Bearing assembly for gas turbine engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11028717-B2
Application number	US-201715632628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2017
Priority date	Jun 26, 2017
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A bearing assembly according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a bearing situated in a bearing compartment, a seal assembly that defines the bearing compartment, at least one deflector between the bearing and the seal assembly that is rotatable about an axis, and a coalescer at least partially extending about the at least one deflector to define a fluid passage. A method of sealing is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bearing assembly comprising:
a bearing situated in a bearing compartment;
a seal assembly defining the bearing compartment;
at least one deflector between the bearing and the seal assembly that is rotatable about an axis; and
a coalescer at least partially extending about the at least one deflector to define a fluid passage, wherein the coalescer includes a ring-shaped coalescer body that circumferentially extends about the deflector and is attached to a static structure, the at least one deflector includes a ring-shaped deflector body that radially opposes the coalescer body to define a radial gap along the fluid passage, and the deflector body is rotatable about the axis.

2. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one deflector is rotatable with a shaft to cause fluid in the fluid passage to impinge on the coalescer.

3. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 2 , wherein one or more paddles extending from the deflector body.

4. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 2 , wherein a circumferential rib and one or more pockets each defined about a circumference of the deflector body, and an outer periphery of the circumferential rib sloping towards the one or more pockets.

5. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the coalescer includes one or more paddles extending from the coalescer body.

6. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 5 , wherein the coalescer includes a first circumferential flange and a second circumferential flange extending from opposed sidewalls of the coalescer body, the one or more paddles distributed about an outer periphery of the second circumferential flange.

7. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 5 , the one or more paddles include a plurality of paddles that extend in an axial direction away from the coalescer body relative to the axis, and adjacent pairs of the paddles define a plurality of circumferentially extending pockets that extend radially outward from the radial gap relative to the axis.

8. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 7 , wherein one or more passages extend axially through a thickness of the coalescer body with respect to the axis, and the one or more passages interconnect the bearing compartment and a respective pocket of the plurality of pockets.

9. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one deflector and the coalescer are arranged such that the fluid passage is a serpentine fluid passage connected to the seal assembly.

10. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 9 , wherein the at least one deflector includes a first deflector and a second deflector, the first deflector extending between the bearing and the coalescer, and the second deflector extending between an inner periphery of the coalescer and portions of the seal arrangement.

11. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 10 , wherein the second deflector is configured to establish a sealing relationship with the inner periphery of the coalescer in response to relative rotation.

12. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the seal assembly includes a labyrinth seal and a brush seal that oppose flow of lubricant from the bearing compartment.

13. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 12 , wherein:
the coalescer includes one or more coalescer paddles extending from a first radially face of the coalescer body, and a circumferential flange extending from a second, opposed radially face of the coalescer body.

14. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 13 , wherein:
the deflector body extends about a circumference of a shaft, and at least one deflector includes a first flange and a second flange each branching from the deflector body, the first flange extending radially between the bearing and the coalescer with respect to the axis.

15. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one deflector abuts against a carrier of the bearing.

16. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 15 , wherein:
the coalescer body includes an arcuate top portion extending at least 180 degrees about a coalescer axis, the top portion being free of any coalescer paddles.

17. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 16 , wherein:
the second flange of the at least one deflector is coaxial with portions of the labyrinth seal and an inner periphery of the coalescer body to define an intermediate section of fluid passage, the fluid passage including a first section extending through the labyrinth seal, a second section extending between the first flange of the at least one deflector and the circumferential flange of the coalescer, and an intermediate section connecting the first and second sections such that the fluid passage is a serpentine fluid passage.

18. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a fan section including a plurality of fan blades;
a compressor section in fluid communication with the fan section;
a turbine section driving the fan section or the compressor section through a rotatable shaft, the shaft rotatable about an engine longitudinal axis; and
a bearing assembly supporting the shaft, comprising:
a bearing situated in a bearing compartment;
a seal assembly extending from a seal support, the seal support defining a trough extending from a floor, with an opening of the trough situated between the floor and the shaft;
a deflector rotatable with the shaft and extending toward the trough; and
a coalescer at least partially extending about the deflector to define a fluid passage, and wherein the coalescer includes a ring-shaped coalescer body that circumferentially extends about the deflector and is attached to a static structure; and
wherein the deflector includes a ring-shaped deflector body that radially opposes the coalescer body to define a radial gap along the fluid passage, and the deflector body is rotatable about the engine longitudinal axis.

19. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 18 , wherein the trough is bounded by the coalescer.

20. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 18 , wherein the coalescer includes one or more coalescer paddles circumferentially distributed about the ring-shaped coalescer body, each of the one or more paddles extending into the trough, and wherein the deflector includes one or more circumferentially distributed deflector paddles.

21. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 18 , wherein the seal assembly includes a labyrinth seal and a brush seal that establish a sealing relationship at a location radially inward of the trough.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp
• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

• Amador Armando
• Shuaib Nasr A
• Walsh Martin J
• Sheridan William G
• Grover Eric A

Classifications

• F01D25/183 Primary

  Sealing means · CPC title

• F01D11/04 Primary

  using sealing fluid, e.g. steam · CPC title

• F04D25/04

  the pump being fluid-driven {(pumps driven by exhaust gases F02B37/00, F02B39/00; turbochargers F02C6/12)} · CPC title

• F01D25/162

  Bearing supports · CPC title

• F02K3/06

  with front fan · CPC title