Patent ID: 8668449

Claim:
An exhaust diffuser for a turbine engine comprising: an inner boundary defined at least by a hub, the hub having an upstream end and a downstream end; an outer boundary defined by a diffuser shell, the outer boundary being radially spaced from the inner boundary so that a flow path is defined therebetween, the outer boundary having a radially inwardly extending region in which the outer boundary extends radially inwardly toward the inner boundary, wherein the radially inwardly extending region begins at a point that is one of substantially aligned and proximately upstream of the downstream end of the hub, whereby the outer boundary directs at least a portion of an exhaust flow in the diffuser toward the hub; at least one gas jet including a jet exit located on the outer boundary, the jet exit discharging a flow of gas downstream substantially parallel to an inner surface of the outer boundary to effect a radially outward flow of a portion of the exhaust flow in the diffuser toward the outer boundary; and a tail cone having an upstream end and a downstream end, the upstream end having a greater diameter than the downstream end, wherein the upstream end of the tail cone is attached to the downstream end of the hub and the inner boundary is also defined by the tail cone, wherein the flow path has an associated total flow area that varies along the length of the exhaust diffuser, and the total flow area decreases in an area adjacent the tail cone and the total flow area of the flow path increases immediately downstream of the tail cone.