Gear driven gas turbine engine assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10066734-B2
Application number	US-201514960934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2015
Priority date	Dec 7, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a planetary gear system including a sun gear, intermediate gears, and a ring gear. A lubricant recovery system for the planetary gear system includes fluid passages that extend through the planetary gear system. A gutter is located radially outward from the planetary gear system for collecting lubricant. At least a portion of the gutter is rigidly attached to the ring gear.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a planetary gear system including a sun gear, intermediate gears, and a ring gear;
a torque shaft driven by the planetary gear system including a lubricant manifold located radially inward from the torque shaft wherein the torque shaft is supported by a first bearing and a second bearing;
an oil transfer bearing in fluid communication with the lubricant manifold and located axially between the first bearing and the second bearing; and
a lubricant recovery system for the planetary gear system comprising:
fluid passages extending through the planetary gear system; and
a gutter located radially outward from the planetary gear system for collecting lubricant, at least a portion of the gutter is rigidly attached to the ring gear.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the ring gear includes a radially extending flange and at least a portion of the gutter is in direct contact with the radially extending flange on the ring gear.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the gutter includes a forward portion and an aft portion, the forward portion of the gutter is located axially forward of the radially extending flange relative to an engine axis of the gas turbine engine and the aft portion is located axially aft of the radially extending flange relative to the engine axis.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 3 , wherein the ring gear is attached to a static structure with a ring gear flexible coupling and the aft portion of the gutter is integral with the ring gear flexible coupling.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the ring gear flexible coupling is at least partially radially aligned with a radially extending flange on the ring gear.

6. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , including a ring gear flexible coupling connecting the ring gear to an engine static structure and a sun gear flexible coupling connecting the sun gear to a drive shaft, wherein the ring gear flexible coupling and the sun gear flexible coupling define a lateral and transverse stiffness and a stop on the engine static structure limits movement of the planetary gear system.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the intermediate gears is supported by a journal bearing including a pin having a circumferentially extending slot in opposing axial ends for allowing the journal bearing to flex.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , including a bypass ratio of greater than ten (10).

9. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a planetary gear system including a sun gear, intermediate gears, and a ring gear;
a ring gear flexible coupling connecting the ring gear to an engine static structure; and
a sun gear flexible coupling connecting the sun gear to a drive shaft, wherein the gas turbine engine includes a bypass ratio of greater than 10;
a torque shaft driven by the planetary gear system including a lubricant manifold located radially inward from the torque shaft wherein the torque shaft is supported by a first bearing and a second bearing;
an oil transfer bearing in fluid communication with the lubricant manifold and located axially upstream from the planetary gear system, wherein a conduit connects the lubricant manifold and a carrier supporting the planetary gear system; and
a lubricant recovery system for the planetary gear system comprising:
fluid passages extending through the planetary gear system; and
a gutter located radially outward from the planetary gear system for collecting lubricant, at least a portion of the gutter is rigidly attached to the ring gear.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 9 , wherein the ring gear includes a radially extending flange and at least a portion of the gutter is in direct contact with the radially extending flange on the ring gear.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the gutter includes a forward portion and an aft portion, the forward portion of the gutter is located axially forward of the radially extending flange relative to an engine axis of the gas turbine engine and the aft portion is located axially aft of the radially extending flange relative to the engine axis.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 9 , wherein the ring gear flexible coupling and the sun gear flexible coupling define a lateral and transverse stiffness and a stop on the engine static structure limits movement of the planetary gear system.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein a portion of the ring gear flexible coupling is at least partially radially aligned with a radially extending flange on the ring gear.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the intermediate gears is supported by a journal bearing including a pin having a circumferentially extending slot in opposing axial ends for allowing the journal bearing to flex.

15. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a planetary gear system including a sun gear, intermediate gears, and a ring gear; and
a torque shaft driven by the planetary gear system including a lubricant manifold located radially inward from the torque shaft;
an oil transfer bearing in fluid communication with the lubricant manifold and located axially upstream from the planetary gear system, wherein a conduit fluidly connects the lubricant manifold and with a carrier lubricant passage in a carrier supporting the planetary gear system; and
a journal bearing supporting an intermediate gear, including a pin extending between opposite sides of a carrier, the pin having a circumferentially extending slot formed in opposing axial ends for allowing the journal bearing to flex under load, wherein the journal bearing is in fluid communication with the carrier lubricant passage and the gas turbine engine includes a bypass ratio of greater than 10.

16. The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , including
a lubricant recovery system for the planetary gear system comprising:
fluid passages extending through the planetary gear system;
a gutter located radially outward from the planetary gear system for collecting lubricant, at least a portion of the gutter is rigidly attached to the ring gear.

17. The gas turbine engine of claim 16 , wherein the ring gear includes a radially extending flange and at least a portion of the gutter is in direct contact with the radially extending flange on the ring gear.

18. The gas turbine engine of claim 17 , wherein the gutter includes a forward portion and an aft portion, the forward portion of the gutter is located axially forward of the radially extending flange relative to an engine axis of the gas turbine engine and the aft portion is located axially aft of the radially extending flange relative to the engine axis.

19. The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , including a ring gear flexible coupling connecting the ring gear to an engine static structure and a sun gear flexible coupling connecting the sun gear to a drive shaft.

20. The gas turbine engine of claim 19 , wherein the ring gear flexible coupling and the sun gear flexible coupling define a lateral and transverse stiffness and a stop on the engine static structure limits movement of the planetary gear system.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Sheridan William G

Classifications

• F01D25/164

  Flexible supports; Vibration damping means associated with the bearing · CPC title

• F05D2260/40311

  of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type · CPC title

• F05D2240/62

  Flexible · CPC title

• F16H57/0427

  on rotary parts, e.g. using baffles for collecting lubricant by centrifugal force · CPC title

• F05D2250/611

  undulated · CPC title