Helically actuated variable bearing damper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10161264-B2
Application number	US-201715495483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2017
Priority date	Apr 24, 2017
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A bearing damper assembly for a bearing compartment of a gas turbine engine includes a squirrel cage, a bearing support, an outer sleeve, and an inner sleeve. The bearing support is disposed radially outward from a portion of the squirrel cage. The outer sleeve extends axially from the bearing support. The inner sleeve is attached to the squirrel cage and is disposed radially inward from the outer sleeve. An outward surface of the inner sleeve has a first contoured portion having a first axially extending contour and an inner surface of the outer sleeve has a second contoured portion having a second axially extending contour. The outward surface of the inner sleeve and the inner surface of the outer sleeve define a gap extending between the first contoured portion and the second contoured portion. The gap forms a fluid damper.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bearing damper assembly for a bearing compartment of a gas turbine engine, the bearing damper assembly comprising:
a squirrel cage;
a bearing support disposed radially outward from a portion of the squirrel cage;
an outer sleeve extending axially from the bearing support, wherein the outer sleeve comprises:
an inner surface that is tapered; and
a set of grooves disposed on the inner surface of the outer sleeve;

a supply passage extending through a portion of the outer sleeve and through a portion of the bearing support;
a fluid source that is fluidly connected to the supply passage; and
an inner sleeve attached to the squirrel cage, wherein the inner sleeve is disposed radially inward from the outer sleeve, wherein the inner sleeve comprises:
an outer surface that is tapered; and
a set of thread elements disposed on the outer surface of the inner sleeve, wherein the inner sleeve is threadably engaged with the outer sleeve, wherein the outer surface of the inner sleeve engages the inner surface of the outer sleeve to define a gap extending therebetween, wherein relative rotation between the inner sleeve and outer sleeve increases or decreases a size of the gap, wherein the gap is fluidly connected to the fluid source to receive a fluid damper via the supply passage.

2. The bearing damper assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bearing damper assembly is configured to control the size of the gap in response to relative rotation between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve.

3. The bearing damper assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fluid damper comprises a fluid film annulus.

4. The bearing damper assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fluid damper is configured to dampen relative vibrations between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve.

5. The bearing damper assembly of claim 1 further comprising a driver configured to drive relative motion between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve.

6. The bearing damper assembly of claim 5 , wherein the driver comprises a servo motor configured to rotate the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve.

7. The bearing damper assembly of claim 5 , wherein a degree of taper of the outer sleeve matches a degree of taper of the inner sleeve.

8. The bearing damper assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first contoured portion and the second contoured portion is frustoconical.

9. A method of controlling a width of a fluid damper in a gap between an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve, the method comprising:
supplying the fluid damper to the gap between the inner and outer sleeves, wherein the outer sleeve has an inner surface that is tapered and that has grooves, wherein the inner sleeve has an outer surface that is tapered and that has threads, wherein the tapered outer surface of the inner sleeve is threadably engaged with the tapered inner surface of the outer sleeve; and
moving the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve to vary a size of the gap between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve and thereby cause the width of the fluid damper to change, wherein moving the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve comprises rotating the inner sleeve via threadable engagement relative to the outer sleeve.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising adjusting a damping force coefficient of the fluid damper in response to varying the width of the fluid damper.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein moving the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve comprises axially translating the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein axially translating the inner sleeve comprises actuating the inner sleeve with an electro-mechanical motor.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein moving the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve comprises driving at least one of the inner sleeve and outer sleeve with a driver.

14. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a bearing compartment;
a bearing damper assembly disposed in the bearing compartment, wherein the bearing damper assembly comprises:
a squirrel cage;
a bearing support disposed radially outward from a portion of the squirrel cage;
an outer sleeve extending axially from the bearing support, wherein the outer sleeve comprises:
an inner surface that is tapered; and
a set of grooves disposed on the inner surface of the outer sleeve;

a supply passage extending through a portion of the outer sleeve and through a portion of the bearing support;
a fluid source that is fluidly connected to the supply passage; and
an inner sleeve attached to the squirrel cage, wherein the inner sleeve is disposed radially inward from the outer sleeve, wherein the inner sleeve comprises:
an outer surface that is tapered; and
a set of thread elements disposed on the outer surface of the inner sleeve, wherein the thread elements of the inner sleeve are threadably engaged with the grooves of the outer sleeve, wherein the outer surface of the inner sleeve engages the inner surface of the outer sleeve to define a gap extending therebetween wherein relative rotation between the inner sleeve and outer sleeve increases or decreases a size of the gap, wherein the gap is fluidly connected to the fluid source to receive a fluid via the supply passage.

15. The bearing damper assembly of claim 14 , wherein a degree of taper of the outer sleeve matches a degree of taper of the inner sleeve.

16. The bearing damper assembly of claim 14 , wherein the damper is configured to dampen relative vibrations between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve, and wherein the bearing damper assembly is configured to control the size of the gap in response to relative rotation between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve.

17. The bearing damper assembly of claim 14 further comprising a driver configured to drive relative motion between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Husband Jason
• Gresham Thomas
• Greenberg Michael D

Classifications

• F16C27/045

  with a fluid film, e.g. squeeze film damping · CPC title

• F02C7/06

  Arrangements of bearings (bearings F16C); Lubricating ({of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or} engines in general F01M) · CPC title

• F16C2360/23

  Gas turbine engines · CPC title

• F01D25/164 Primary

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

• F16C35/02

  in the case of sliding-contact bearings · CPC title