Gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10487688-B2
Application number	US-201615187542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2016
Priority date	Jul 17, 2015
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a spool which rotates in use, a static structure and an air bearing, the air bearing being provided at an interface between the spool and the static structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a spool which rotates in use, the spool being a spool of the gas turbine engine;
a rotor assembly, wherein the rotor assembly is a part of the spool;
a static structure; and
an air bearing,
wherein the static structure comprises a core annulus wall and the air bearing is provided at an interface between the core annulus wall and the rotor assembly, the core annulus wall being a wall of an engine core of the gas turbine engine, the rotor assembly being either a compressor or a turbine,
wherein the air bearing has a first surface in the form of a lip attached to and rotating with a disc rim of a disc of the rotor assembly, and a second surface formed by a corresponding portion of the core annulus wall, and
wherein the rotor assembly forms a drum that includes a drum cavity, the air bearing provided in an air leakage path leading from the core annulus to the drum cavity.

2. A gas turbine engine according to claim 1 wherein the air bearing is a foil bearing.

3. A gas turbine engine according to claim 1 comprising one or more rolling element bearings arranged to support a shaft of the spool at an interface between the shaft and the static structure.

4. A gas turbine engine according to claim 3 wherein the air bearing is provided radially outward with respect to one, some or all of the rolling element bearings.

5. A gas turbine engine according to claim 1 wherein the air bearing is located in an air leakage path through which in use air from a core annulus of the gas turbine engine leaks into a cavity radially inward of the core annulus.

6. A gas turbine engine according to claim 1 wherein the rotor assembly comprises at least one rotor, the at least one rotor having the disc, and the air bearing is provided at an interface between the core annulus wall and the disc rim of the disc.

7. A gas turbine engine according to claim 6 wherein the rotor assembly includes a plurality of disc rims, a first air bearing is provided at a first interface between a disc rim of the plurality of disc rims in the rotor assembly that is furthest upstream and the core annulus and a second air bearing is provided at a second interface between a disc rim of the plurality of disc rims in the rotor assembly that is furthest downstream and the core annulus.

8. A gas turbine engine according to claim 1 wherein the rotor assembly is a compressor.

9. A gas turbine engine according to claim 1 wherein the rotor assembly is a turbine.

10. A gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , wherein a gearbox is provided in the spool drive train.

11. A gas turbine engine according to claim 2 , wherein a gearbox is provided in the spool drive train.

12. A gas turbine engine according to claim 3 , wherein a gearbox is provided in the spool drive train.

13. A gas turbine engine according to claim 4 , wherein a gearbox is provided in the spool drive train.

14. A gas turbine engine according to claim 5 , wherein a gearbox is provided in the spool drive train.

15. A gas turbine engine according to claim 6 , wherein a gearbox is provided in the spool drive train.

16. A gas turbine engine according to claim 7 , wherein a gearbox is provided in the spool drive train.

17. A gas turbine engine according to claim 8 , wherein a gearbox is provided in the spool drive train.

18. A gas turbine engine according to claim 9 , wherein a gearbox is provided in the spool drive train.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc
• Rolls Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co Kg

Inventors

• Venter Gideon Daniel
• Popovic Ivan

Classifications

• F04D29/057

  hydrostatic; hydrodynamic · CPC title

• F01D5/026

  Shaft to shaft connections · CPC title

• F04D29/102

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F01D25/166

  Sliding contact bearing (gas bearings F01D25/22) · CPC title

• F01D25/162 Primary

  Bearing supports · CPC title