TIP TURBINE ENGINE AND OPERATING METHOD WITH REVERSE CORE AIRFLOW

摘要

A tip turbine engine (10) and a method of operating the engine provides increased efficiency while eliminating or reducing the number of axial compressor (122) stages by moving the core airflow inlet (27) aft of the fan (24). As a result, the core airflow entering the core airflow inlet is the fan exhaust, which is already at an increased pressure. A portion of the fan exhaust is guided radially inward, then axially forward and then radially outward through compressor chambers (72) in the hollow fan blades (28) for further, centrifugal compression.