Engine turning motor via pneumatic or hydraulic motor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10753225-B2
Application number	US-201715475890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2017
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

Pressurized fluid is stored while a jet engine is running. After engine shutdown, the fluid is used to drive a pneumatic or hydraulic turning motor that rotates the engine's High Pressure (HP) rotor. The rotation encourages even heat distribution across the HP rotor and thus prevents bowing of the HP rotor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft engine assembly, comprising:
a gas turbine engine including a rotor having a rotor shaft, wherein the rotor shaft has a longitudinal axis;
a nacelle housing the rotor and comprising trapped air creating a temperature gradient perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when the gas turbine engine is cooling down; and
means for rotating the rotor shaft using intermittent rotational motion driven by a pressurized fluid outputted by at least one of a timer or a stepper motor, the rotating reducing or
preventing thermal bowing of the rotor shaft in the temperature gradient.

2. The aircraft engine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the means for rotating comprises:
a pressure vessel for containing the pressurized fluid;
a valve connected to the pressure vessel; and
the stepper motor rotating the rotor shaft when the pressurized fluid is supplied to the stepper motor from the pressure vessel and the stepper motor is coupled to the rotor shaft.

3. The aircraft engine assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a thrust link attached to the gas turbine engine and doubling as the pressure vessel.

4. The aircraft engine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the means for rotating comprises:
a pressure vessel for containing the pressurized fluid comprising compressed air;
a valve connected to the pressure vessel;
the timer comprising a pneumatic timer connected to the valve; and
an accessory turbine mounted on the rotor shaft, the accessory turbine rotating the rotor shaft when the pneumatic timer applies the compressed air onto the accessory turbine.

5. The aircraft engine assembly of claim 4 , wherein the pneumatic timer is mounted on the nacelle.

6. The aircraft engine assembly of claim 4 , further comprising a thrust link attached to the gas turbine engine and comprising the pressure vessel.

7. The aircraft engine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the means for rotating further comprises:
a pressure vessel for containing the pressurized fluid comprising oil;
a valve connected to the pressure vessel;
the timer comprising an oil timer connected to the pressure vessel; and
a hydraulic motor rotating the rotor when the oil is supplied to the hydraulic motor from the oil timer and the hydraulic motor is coupled to the rotor shaft.

8. The aircraft engine assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a brace or strut link attached to the gas turbine engine and comprising the pressure vessel.

9. An aircraft engine, comprising:
a gas turbine engine including a rotor shaft;
a motor comprising a hydraulic motor or a pneumatic motor mounted on the rotor shaft or connected to a transmission connected to the rotor shaft;
a pressure vessel storing a fluid;
a valve; and
ducting connected to the valve, the pressure vessel, and the motor, and wherein:
the motor converts pressure exerted by the fluid into torque driving the rotor shaft when the fluid is delivered to the motor through the ducting and the valve; and
the motor comprises a stepper motor or the motor comprises a turbine connected to a timer, the timer applying pulses of the fluid onto the turbine so as to drive the turbine.

10. The aircraft engine of claim 9 , wherein:
the transmission applies the torque to the rotor shaft so as to rotate the rotor shaft.

11. The aircraft engine of claim 10 , further comprising the timer comprising a pneumatic timer or a hydraulic timer connected to the ducting, wherein the pneumatic timer or the hydraulic timer pulses the fluid so as to deliver pulses of the fluid to the motor.

12. The aircraft engine of claim 11 , wherein the timer is the hydraulic timer, the motor is the hydraulic motor, and the fluid comprises oil.

13. The aircraft engine of claim 11 , wherein the timer is the pneumatic timer, the motor is the pneumatic motor, and the fluid comprises compressed air.

14. The aircraft engine of claim 9 , further comprising:
a casing housing the gas turbine engine; and
the timer comprising a pneumatic timer connected to the ducting and mounted on the casing, wherein:
the fluid comprises compressed air;
the pneumatic timer pulses the compressed air delivered from the pressure vessel so as to deliver pulses of the compressed air to the motor; and
the pneumatic motor, comprising an accessory turbine mounted on the rotor shaft, applies torque to the rotor shaft when the pulses drive the accessory turbine.

15. The aircraft engine of claim 9 , further comprising a thrust link, a brace, or a strut attached to the gas turbine engine and comprising the pressure vessel.

16. The aircraft engine of claim 9 , wherein the gas turbine engine comprises a high pressure compressor including the rotor shaft.

17. A method of rotating a rotor shaft in an aircraft engine, comprising:
storing a pressurized fluid in a pressure vessel on an aircraft comprising a nacelle housing a gas turbine engine; and
driving the rotor shaft with intermittent rotational motion using the pressurized fluid outputted by at least one of a timer or a stepper motor, when the rotor shaft is cooling down in a temperature gradient perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the rotor shaft, thereby reducing or preventing any thermal bowing of the rotor shaft in the temperature gradient.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the driving comprises:
connecting a pneumatic or hydraulic motor to the rotor shaft;
driving the pneumatic or hydraulic motor with the pressurized fluid, wherein the pneumatic or hydraulic motor converts pressure exerted by the pressurized fluid into torque; and
applying the torque to the rotor shaft, wherein the torque rotates the rotor shaft.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising storing the pressurized fluid in a thrust link comprising the pressure vessel, wherein the thrust link is attached to the gas turbine engine.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the pressurized fluid is stored in the pressure vessel attached to the aircraft engine, and
the driving further comprises:
inputting the pressurized fluid into the timer, wherein the timer outputs pulses of the fluid;
connecting a paddle turbine, comprising paddles, to the rotor shaft;
applying the pulses of the pressurized fluid onto the paddles, wherein the
pulses of the pressurized fluid drive the paddle turbine and the paddle turbine outputs a torque;
connecting the paddle turbine to the rotor shaft; and
using the torque to rotate the rotor shaft.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Karnofski Kent E
• Jasklowski Chris T
• Jackowski Jason J

Classifications

• B64D27/406

  Suspension arrangements specially adapted for supporting thrust loads, e.g. thrust links · CPC title

• F01D17/26 Primary

  fluid, e.g. hydraulic · CPC title

• F01D25/34 Primary

  Turning or inching gear · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• F05D2260/42

  Storage of energy · CPC title