Variable stiffness bearing housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10801366-B2
Application number	US-201815979999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2018
Priority date	May 15, 2018
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

A turbine engine including a bearing element coupled to a rotor assembly and a bearing housing disposed substantially concentric to the axial centerline of the turbine engine. The bearing housing includes a first member coupled to the bearing element. The first member defines a groove at which a variable stiffness element is coupled to the first member and disposed within the groove. The bearing housing defines a first portion and a second portion adjacent to the first portion along a load direction. The first portion and the second portion together selectively define a gap therebetween based at least on a change in load along the load direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turbine engine defining an axial centerline, the engine comprising:
a bearing element coupled to a rotor assembly;
a bearing housing disposed substantially concentric to the axial centerline of the turbine engine;
a fluid supply conduit; and
a controller,
wherein the bearing housing comprises a first member coupled to the bearing element,
wherein the first member defines a groove at which a variable stiffness element is coupled to the first member and disposed within the groove,
wherein the bearing housing defines a first portion and a second portion adjacent to the first portion along a load direction,
wherein the first portion and the second portion together selectively define a gap therebetween based at least on a change in load along the load direction,
wherein the fluid supply conduit provides a flow of fluid in thermal communication with the variable stiffness element, and
wherein the controller modulates thermal communication of the flow of fluid with the variable stiffness element based on an engine operating condition.

2. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the variable stiffness element comprises a shape memory alloy.

3. The turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein the variable stiffness element comprises the shape memory alloy defining a two-way memory effect.

4. The turbine engine of claim 3 , wherein the variable stiffness element defines a first stiffness at loads corresponding to between zero revolutions per minute (RPM) and an idle operating condition of the turbine engine.

5. The turbine engine of claim 4 , wherein the variable stiffness element defines the first stiffness less than a first member stiffness at loads corresponding to between zero RPM and the idle operating condition of the turbine engine.

6. The turbine engine of claim 3 , wherein the variable stiffness element defines a second stiffness at loads corresponding to between an idle operating condition and a maximum normal load operating condition of the turbine engine.

7. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the variable stiffness element comprises a spring.

8. The turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein the variable stiffness element comprises a hat spring, a wave spring, a helical spring, a corrugated sheet, a spring finger, or combinations thereof.

9. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first member defines a vertical portion coupled to a horizontal portion to define the groove.

10. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the rotor assembly defines a high speed rotor assembly of the turbine engine.

11. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the bearing housing is disposed aft of a combustion section of the turbine engine.

12. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the gap is variable between approximately 0.040 millimeters and zero millimeters.

13. A turbine engine defining an axial centerline, the engine comprising:
a bearing element coupled to a rotor assembly; and
a bearing housing disposed substantially concentric to the axial centerline of the turbine engine;
wherein the bearing housing comprises a first member coupled to the bearing element,
wherein the first member defines a groove at which a variable stiffness element is coupled to the first member and disposed within the groove,
wherein the bearing housing defines a first portion and a second portion adjacent to the first portion along a load direction,
wherein the first portion and the second portion together selectively define a gap therebetween based at least on a change in load along the load direction,
wherein the variable stiffness element comprises a shape memory alloy,
wherein the variable stiffness element comprises the shape memory alloy defining a two-way memory effect,
wherein the variable stiffness element defines a first stiffness at loads corresponding to between zero revolutions per minute (RPM) and an idle operating condition of the turbine engine,
wherein the bearing housing defines an overall stiffness based at least on a sum of stiffness from the variable stiffness element and the first member, and
wherein the overall stiffness substantially corresponds to a first member stiffness from zero RPM to the idle operating condition of the turbine engine.

14. The turbine engine of claim 13 , further comprising:
a fluid supply conduit providing a flow of fluid in thermal communication with the variable stiffness element.

15. The turbine engine of claim 14 , wherein the bearing housing defines an opening in fluid communication with the fluid supply conduit through which the flow of fluid is provided in thermal communication with the variable stiffness element.

16. The turbine engine of claim 14 , further comprising:
a controller, wherein the controller modulates thermal communication of the flow of fluid with the variable stiffness element based on an engine operating condition.

17. The turbine engine of claim 16 , wherein the controller adjusts thermal energy at the variable stiffness element in direct relationship to the engine operating condition of the turbine engine.

18. A turbine engine defining an axial centerline, the engine comprising:
a bearing element coupled to a rotor assembly; and
a bearing housing disposed substantially concentric to the axial centerline of the turbine engine;
wherein the bearing housing comprises a first member coupled to the bearing element,
wherein the first member defines a groove at which a variable stiffness element is coupled to the first member and disposed within the groove,
wherein the bearing housing defines a first portion and a second portion adjacent to the first portion along a load direction,
wherein the first portion and the second portion together selectively define a gap therebetween based at least on a change in load along the load direction,
wherein the variable stiffness element comprises a shape memory alloy,
wherein the variable stiffness element comprises the shape memory alloy defining a two-way memory effect,
wherein the variable stiffness element defines a second stiffness at loads corresponding to between an idle operating condition and a maximum normal load operating condition of the turbine engine,
wherein the bearing housing defines an overall stiffness based at least on a sum of stiffness from the variable stiffness element and the first member, and
wherein the overall stiffness substantially corresponds to a sum of a first member stiffness and the second stiffness of the variable stiffness element.

19. The turbine engine of claim 18 , wherein the gap is equal to zero when the turbine engine defines an abnormal load operating condition.

20. The turbine engine of claim 18 , wherein the variable stiffness element defines the second stiffness greater than the first member stiffness at loads corresponding to between the idle operating condition and the maximum normal load operating condition of the turbine engine.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Ganiger Ravindra Shankar
• Bhujabal Prashant Mahadeo
• Dhabade Milind Chandrakant

Classifications

• F16C2360/23

  Gas turbine engines · CPC title

• F16C35/02

  in the case of sliding-contact bearings · CPC title

• F05D2260/38

  by a spring, i.e. spring loaded or biased towards a certain position · CPC title

• F05D2240/50

  Bearings · CPC title

• F01D25/26

  Double casings; Measures against temperature strain in casings · CPC title