Aircraft engine with a compressor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10119548-B2
Application number	US-201514863860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2015
Priority date	Sep 26, 2014
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

What is described is an aircraft engine with a compressor device and with a fan device. In the area of a compressor shaft, the compressor device is connected via an epicyclic gear to a fan shaft. A planetary web is operatively connected via bearing devices to the planetary gears. A ring gear is coupled with the fan shaft and a sun gear of the epicyclic gear is coupled with the compressor shaft, while the planetary carrier is held at the housing side in a torque-proof manner. The ring gear is connected via a flexible connection device to the fan shaft and/or the planetary carrier is connected via a flexible connection device to the housing. In the area of the connection device, movements between the ring gear and the planetary gears and/or between the planetary carrier and the housing can be at least approximately compensated in the radial and the axial direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft engine, comprising:
a housing,
a compressor including a compressor shaft,
a fan shaft,
a fan driven by the compressor via the fan shaft,
an epicyclic gear connecting the compressor to the fan shaft in an area of the compressor shaft, the epicyclic gear including a ring gear, a sun gear, a planetary carrier, and a plurality of planetary gears, and for each of the plurality of planetary gears, a bearing device rotatably mounting the each of the planetary gears on the planetary carrier;
wherein the ring gear is coupled to the fan shaft and the sun gear is coupled to the compressor shaft, while the planetary carrier is held at a housing side in a fixed manner,
a flexible connection device connecting the ring gear to the fan shaft, the flexible connection device permitting movement in a radial direction and in an axial direction between the ring gear and the fan shaft.

2. The aircraft engine according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible connection device comprises an area having a cross-section that is U-shaped.

3. The aircraft engine according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible connection device comprises an area having a cross-section that is L-shaped.

4. The aircraft engine according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing device comprises a spherical bearing unit for compensating tilting movements between the planetary carrier and the each of the plurality of planetary gears and a further bearing unit for rotational decoupling between the planetary carrier and the each of the plurality of planetary gears.

5. The aircraft engine according to claim 4 , and further comprising an inner bearing element arranged radially inside the each of the plurality of planetary gears, and wherein the spherical bearing unit couples the planetary carrier in an operative connection with the inner bearing element.

6. The aircraft engine according to claim 5 , wherein the inner bearing element is rotatably connected to the each of the plurality of planetary gears via the further bearing unit that is arranged respectively between the each of the plurality of planetary gears and the inner bearing element.

7. The aircraft engine according to claim 5 , wherein the planetary carrier includes a plurality of finger portions for respectively connecting to each of the spherical bearing units.

8. The aircraft engine according to claim 7 , and further comprising a bolt fastener connecting one of the plurality of finger portions to the inner bearing element, with the bolt fastener arranged to extend in the radial direction.

9. The aircraft engine according to claim 8 , wherein the spherical bearing includes a coupling element that is arranged in the area of the each of the plurality of finger portions, the coupling element including at least a partially spherical area, and wherein the bolt fastener is connected to the coupling element as well as to the inner bearing element to be approximately aligned with a middle of the each of the plurality of planetary gears.

10. The aircraft engine according to claim 8 , wherein the bolt fastener is fixated in the radial direction in an area of the inner bearing element.

11. The aircraft engine according to claim 7 , wherein one of the plurality of finger portions is coupled in a fixed manner the inner bearing element.

12. The aircraft engine according to claim 7 , wherein the planetary carrier is connected to the housing via the flexible connection device radially inside the plurality of finger portions.

13. The aircraft engine according to claim 7 , wherein the planetary carrier is attached to the housing radially outwardly of the plurality of finger portions.

14. The aircraft engine according to claim 4 , wherein the further bearing unit is at least one chosen from a rolling bearing and a slide bearing.

15. The aircraft engine according to claim 1 , wherein the ring gear and the sun hear each include a helically-toothed tooth area and each of the plurality of planetary gears includes two helically-toothed tooth areas which are separated from each other and are arranged at a distance from each other in the axial direction, and which respectively mesh with the helically-toothed tooth areas of the ring gear and the sun gear, wherein a helix angle of the helically-toothed tooth areas of the each of the plurality of planetary gears, the ring gear and the sun gear are embodied in a mirror-inverted manner for minimizing axial toothing forces.

16. The aircraft engine according to claim 1 , wherein the planetary carrier include conduits for guiding fluid.

17. The aircraft engine according to claim 1 , and further comprising a further flexible connection device connecting the planetary carrier to the housing, the further flexible connection device permitting movement in the radial direction and in the axial direction between the planetary carrier and the housing.

18. An aircraft engine, comprising:
a housing,
a compressor including a compressor shaft,
a fan shaft,
a fan driven by the compressor via the fan shaft,
an epicyclic gear connecting the compressor to the fan shaft in an area of the compressor shaft, the epicyclic gear including a ring gear, a sun gear, a planetary carrier, and a plurality of planetary gears, and for each of the plurality of planetary gears, a bearing device rotatably mounting the each of the planetary gears on the planetary carrier;
wherein the ring gear is coupled to the fan shaft and the sun gear is coupled to the compressor shaft, while the planetary carrier is held at a housing side in a fixed manner,
a flexible connection device connecting at least one chosen from the ring gear and the fan shaft, and the planetary carrier and the housing, the flexible connection device permitting movement in a radial direction and in an axial direction between the at least one chosen from the ring gear and the fan shaft, and the planetary carrier and the housing;
wherein the bearing device comprises a spherical bearing unit for compensating tilting movements between the planetary carrier and the each of the plurality of planetary gears and a further bearing unit for rotational decoupling between the planetary carrier and the each of the plurality of planetary gears.

19. The aircraft engine according to claim 18 , and further comprising an inner bearing element arranged radially inside the each of the plurality of planetary gears, and wherein the spherical bearing unit couples the planetary carrier in an operative connection with the inner bearing element;
wherein the inner bearing element is rotatably connected to the each of the plurality of planetary gears via the further bearing unit that is arranged respectively between the each of the plurality of planetary gears and the inner bearing element.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co Kg

Inventors

• Venter Gideon

Classifications

• F04D19/002

  Axial flow fans · CPC title

• F04D29/321

  for axial flow compressors · CPC title

• F05D2260/40311

  of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type · CPC title

• F04D29/059

  Roller bearings · CPC title

• F02K3/06 Primary

  with front fan · CPC title