Abstract: A fuel swirl nozzle for a gas turbine engine comprises, in axial fuel flow sequence, a fuel inlet portion, a fuel stem portion, and a fuel/air swirler portion. An inlet to the fuel stem portion is fluidly sealed against the fuel inlet portion, and an outlet from the fuel stem portion is fluidly sealed against the fuel/air swirler portion. The fuel/air swirler portion has a cross-sectional profile that is generally dolioform shaped along an axis parallel to the engine's longitudinal axis, and has a first end and a second end. The first end of the fuel/air swirler portion has an air inlet face, and the second end of the fuel/air swirler portion has a fuel/air mixture outlet face. The first end comprises a rim portion enclosing the air inlet face in which the rim portion has a rim portion radius (rrim) normal to an outer circumference of the inlet face.

Abstract: Combustion equipment for a gas turbine engine includes an annular cowl positioned upstream of a head plate. In a longitudinal plane which includes a central axis and which lies azimuthally between adjacent fuel injectors of the combustion equipment, the annular cowl has a profile which extends along a local cowl axis and which is non-symmetric with respect to the local cowl axis.

Abstract: A fuel swirl nozzle for a gas turbine engine comprises, in axial fuel flow sequence, a fuel inlet portion, a fuel stem portion, and a fuel/air swirler portion. An inlet to the fuel stem portion is fluidly sealed against the fuel inlet portion, and an outlet from the fuel stem portion is fluidly sealed against the fuel/air swirler portion. The fuel/air swirler portion has a cross-sectional profile that is generally dolioform shaped along an axis parallel to the engine's longitudinal axis, and has a first end and a second end. The first end of the fuel/air swirler portion has an air inlet face, and the second end of the fuel/air swirler portion has a fuel/air mixture outlet face. The first end comprises a rim portion enclosing the air inlet face in which the rim portion has a rim portion radius (rrim) normal to an outer circumference of the inlet face.

Abstract: A method for shaping an aerofoil by: (a) defining an aerofoil having a nominal shape, the nominal shape defined by; a leading edge, a trailing edge, a root and a tip, a span extending from the root to the tip, a pressure surface and a suction surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; a nominal camber line extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; (b) defining an edge region on one of the pressure and/or suction surface which extends distance of at least 0.1% but no more than 10% of the camber line length from one of the leading edge or the trailing edge of the aerofoil; and (c) adapting the shape of the pressure and/or suction surface within the edge region such that the edge region of the aerofoil achieves an asymmetric profile with respect to the nominal camber line.

Abstract: A method for shaping an aerofoil by: (a) defining an aerofoil having a nominal shape, the nominal shape defined by; a leading edge, a trailing edge, a root and a tip, a span extending from the root to the tip, a pressure surface and a suction surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; a nominal camber line extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; (b) defining an edge region on one of the pressure and/or suction surface which extends distance of at least 0.1% but no more than 10% of the camber line length from one of the leading edge or the trailing edge of the aerofoil; and (c) adapting the shape of the pressure and/or suction surface within the edge region such that the edge region of the aerofoil achieves an asymmetric profile with respect to the nominal camber line.

Abstract: Combustion equipment includes annular combustion chamber having an annular upstream wall structure. Annular outer casing surrounds and is spaced from annular combustion chamber and annular inner casing is within and spaced from annular combustion chamber. Ogee shaped annular cowl is positioned upstream of annular upstream wall structure and a stage of compressor outlet guide vanes is positioned upstream of annular cowl. Pre-diffuser extends in downstream direction from stage of compressor outlet guide vanes, pre-diffuser is positioned upstream of cowl. Stage of compressor outlet guide vanes is connected to outer and inner casing. Outer fairing extends radially inwardly from outer casing such that annular outer casing, outer fairing and pre-diffuser define annular outer cavity and outer fairing is spaced from cowl or inner fairing extends radially outwardly from inner casing such that annular inner casing, inner fairing and pre-diffuser define an annular inner cavity and inner fairing is spaced from cowl.

Abstract: A combustion chamber arrangement includes an annular combustion chamber, a plurality of lean burn fuel injectors and a stage of turbine nozzle guide vanes. The stage of turbine nozzle guide vanes is arranged at the downstream end of the annular combustion chamber and includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes extending between and being secured to an annular inner wall and an annular outer wall. The annular inner wall has an outer surface which has a plurality of outer surface portions and each portion is positioned between a pair of circumferentially adjacent vanes and the annular outer wall has an inner surface which has a plurality of inner surface portions and each portion is positioned between a pair of circumferentially adjacent vanes.

Abstract: A nacelle defining an intake is provided for channelling and conditioning freestream airflow to a fan of a ducted fan gas turbine engine. The nacelle intake comprises in flow series an intake lip, and a diffuser. The intake lip has at its forwardmost end a highlight which is a closed loop defining a boundary between inner and outer surfaces of the nacelle, and the diffuser terminates at its rearwardmost end at a front face of the fan. The intake has a circumferentially extending shock control bump or a series of circumferentially spaced shock control bumps formed thereon.

Abstract: A combustion chamber arrangement includes an annular combustion chamber, a plurality of lean burn fuel injectors and a stage of turbine nozzle guide vanes. The stage of turbine nozzle guide vanes is arranged at the downstream end of the annular combustion chamber and includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes extending between and being secured to an annular inner wall and an annular outer wall. The annular inner wall has an outer surface which has a plurality of outer surface portions and each portion is positioned between a pair of circumferentially adjacent vanes and the annular outer wall has an inner surface which has a plurality of inner surface portions and each portion is positioned between a pair of circumferentially adjacent vanes.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of optimizing an automatically meshable shape is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a continuous boundary of the automatically meshable shape, the continuous boundary being defined by a spline formed by two or more spline segments, wherein each segment has a terminal point at each end of the segment; parameterizing shape properties of the segments such that selected ones of the shape properties can be varied under operation of an optimization algorithm; linking each segment to its immediately adjacent segments such that the terminal points of the segment remain coincident with the terminal points of its immediately adjacent segments under operation of the optimization algorithm; and using the optimization algorithm to vary selected ones of the shape properties of the segments, whereby the spline defines an adjusted boundary that remains continuous so that the shape remains automatically meshable.

Abstract: Combustion equipment includes annular combustion chamber having an annular upstream wall structure. Annular outer casing surrounds and is spaced from annular combustion chamber and annular inner casing is within and spaced from annular combustion chamber. Ogee shaped annular cowl is positioned upstream of annular upstream wall structure and a stage of compressor outlet guide vanes is positioned upstream of annular cowl. Pre-diffuser extends in downstream direction from stage of compressor outlet guide vanes, pre-diffuser is positioned upstream of cowl. Stage of compressor outlet guide vanes is connected to outer and inner casing. Outer fairing extends radially inwardly from outer casing such that annular outer casing, outer fairing and pre-diffuser define annular outer cavity and outer fairing is spaced from cowl or inner fairing extends radially outwardly from inner casing such that annular inner casing, inner fairing and pre-diffuser define an annular inner cavity and inner fairing is spaced from cowl.

Abstract: Combustion equipment includes annular combustion chamber having an annular upstream wall structure. Annular outer casing surrounds and is spaced from annular combustion chamber and annular inner casing is within and spaced from annular combustion chamber. Ogee shaped annular cowl is positioned upstream of annular upstream wall structure and a stage of compressor outlet guide vanes is positioned upstream of annular cowl. Pre-diffuser extends in downstream direction from stage of compressor outlet guide vanes, pre-diffuser is positioned upstream of cowl. Stage of compressor outlet guide vanes is connected to outer and inner casing. Outer fairing extends radially inwardly from outer casing such that annular outer casing, outer fairing and pre-diffuser define annular outer cavity and outer fairing is spaced from cowl or inner fairing extends radially outwardly from inner casing such that annular inner casing, inner fairing and pre-diffuser define an annular inner cavity and inner fairing is spaced from cowl.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of optimizing an automatically meshable shape is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a continuous boundary of the automatically meshable shape, the continuous boundary being defined by a spline formed by two or more spline segments, wherein each segment has a terminal point at each end of the segment; parameterising shape properties of the segments such that selected ones of the shape properties can be varied under operation of an optimization algorithm; linking each segment to its immediately adjacent segments such that the terminal points of the segment remain coincident with the terminal points of its immediately adjacent segments under operation of the optimization algorithm; and using the optimization algorithm to vary selected ones of the shape properties of the segments, whereby the spline defines an adjusted boundary that remains continuous so that the shape remains automatically meshable.

Abstract: A blade includes a root and an elongate portion extending to a tip, the elongate portion having an aerofoil-shaped cross-section. The aerofoil has leading and trailing edges, and suction and pressure sides. The tip includes a squealer defining a gutter at the tip, the squealer extending from the trailing edge along the entirety of a first of the suction and pressure sides, around the leading edge and partly along a second of the suction and pressure sides leaving a gap between the trailing edge and an end of the wall. A main trailing edge cooling channel extends within the elongate portion in a direction from root to tip adjacent the trailing edge and exits into the gutter. The main trailing edge cooling channel includes a bend just downstream of the exit, the exit displaced from a camber line of the blade elongated portion towards the second side.

Abstract: A computational engineering modelling tool having a point generation module arranged to read geometry data representing a domain to be modelled. The point generation module also generates point data for the domain having multiple boundary points located on a boundary of the domain and multiple further points spaced from the boundary within the domain. A point mutation module processes the point generation module output and generates automatically a plurality of alternative point data definitions for the domain in which the location of at least one point differs between each of the alternative point definitions. A blocking module discretizes the domain by creating multiple geometric blocks over the domain using a computational geometric operator wherein each point represents a vertex of at least one block. The blocking module outputs a discretized computational model of the domain and the tool scores the model according to a geometric attribute of the blocks.

Abstract: Combustion equipment includes annular combustion chamber having an annular upstream wall structure. Annular outer casing surrounds and is spaced from annular combustion chamber and annular inner casing is within and spaced from annular combustion chamber. Ogee shaped annular cowl is positioned upstream of annular upstream wall structure and a stage of compressor outlet guide vanes is positioned upstream of annular cowl. Pre-diffuser extends in downstream direction from stage of compressor outlet guide vanes, pre-diffuser is positioned upstream of cowl. Stage of compressor outlet guide vanes is connected to outer and inner casing. Outer fairing extends radially inwardly from outer casing such that annular outer casing, outer fairing and pre-diffuser define annular outer cavity and outer fairing is spaced from cowl or inner fairing extends radially outwardly from inner casing such that annular inner casing, inner fairing and pre-diffuser define an annular inner cavity and inner fairing is spaced from cowl.

Abstract: A method of connecting three-dimensional structured meshes to form a conformal mesh, for solutions of flow problems, including: forming an interface by overlaying surfaces of two structured meshes; defining an interface set of mesh points in the interface; merging mesh points in the interface set that are within a predetermined distance of each other and projecting mesh points of one mesh in the interface that are within a predetermined distance of a line of the other mesh; generating an interface layer in the form of an unstructured mesh; and inserting a node at the center of each hexahedra, and producing an unstructured layer of cells between the two structured meshes by joining the nodes to the mesh points of the interface layer.

Abstract: A casing treatment for a fan or compressor stage 10 of a gas turbine engine comprises circumferential grooves 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D and 16E which extend in a series disposed between the leading edges 20 and trailing edges 22 of blades 6 of a fan or compressor stage 10. The grooves 16 vary in depth d in order to optimise the stall margin of the fan or compressor stage 10 while preserving peak efficiency.

Abstract: A method of connecting three-dimensional structured meshes to form a conformal mesh, for solutions of flow problems, including: forming an interface by overlaying surfaces of two structured meshes; defining an interface set of mesh points in the interface; merging mesh points in the interface set that are within a predetermined distance of each other and projecting mesh points of one mesh in the interface that are within a predetermined distance of a line of the other mesh; generating an interface layer in the form of an unstructured mesh; and inserting a node at the centre of each hexahedra, and producing an unstructured layer of cells between the two structured meshes by joining the nodes to the mesh points of the interface layer.

Abstract: A casing treatment for a fan or compressor stage 10 of a gas turbine engine comprises circumferential grooves 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D and 16E which extend in a series disposed between the leading edges 20 and trailing edges 22 of blades 6 of a fan or compressor stage 10. The grooves 16 vary in depth d in order to optimise the stall margin of the fan or compressor stage 10 while preserving peak efficiency.