Towershaft support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10260423-B2
Application number	US-201715490485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2017
Priority date	Apr 18, 2017
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

A towershaft support may comprise a mount support, and a mounting ring coupled to an aft portion of the mount support radially inward of the mount support, wherein the mounting ring and the mount support create a perimeter around a central void. The mounting ring may comprise a mounting flange on an outer diameter of the mounting ring and a fluid passageway on an inner diameter of the mounting ring fixedly coupled to the mounting flange, wherein the fluid passageway comprises an outer wall enclosing an internal passage configured to pass fluid therethrough.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A towershaft support, comprising:
a mount support; and
a mounting ring coupled to an aft portion of the mount support radially inward of the mount support, wherein the mounting ring and the mount support create a perimeter around a central void,
wherein the mounting ring comprises a mounting flange on an outer diameter of the mounting ring and a fluid passageway on an inner diameter of the mounting ring fixedly coupled to the mounting flange, wherein the fluid passageway comprises an outer wall enclosing an internal passage configured to pass fluid therethrough.

2. The towershaft support of claim 1 , wherein the fluid passageway comprises at least one fluid inlet and at least one fluid outlet in fluid communication with the internal passage.

3. The towershaft support of claim 2 , wherein the fluid inlet is disposed between a first fluid outlet and a second fluid outlet of the fluid passageway.

4. The towershaft support of claim 1 , wherein the mount support comprises a towershaft mount disposed on the mount support.

5. The towershaft support of claim 1 , wherein the mounting flange comprises at least one mounting hole configured to facilitate coupling of the towershaft support to an engine structure.

6. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
an engine structure;
a towershaft; and
a towershaft support coupled to the engine structure and the towershaft, wherein the towershaft support comprises:
a mount support; and
a mounting ring coupled to an aft portion of the mount support radially inward of the mount support, wherein the mounting ring and the mount support create a perimeter around a central void,
wherein the mounting ring comprises a mounting flange on an outer diameter of the mounting ring and a fluid passageway on an inner diameter of the mounting ring fixedly coupled to the mounting flange, wherein the fluid passageway comprises an outer wall enclosing an internal passage configured to pass fluid therethrough.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein the mounting flange comprises at least one mounting hole.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , further comprising a fastener disposed through the at least one mounting hole coupling the mounting flange to the engine structure.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein the fluid passageway comprises at least one fluid inlet and at least one fluid outlet in fluid communication with the internal passage.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 9 , further comprising a bevel gear and a bull gear coupled to the towershaft, and a jumper tube coupled to the at least one fluid outlet, wherein the jumper tube is configured to transport fluid from the internal passage to at least one of the bevel gear and the bull gear.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 9 , further comprising a nozzle fluidly coupled to the at least one fluid outlet configured to spray fluid.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 9 , wherein the fluid inlet is disposed between a first fluid outlet and a second fluid outlet of the fluid passageway.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein the mount support comprises a towershaft mount disposed on the mount support.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the towershaft is disposed through the towershaft mount.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , further comprising fluid distribution hardware fluidly coupled to the internal passage.

16. A method for distributing fluid to components of a gas turbine engine, comprising:
receiving a fluid through a fluid inlet of a fluid passageway of a mounting ring, wherein the fluid passageway comprises an internal passage in fluid communication with the fluid inlet, wherein the mounting ring is part of a towershaft support, and wherein the mounting ring further comprises a mounting flange fixedly coupled to the fluid passageway; and
passing the fluid through the internal passage and out a fluid outlet of the fluid passageway fluidly coupled to the internal passage.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising passing the fluid to the fluid inlet from fluid distribution hardware.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising passing the fluid through a jumper tube in fluid communication with the fluid outlet in response to passing the fluid out the fluid outlet.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising applying the fluid to at least one of a bevel gear and a bull gear in response to the passing the fluid through the jumper tube.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising passing the fluid through a second fluid outlet of the fluid passageway that is fluidly coupled to the internal passage.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Gaulin Todd M
• Messerschmidt Dwayne E

Classifications

• F02C7/32

  Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries · CPC title

• F16H57/046

  Oil-mist or spray lubrication · CPC title

• F16H57/025

  Support of gearboxes, e.g. torque arms, or attachment to other devices · CPC title

• F02C7/06 Primary

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

• F01D25/18

  Lubricating arrangements (of machines or engines in general F01M) · CPC title