Abstract:
A nozzle assembly for use with a jet engine for controlling the direction of the discharged fluid and hence the direction of thrust is disclosed. The nozzle housing and an internally mounted bifurcation structure are arranged to divide the exhaust fluid flowing into a circular entrance orifice into two separate fluid streams that flow out of rectangular discharge orifices on the rear face of the nozzle. Flow deflection doors, stored within a rearwardly opening cavity formed by the bifurcation structure between the two rectangular discharge orifices, are selectively extendable into each fluid stream to modify the direction of the discharged fluid. The two flow ducts formed by the bifurcation structure and nozzle housing are configured to discharge the two fluid streams toward one another such that the fluid streams converge into a single, thrust-producing fluid stream aft of the exit orifices when the flow deflection doors are not deployed. The flow deflection doors can be asymmetrically deployed to angularly deflect the single thrust producing fluid stream for thrust vectoring, or can be symmetrically deployed to maintain the exhausted fluid streams as separate thrust producing streams that are angularly deflected away from one another for thrust reversal or thrust spoilage.