Fan module comprising variable-pitch blades

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11466697-B2
Application number	US-201917283496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2019
Priority date	Oct 10, 2018
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A fan module including variable-pitch blades, a fan rotor bearing the blades of the fan, each mounted to pivot about a pitch axis; a fan shaft extending along a longitudinal axis X inside the fan rotor and driving the fan rotor in rotation. A power shaft drives the fan shaft with a planetary gear speed reducer At least a first and a second bearing guide the rotation of the fan rotor, housed inside a lubrication chamber. A system varies the pitch of the fan blades, including a connecting mechanism connected to the blades of the fan and a controller acting on the connecting mechanism. The first bearing is disposed upstream of the speed reducer and the second bearing is disposed downstream of the speed reducer. The fan rotor is connected to the fan shaft by an annular trunnion extending at least along an upstream portion of the lubrication chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fan module comprising variable-pitch blades, said fan module comprising:
a fan rotor carrying the variable-pitch blades of the fan, each variable-pitch blade is mounted to pivot about a pitch axis,
a fan shaft extending along a longitudinal axis X inside the fan rotor and driving the fan rotor in rotation,
a power shaft driving the fan shaft in rotation by means of an epicyclic gear speed reducer,
at least a first and a second bearing for guiding the rotation of the fan rotor relative to a structure of the fan module, said at least a first and a second bearing being housed inside a lubrication enclosure, and
a pitch-varying system for varying the pitch of the variable-pitch blades of the fan comprising a connector connected to the variable-pitch blades of the fan and a controller acting on the connector,
wherein the first bearing is disposed upstream of the speed reducer and the second bearing is disposed downstream of the speed reducer, the fan rotor being connected to the fan shaft by means of an annular trunnion extending at least along an upstream part of the lubrication enclosure and the controller being located axially upstream of the trunnion.

2. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein said variable-pitch blade comprising roots and the annular trunnion extends below said roots along a radial axis.

3. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein the annular trunnion comprises an upstream end located axially at the level of the pitch axis of the variable-pitch blades and extends downstream of the pitch axis of the variable-pitch blades.

4. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein the fan rotor comprises a support ring comprising radial cylindrical housings distributed regularly around the longitudinal axis, each radial cylindrical housing intended to receive a blade root of the variable-pitch blades, the trunnion being fixed downstream of the support ring.

5. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged upstream of a radial plane in which the pitch axes of the variable-pitch blades are defined.

6. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is rotationally secured with the fan shaft.

7. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a fixed body secured with the fan shaft and a movable body that is movable in translation along the longitudinal axis X with respect to said fixed body, the movable body being connected to the connector.

8. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein the speed reducer comprises a sun gear coupled to the power shaft, planet gears and a planet carrier which carries the planet gears and which is coupled to the fan shaft.

9. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein the fan shaft and a planet carrier are integral.

10. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein the fan module comprises supplying means for supplying the control controller, said supplying means being connected to a power source, the supplying means comprising pipes which pass through the speed reducer and extend at least in part inside the fan shaft.

11. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein the speed reducer comprises through-openings which are provided in a planet carrier so as to allow the passage of pipes, each through-opening being arranged between two adjacent planet gears.

12. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein supplying means are coupled to an oil transfer bearing arranged downstream of the speed reducer.

13. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein the first bearing comprises two ball bearings or one roller bearing and one ball bearing.

14. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein the first bearing is a ball bearing.

15. The fan module according to claim 1 , wherein the second bearing comprises a roller bearing.

Assignees

• Safran Aircraft Engines

Inventors

• Charier Gilles Alain Marie
• Formica Olivier
• Frantz Caroline Marie
• Tantot Nicolas Jerome Jean

Classifications

• F05D2260/40311

  of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type · CPC title

• F04D29/056

  Bearings · 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

• F01D25/162

  Bearing supports · CPC title

• F02K3/06

  with front fan · CPC title