Turbine engine bearing arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11512637-B2
Application number	US-202017095838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2020
Priority date	Nov 12, 2020
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

An interdigitated turbine assembly for a gas turbine engine, the interdigitated turbine assembly including a first turbine rotor assembly interdigitated with a second turbine rotor assembly. A first static frame is positioned forward of the first turbine rotor assembly and the second turbine rotor assembly. The first turbine rotor assembly is operably coupled to an inner rotatable component of a gear assembly. The second turbine rotor assembly is operably coupled to an outer rotatable component of the gear assembly. The static structure is connected to the first static frame. A driveshaft is operably coupled to the outer rotatable component. A first bearing assembly is operably coupled to the driveshaft and the first static frame. A second bearing assembly is operably coupled to the first static frame and first turbine rotor assembly. A third bearing assembly is operably coupled to the first turbine rotor assembly and the second turbine rotor assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An interdigitated turbine assembly for a gas turbine engine, the interdigitated turbine assembly comprising:
a first turbine rotor assembly interdigitated with a second turbine rotor assembly;
a first static frame positioned forward of the first turbine rotor assembly and the second turbine rotor assembly;
a gear assembly comprising an inner rotatable component, a static structure, and an outer rotatable component, wherein the first turbine rotor assembly is operably coupled to the inner rotatable component, and wherein the second turbine rotor assembly is operably coupled to the outer rotatable component, and wherein the static structure is connected to the first static frame;
a second static frame positioned aft of the first turbine rotor assembly and the second turbine rotor assembly, the second static frame configured to float radially around the gear assembly;
a driveshaft operably coupled to the outer rotatable component of the gear assembly;
a first bearing assembly operably coupled to the driveshaft and the first static frame;
a second bearing assembly operably coupled to the first static frame and first turbine rotor assembly; and
a third bearing assembly operably coupled to the first turbine rotor assembly and the second turbine rotor assembly.

2. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second bearing assembly is an overturning moment bearing.

3. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the third bearing assembly is an overturning moment bearing and a rotor-to-rotor bearing.

4. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first static frame comprises a first static shaft and a second static shaft each extended along an axial direction.

5. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first bearing assembly is operably coupled to the first static frame at the first static shaft.

6. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second bearing assembly is operably coupled to the first static frame at the second static shaft.

7. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 4 , wherein the driveshaft is extended along the axial direction inward along a radial direction of the first static shaft of the first static frame.

8. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first turbine rotor assembly comprises a bearing hub extended along the axial direction inward along the radial direction of the second static shaft of the first static frame, and wherein the second bearing assembly is positioned at the bearing hub at the first turbine rotor assembly.

9. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first static frame comprises a first static shaft and a second static shaft each extended along an axial direction, wherein the first bearing assembly is operably coupled to the driveshaft and the first static frame at the first static shaft, and wherein the driveshaft is positioned inward along a radial direction of the first static shaft.

10. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second bearing assembly is operably coupled to the first turbine rotor assembly and a second static shaft, and wherein the second bearing assembly is positioned inward along a radial direction of the second static shaft.

11. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer rotatable component of the gear assembly is a ring gear operably connected to the second turbine rotor assembly and the driveshaft.

12. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first turbine rotor assembly is configured as a higher speed turbine rotor relative to the second turbine rotor assembly configured as a lower speed turbine rotor.

13. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 1 , the interdigitated turbine assembly comprising:
a first flexible coupling connecting the second turbine rotor assembly to the outer rotatable component of the gear assembly; and
a second flexible coupling connecting the outer rotatable component of the gear assembly to the driveshaft.

14. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first turbine rotor assembly comprises a plurality of first rotors extended outward along a radial direction, and wherein the second turbine rotor assembly comprises a plurality of second rotor blades extended inward along the radial direction from a rotatable drum.

15. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the third bearing assembly is a thrust bearing.

16. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 15 , wherein the thrust bearing is a pair of tapered roller bearings, spherical roller bearings, or ball bearings.

17. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second bearing assembly is a thrust bearing, wherein the second bearing assembly is a pair of tapered roller bearings.

18. The interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first bearing assembly is a radial load bearing.

19. A gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine comprising the interdigitated turbine assembly of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Payyoor Narayanan
• Pankaj Peeyush
• Schmidt Richard

Classifications

• F01D1/24

  characterised by counter-rotating rotors subjected to same working fluid stream without intermediate stator blades or the like · CPC title

• F02C7/00

  Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants (controlling F02C9/00) · CPC title

• F16C19/54

  Systems consisting of a plurality of bearings with rolling friction (spindle bearings F16C35/08) · CPC title

• F05D2240/24

  for turbines · CPC title

• F16C2360/23

  Gas turbine engines · CPC title