Turbine Engine Weight/Maintenance Reduction and Reliability Improvement via Fluidic Controlled Inlet Guide Vanes (IGVs) and Stators

Techsburg is proposing an innovative, fixed-geometry, flow control Inlet Guide Vane (IGV) designed to replace existing flapped IGVs in modern high-performance military gas turbine engines. The technique uses co-flowing and counter-flowing jets on oppositesides of the IGV to alter the circulation around the IGV, thus changing the exit flow angle to meet the inlet flow required by the fan. If successful, the complex linkages and actuators required to drive the current variable geometry IGVs will beeliminated. The technology also shows promise to reduce high-cycle fatigue (HCF) of the fan rotor and lower fan noise. These effects are achieved by reducing the wake generated by the IGV and thus reducing the primary source of both of these problems. Theability to eliminate the weight and complexity of the variable geometry IGVs while achieving the additional benefits of reduced HCF, reduced fan noise and increased performance would be very valuable. The primary application for proposed technology istactical military aircraft engines. Consequently, the end customer will be a limited number of military engine manufacturers. However, the demand by these engine manufacturers is strong and the flow control IGV is designed specifically to meet their needs.If Techsburg is successful in using IGV flow control to attract engine manufacturers to its other flow control techniques, the market would greatly expand. Techsburg developed flow control ideas applicable to noise reduction, weight savings, performanceincrease and expanding operability apply equally well to military and commercial aircraft engines.