Intake Screens on Jet Engines ?

[muduckace]

I wonder if a device similar to a blender protruding out of the nose cone to chop/dice and deflect out to the bypass area would be effective w/o disturbing airflow.

[Jackcon]

Wire Mesh Problems and Solutions

First and foremost, which size wire mesh would you be looking at? Are you talking about something fine, like lets say 80 x 80 mesh? Or something with more of a wide opening like a 4 x 4 wire mesh? (Difference can be found here: Custom Wire Cloth - Belleville Wire Cloth Co - Cedar Grove, NJ )

The fine wire mesh would probably restrict air flow too much. This would cut down on air flow almost near the 50% range and for obvious reason that will not work. The larger wire mesh with bigger openings presents different problems, the main one being a bird sticking to the mesh and staying there for an entire flight. I don't see this working, but there may possibly be a way to angle the mesh and get this done?

[barit1]

I have read of an early axial-flow engine (J47) with retractable inlet screen segments - used during TO & low-altitude ops. They retracted outward into the inlet case when not needed.

Not sure how successful they were.

[blah blah blah]

Anyone remember the early MiG 29 and its louvres? Or the later variants with mesh screens, much like the SU 27?

[EEngr]

blah

I was just thinking about the MiG system as I scrolled by your post. Good for FOD prevention on takeoff and landing from substandard runways. But its a performance penalty (weight and complexity) that the military is willing to accept. Not so for commercial.

As others have stated, this may work well at low speeds (takeoff and landing) with runway debris. But bird strikes at higher speed will need too much structural strength. Better to clean the runway and shoot and eat the birds.