Aircraft systems and methods

Abstract

A system includes plural airfoils operably coupled with a rotatable member of an aircraft engine system. The rotatable member is configured to rotate about an axial centerline of the aircraft engine system. The system comprises a feature at one or more exterior locations of an aircraft body. The feature is shaped to alter a flow of air between the aircraft body and the airfoils. Altering the flow of air also one or more of reduces a local load on the airfoils, reduces a local angle of attack of the airfoils, or reduces a noise level that is generated by the aircraft engine system as the rotatable member rotates about the axial centerline of the aircraft engine system relative to the aircraft body not including the feature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 plural airfoils operably coupled with a rotatable member of an aircraft engine system, the rotatable member configured to rotate about an axial centerline of the aircraft engine system; and   a feature at one or more exterior locations of an aircraft body, the feature shaped to alter a flow of air between the aircraft body and the airfoils, wherein altering the flow of air also one or more of reduces a local load on the airfoils, reduces a local angle of attack of the airfoils, or reduces a noise level that is generated by the aircraft engine system as the rotatable member rotates about the axial centerline of the aircraft engine system relative to the aircraft body not including the feature.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the aircraft body is one or more of a fuselage, a nacelle, a wing, or a pylon of an aircraft system. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the feature is configured to one or more of constrict or dilate the flow of air between the aircraft body and the airfoils. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein altering the flow of air one or more of reduces the local load on the airfoils, reduces the local angle of attack of the airfoils, or reduces the noise level that is generated by the aircraft engine system during one or more of cruising, climbing, or descending of an aircraft system relative to the aircraft body not including the feature. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein reducing the local angle of attack of the airfoils reduces a variable angle of attack distortion on the airfoils relative to the aircraft body not including the feature. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the feature includes one or more contours, wherein the one or more contours are configured to one or more of extend into or protrude away from the aircraft body. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more contours are configured to dynamically change during one or more of cruising, climbing, or descending of an aircraft system. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the feature is configured to one or more of be retrofitted to the aircraft body or be formed with the aircraft body during a design process wherein the feature is configured to modify the aircraft body. 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors configured to determine a local load on plural airfoils, wherein the airfoils are operably coupled with a rotatable member of an aircraft engine system, the rotatable member configured to rotate about an axial centerline of the aircraft engine system, wherein the one or more processors are also configured to determine a local angle of attack of the airfoils as air flows around the airfoils and the rotatable member rotates about the axial centerline of the aircraft engine system; and   a feature at one or more exterior locations of an aircraft body based on the local load and the local angle of attack, the feature shaped to alter a flow of air between the aircraft body and the airfoils, wherein altering the flow of air also one or more of reduces the local load on the airfoils, reduces the local angle of attack of the airfoils, or reduces a noise level that is generated by the aircraft engine system as the rotatable member rotates about the axial centerline of the aircraft engine system relative to the aircraft body not including the feature.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the aircraft body is one or more of a fuselage, a nacelle, a wing, or a pylon of an aircraft system. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the feature is configured to constrict or dilate the flow of air between the aircraft body and the airfoils. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein altering the flow of air one or more of reduces the local load on the airfoils, reduces the local angle of attack of the airfoils, or reduces a noise level that is generated by the aircraft engine system during one or more of cruising, climbing, or descending of an aircraft system relative to the aircraft body not including the feature. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the feature is configured to create transverse flow of the air between the aircraft body and the airfoils, wherein the transverse flow of the air is configured to one or more of reduce the local angle of attack of the airfoils or reduce the noise level that is generated by the aircraft engine system relative to the aircraft body not including the feature. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein reducing the local angle of attack of the airfoils reduces a variable angle of attack distortion on the airfoils relative to the aircraft body not including the feature. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the feature includes one or more contours, wherein the one or more contours are configured to one or more of extend into or protrude away from the aircraft body. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more contours are configured to constrict or dilate the flow of air between the aircraft body and the airfoils. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more contours are configured to dynamically change during one or more of cruising, climbing, or descending of an aircraft system 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the feature is configured to one or more of be retrofitted to the aircraft body or be formed with the aircraft body during a design process wherein the feature is configured to modify the aircraft body. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 determining a local load on plural airfoils with one or more processors, wherein the airfoils are operably coupled with a rotatable member of an aircraft engine system, the rotatable member configured to rotate about an axial centerline of the aircraft engine system;   determining a local angle of attack of the airfoils with the one or more processors as air flows around the airfoils and the rotatable member rotates about the axial centerline of the aircraft engine system; and   creating a feature at one or more exterior locations of an aircraft body based on the local load and the local angle of attack, the feature shaped to alter a flow of air between the aircraft body and the airfoils, wherein altering the flow of air also one or more of reduces the local load on the airfoils, reduces the local angle of attack of the airfoils, or reduces a noise level that is generated by the aircraft engine system as the rotatable member rotates about the axial centerline of the aircraft engine system relative to the aircraft body not including the feature.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein reducing the local angle of attack of the airfoils reduces a variable angle of attack distortion on the airfoils relative to the aircraft body not including the feature.