Self retained linkage and system including the self retained linkage for a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11149580-B2
Application number	US-201916522150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2019
Priority date	Jul 25, 2019
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A variable vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, the variable vane assembly including: a plurality of vanes arranged into a plurality of stages, each one of the plurality of vanes being configured for rotation about an axis through movement of a vane arm secured to each one of the plurality of vanes at one end and a sync ring of each one of the plurality of stages at another end; and a plurality of bell cranks operably coupling the sync ring of each one of the plurality of stages to a self-retained linkage via a stud of each one of the plurality of bell cranks, the stud of each one of the plurality of bell cranks being rotatably received in a corresponding opening of the self-retained linkage in an alternating fashion such that only a single shear interface is provided between each one of the plurality of bell cranks and the self-retained linkage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A variable vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a plurality of vanes arranged into a plurality of stages, each one of the plurality of vanes being configured for rotation about an axis through movement of a vane arm secured to each one of the plurality of vanes at one end and a sync ring of each one of the plurality of stages at another end; and
a plurality of bell cranks operably coupling the sync ring of each one of the plurality of stages to a self-retained linkage via a stud of each one of the plurality of bell cranks, the stud of each one of the plurality of bell cranks being rotatably received in a corresponding opening of the self-retained linkage in an alternating fashion such that only a single shear interface is provided between each one of the plurality of bell cranks and the self-retained linkage.

2. The variable vane assembly as in claim 1 , wherein each one of the plurality of bell cranks are also pivotally secured to a bracket.

3. The variable vane assembly as in claim 2 , wherein each one of the plurality of bell cranks are operably coupled to the sync ring of each one of the plurality of stages via a link.

4. The variable vane assembly as in claim 1 , wherein each one of the plurality of bell cranks are operably coupled to the sync ring of each one of the plurality of stages via a link.

5. The variable vane assembly as in claim 1 , wherein an even number of the plurality of bell cranks are secured to the self-retained linkage.

6. The variable vane assembly as in claim 3 , wherein an odd number of the plurality of bell cranks are secured to the self-retained linkage.

7. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a fan section;
a compressor section;
a combustor section;
a turbine section; and
a variable vane assembly, the variable vane assembly, comprising:
a plurality of vanes arranged into a plurality of stages, each one of the plurality of vanes being configured for rotation about an axis through movement of a vane arm secured to each one of the plurality of vanes at one end and a sync ring of each one of the plurality of stages at another end; and
a plurality of bell cranks operably coupling the sync ring of each one of the plurality of stages to a self-retained linkage via a stud of each one of the plurality of bell cranks, the stud of each one of the plurality of bell cranks being rotatably received in a corresponding opening of the self-retained linkage in an alternating fashion such that only a single shear interface is provided between each one of the plurality of bell cranks and the self-retained linkage.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein each one of the plurality of bell cranks are also pivotally secured to a bracket.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein each one of the plurality of bell cranks are operably coupled to the sync ring of each one of the plurality of stages via a link.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein each one of the plurality of bell cranks are operably coupled to the sync ring of each one of the plurality of stages via a link.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 9 , wherein an even number of the plurality of bell cranks are secured to the self-retained linkage.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein an odd number of the plurality of bell cranks are secured to the self-retained linkage.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein each one of the plurality of bell cranks are also pivotally secured to a bracket.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein the variable vane assembly is located in a low pressure compressor of the compressor section of the gas turbine engine.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein the variable vane assembly is located in a high pressure compressor of the compressor section of the gas turbine engine.

16. A method of rotating a plurality of vanes of a variable vane assembly of a gas turbine, comprising:
coupling a plurality of bell cranks to a plurality of stages of the variable vane assembly via a self-retained linkage, the self-retained linkage interfacing with a stud of each one of the plurality of bell cranks, the stud of each one of the plurality of bell cranks being rotatably received in a corresponding opening of the self-retained linkage in an alternating fashion such that only a single shear interface is provided between each one of the plurality of bell cranks and the self-retained linkage.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising pivotally securing each one of the plurality of bell cranks to a bracket.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein each one of the plurality of bell cranks are operably coupled to a sync ring of each one of the plurality of stages via a link.

19. The method as in claim 18 , wherein an even number of the plurality of bell cranks are secured to the self-retained linkage.

20. The method as in claim 16 , wherein an odd number of the plurality of bell cranks are secured to the self-retained linkage.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp
• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

• Fassett Jacob
• Pietrzyk Slawomir

Classifications

• F05D2220/36

  specially adapted for the fan of turbofan engines · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

  for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines · CPC title

• F05D2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• F05B2260/50

  Kinematic linkage, i.e. transmission of position · CPC title

• F04D29/563

  specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title