Load balanced journal bearing pin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10533522-B2
Application number	US-201715659992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2017
Priority date	Aug 21, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

Abstract

A disclosed fan drive gear system includes a sun gear rotatable about an axis of rotation, a plurality of intermediate gears rotatable about an intermediate gear rotation axis in meshing engagement with the sun gear and a ring gear circumscribing the intermediate gears. A bearing assembly supports at least one of the plurality of intermediate gears and includes a first beam extending in a first direction and a second beam extending from an end of the first beam in a second direction. The bearing surface supported on the second beam such that first and second beams are configured to maintain the bearing surface substantially parallel to the intermediate gear rotation axis during operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fan drive gear system comprising:
a sun gear rotatable about an axis of rotation;
a plurality of intermediate gears rotatable about an intermediate gear rotation axis in meshing engagement with the sun gear;
a ring gear circumscribing the intermediate gears;
a bearing assembly supporting at least one of the plurality of intermediate gears, the bearing assembly including a first beam extending in a first direction and a second beam extending from an end of the first beam in a second direction, and a journal bearing supported on the second beam, wherein the first and second beams are configured to maintain the journal bearing substantially parallel to the intermediate gear rotation axis during operation; and
a torque frame including the first beam, wherein the first beam, the second beam and the torque frame include a stiffness and bend to maintain the journal bearing substantially parallel to the intermediate gear rotation axis under an applied load.

2. The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first beam, second beam and the torque frame include a stiffness within 10% of each other.

3. The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the first beam includes a first thickness in cross-section that combined with a first length provides a first stiffness.

4. The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the second beam includes a second thickness in cross-section that combined with a second length provides a second stiffness.

5. The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 4 , wherein the torque frame includes a third thickness in cross-section combined with a diameter from the axis of rotation of the sun gear provides a third stiffness.

6. The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first beam extends from the torque frame in the first direction away from the third thickness.

7. The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second beam extends from the end of the first beam to a midway point of the journal bearing.

8. The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 1 , including a passage for lubricant through the journal bearing and a lubricant conduit for communicating lubricant from the first beam to the passage in the journal bearing.

9. The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 8 , including a first opening within the first beam receiving a first end of the lubricant conduit and a second opening in the second beam proximate the lubricant passage for receiving a second end of the lubricant conduit.

10. The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the lubricant conduit is flexible to enable relative bending of the first beam relative to the second beam.

11. A turbofan engine comprising:
a fan including a plurality of fan blades rotatable about an axis;
a compressor section;
a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor section;
a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor; and
a fan drive gear system driven by the turbine section, the fan drive gear system including a sun gear rotatable about an axis of rotation;
a plurality of intermediate gears each rotatable about an intermediate gear rotation axis and in meshing engagement with the sun gear;
a ring gear circumscribing the intermediate gears, and a bearing assembly supporting at least one of the plurality of intermediate gears, wherein the bearing assembly includes a first beam extending in a first direction from a torque frame and a second beam extending from an end of the first beam in a second direction, and a journal bearing supported on the second beam, wherein the first beam, the second beam and the torque frame bend to maintain the journal bearing substantially parallel to the intermediate gear rotation axis during operation.

12. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 11 , wherein both the first beam, the second beam and the torque frame include a stiffness within 10% of each other.

13. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 12 , wherein the first beam includes a first thickness in cross-section that combined with a first length provides a first stiffness, the second beam includes a second thickness in cross-section that combined with a second length provides a second stiffness and the torque frame includes a third thickness combined with a diameter from the axis that provides a third stiffness.

14. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 13 , wherein the second beam extends from the end of the first beam to a midway point of the journal bearing.

15. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 14 , wherein a centerline of the journal bearing and a centerline of the torque frame remain substantially parallel to maintain the journal bearing substantially parallel to the intermediate gear rotation axis.

16. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 11 , including a passage for lubricant through the journal bearing and a lubricant conduit for communicating lubricant from the first beam to the passage in the journal bearing.

17. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 16 , wherein the fan drive gear system provides a speed reduction between the turbine section and the fan section of greater than 2.3.

18. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 17 , wherein the turbofan engine is a high bypass geared aircraft engine having a bypass ratio of greater than ten (10).

19. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 18 , wherein the turbofan engine includes a Fan Pressure Ratio of less than 1.45.

20. The turbofan engine as recited in claim 19 , wherein the turbine section includes a fan drive turbine coupled to drive the fan through the fan drive gear system and a second turbine forward of the fan drive turbine and a ratio of a number of fan blades in the fan and a number of rotors in the fan drive turbine is between 3.3 and 8.6.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Sheridan William G

Classifications

• F02C3/04

  having a turbine driving a compressor (power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16) · CPC title

• F16H1/2836

  by allowing limited movement of the planet gears relative to the planet carrier or by using free floating planet gears · CPC title

• Y10T29/49464

  Assembling of gear into force transmitting device · CPC title

• F16H57/12

  Arrangements for adjusting or for taking-up backlash not provided for elsewhere · CPC title

• F05D2240/50

  Bearings · CPC title