuration. Each sleeve segment of the plurality of sleeve segments has an elongate body that is longitudinally aligned with a longitudinal axis of the sleeve assembly.

Nozzle assembly for use with a propulsion system and sleeve assembly for use with the nozzle assembly

An exhaust nozzle assembly includes, but is not limited to, a nozzle body configured to be fluidly coupled with an engine and to receive a jet produced by the engine. An outer cover covers the nozzle body. A movable component is disposed and configured to have an effect on either the jet or an exhaust plume when the movable component moves. A linkage is coupled to the movable component and adapted for coupling to an actuator. The linkage transmits the force to the moveable component from the actuator. There is a gap between an inner surface of the outer cover and an outer surface of the nozzle body. The linkage is smaller than the actuator. The gap is smaller than a smallest dimension of the actuator and larger than the linkage. The linkage is partially disposed within the gap, and the exhaust nozzle assembly is free of the actuator.

Exhaust nozzle assembly, propulsion system employing the exhaust nozzle assembly, and aircraft employing the propulsion system

A nozzle assembly includes a sleeve defining a pathway, the sleeve disposed within a nacelle. The pathway and an internal surface of the nacelle guides a mass flow from an engine to an exit of the propulsion system. The sleeve is configured to move between a forward position an aft position within the nacelle aft of the engine. The sleeve has a protruding portion that extends towards a center of the pathway and that defines a smallest internal diameter of the sleeve. The sleeve includes a plurality of sleeve segments that are longitudinally aligned and circumferentially arranged to form the sleeve. The sleeve segments are configured to move circumferentially closer as the sleeve moves in a first direction within the nacelle and to move circumferentially further apart as the sleeve moves in a second direction within the nacelle. An actuator is coupled with, and is configured to move the sleeve.

Nozzle assembly for use with a propulsion system

An aircraft propulsion system includes an engine. The propulsion system further includes an inlet having a forward cowl lip and an aft cowl lip. The forward cowl lip moves between retracted and deployed positions. The forward cowl lip is adjacent to the aft cowl lip when retracted. The forward cowl lip is spaced apart from the aft cowl lip when deployed. The forward cowl lip has a smaller radius of curvature than the aft cowl lip. The propulsion system further includes a controller coupled with the engine and inlet. The controller restricts the maximum thrust commanded position of the engine when the aircraft is on the ground and moving below a predetermined speed. The controller lifts the restriction when the aircraft is moving at at least the predetermined speed. The controller controls the inlet to deploy the cowl lip when the aircraft is on the ground.

Propulsion system for an aircraft

A method of controlling a magnitude of a sonic boom caused by off-design-condition operation of a supersonic aircraft at supersonic speeds includes, but is not limited to the step of operating the supersonic aircraft at supersonic speeds and at an off-design-condition. The supersonic aircraft has a pair of swept wings having a plurality of composite plies oriented at an angle such that an axis of greatest stiffness is non-parallel with respect to a rear spar of each wing of the pair of swept wings. The method further includes, but is not limited to the step of reducing wing twist caused by operation of the supersonic aircraft at supersonic speeds at the off-design condition with the composite plies. The method still further includes, but is not limited to, minimizing the magnitude of the sonic boom through reduction of wing twist.

Systems and methods for controlling a magnitude of a sonic boom

A system for controlling a magnitude of a sonic boom caused by off-design operation of a supersonic aircraft includes a sensor configured to detect a condition of the supersonic aircraft. The system further includes a control surface that is mounted to a wing of the supersonic aircraft. The system still further includes a processor communicatively coupled to the sensor and operatively coupled with the control surface. The processor is configured to (1) receive information from the sensor indicative of the condition of the supersonic aircraft, (2) determine that there is a deviation between a lift distribution and a design-condition lift distribution based on the information, and (3) control the control surface to move in a manner that reduces the deviation. The magnitude of the sonic boom is reduced when the deviation is reduced.

A system for controlling a magnitude of a sonic boom includes a first sensor configured to detect a first condition of the supersonic aircraft. The system further includes a pair of wings configured to move fore and aft. The system further includes a processor communicatively coupled with the sensor and operatively coupled with the pair of wings. The processor is configured to (1) receive a first information from the first sensor indicative of the first condition, (2) calculate a lift distribution of the supersonic aircraft based on the first information, (3) determine an existence of a deviation of the lift distribution from a desired lift distribution based on the flight condition, and (4) control the pair of wings to move to redistribute the lift in a manner that more closely conforms to the desired lift distribution. The magnitude of the sonic boom is reduced when the deviation is reduced.

Methods and systems for controlling a magnitude of a sonic boom caused by off-design-condition operation of a supersonic aircraft at supersonic speeds are disclosed herein. The method includes, but is not limited to, monitoring, with a processor, a weight of the supersonic aircraft and a distribution of fuel onboard the supersonic aircraft. The method further includes, but is not limited to, determining, with the processor, that there is a deviation of the weight of the supersonic aircraft from a design-condition weight. The method still further includes, but is not limited to, controlling, with the processor, a redistribution of the fuel onboard the supersonic aircraft to adjust an amount of fuel stored within a wing to minimize a twist in the wing caused by the deviation. Such redistribution will reduce the magnitude of the sonic boom caused by the deviation.

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Savannah, GA, United States of America

Donald Freund