Gas turbine engine with distributed fans

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10837359-B2
Application number	US-201715443113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2017
Priority date	Feb 7, 2014
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A gas generator has at least one compressor rotor, at least one gas generator turbine rotor and a combustion section. A fan drive turbine is positioned downstream of a path of the products of combustion having passed over the at least one gas generator turbine rotor. The fan drive turbine drives a shaft and the shaft engages gears to drive at least three fan rotors.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a gas generator with at least one compressor rotor, at least one gas generator turbine rotor and a combustion section, and there being a fan drive turbine positioned downstream of a path of products of combustion having passed over said at least one gas generator turbine rotor, said fan drive turbine driving a shaft and said shaft engaging gears to drive at least three fan rotors;
there being an exhaust duct downstream of said gas generator turbine rotor, and said fan drive turbine being downstream of said exhaust duct; and
wherein a drive axis of said fan drive turbine is non-parallel to a drive axis of said at least one gas generator turbine rotor.

2. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said at least one compressor rotor includes at least two compressor rotors and said at least one gas generator turbine rotor includes at least two gas generator turbine rotors, with said fan drive turbine being positioned to be downstream of a path of the products of combustion having passed over each of said at least two gas generator turbine rotors.

3. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the drive axis of rotation of said gas generator turbine rotor is generally perpendicular to the drive axis of rotation of said fan drive turbine.

4. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said at least three fan rotors, including at least two distinct diameters of fan rotors.

5. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 4 , wherein each of said at least three fan rotors have a different diameter.

6. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 5 , wherein a gear ratio of said gears for driving said fan rotor differs across at least two of said fan rotors.

7. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 6 , wherein a pressure ratio provided across said at least three fan rotors differs across at least two of said fan rotors.

8. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 5 , wherein a largest diameter fan rotor of said at least three fan rotors is positioned to be closer to said fan drive turbine.

9. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 8 , wherein a highest gear reduction ratio is provided on said largest diameter fan rotor.

10. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a gear ratio of said gears for driving said fan rotor differs across at least two fan rotors.

11. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said shaft includes at least one flex coupling associated with one of the gears for driving one of said fan rotors.

12. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a pressure ratio provided across said at least three fan rotors differs across at least two of said fan rotors.

13. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said at least three fan rotors, including at least two distinct diameters of fan rotors.

14. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 13 , wherein a lowest fan pressure ratio is provided by a largest diameter fan rotor of said at least three fan rotors.

15. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 14 wherein said shaft is generally hollow.

16. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein adjacent ones of said at least three fan rotors are driven to rotate in opposed directions.

17. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said drive axis of fan drive turbine is perpendicular to a said drive axis of said at least one gas generator turbine rotor.

18. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a gas generator with at least one compressor rotor, at least one gas generator turbine rotor and a combustion section, and there being a fan drive turbine positioned downstream of a path of products of combustion having passed over said at least one gas generator turbine rotor, said fan drive turbine driving a shaft and said shaft engaging gears to drive at least three fan rotors;
there being an exhaust duct downstream of said gas generator turbine rotor, and said fan drive turbine being downstream of said exhaust duct;
wherein a drive axis of said fan drive turbine is non-parallel to a drive axis of said at least one gas generator turbine rotor;
wherein said shaft is generally hollow; and
wherein said shaft includes at least one flex coupling associated with one of the gears for driving one of said fan rotors.

19. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 18 , wherein each of said at least three fan rotors is provided with a separate oil pump, oil supply and oil scavenge line.

20. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a gas generator with at least one compressor rotor, at least one gas generator turbine rotor and a combustion section, and there being a fan drive turbine positioned downstream of a path of products of combustion having passed over said at least one gas generator turbine rotor, said fan drive turbine driving a shaft and said shaft engaging gears to drive at least three fan rotors;
there being an exhaust duct downstream of said gas generator turbine rotor, and said fan drive turbine being downstream of said exhaust duct;
wherein a drive axis of said fan drive turbine is non-parallel to a drive axis of said at least one gas generator turbine rotor; and
wherein each of said at least three fan rotors is provided with a separate oil pump, oil supply and oil scavenge line.

Assignees

• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

• Suciu Gabriel L
• Mccune Michael E
• Chandler Jesse M
• Epstein Alan H
• O'Flarity Steven M
• Hanlon Christopher J
• Schneider William F
• Staubach Joseph B
• Kenyon James A

Classifications

• F01D13/003

  with at least two independent shafts, i.e. cross-compound · CPC title

• F02C7/36

  Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user ({F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and} F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H) · CPC title

• F02C9/18

  by bleeding, bypassing or acting on variable working fluid interconnections between turbines or compressors or their stages {(F02C3/113 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F02C3/06

  the compressor comprising only axial stages (F02C3/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B64D35/04

  characterised by the transmission driving a plurality of propellers or rotors · CPC title