Gas turbine engine with clutch system between low-pressure compressor and low-pressure turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11668245-B2
Application number	US-202016774221-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2020
Priority date	Jan 28, 2020
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

A gas turbine engine having: an engine core having, in serial flow communication, a low-pressure compressor, a high-pressure compressor, a high-pressure turbine drivingly connected to the high-pressure compressor, and a low-pressure turbine drivingly connected to an output shaft; and a clutch having a disengaged configuration in which the low-pressure turbine is drivingly disconnected from the low-pressure compressor such that, in the disengaged configuration, the clutch disengages the low-pressure turbine from the low-pressure compressor, and an engaged configuration in which the low-pressure turbine is drivingly connected to the low-pressure compressor, the low-pressure turbine drivingly connected to the output shaft in both of the engaged and disengaged configurations of the clutch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
an engine core having, in serial flow communication, a low-pressure compressor, a high-pressure compressor, a high-pressure turbine drivingly connected to the high-pressure compressor, and a low-pressure turbine drivingly connected to an output shaft;
a first clutch having a disengaged configuration in which the low-pressure turbine is drivingly disconnected from the low-pressure compressor such that, in the disengaged configuration, the first clutch disengages the low-pressure turbine from the low-pressure compressor, and an engaged configuration in which the low-pressure turbine is drivingly connected to the low-pressure compressor, the low-pressure turbine drivingly connected to the output shaft in both of the engaged configuration and the disengaged configuration of the first clutch;
a second clutch having a second engaged configuration in which the low-pressure compressor is drivingly connected to the high-pressure compressor and a second disengaged configuration in which the high-pressure compressor is drivingly disconnected from the low-pressure compressor; and
an accessory gearbox drivingly engaged to the high-pressure turbine in both of the disengaged configuration and the engaged configuration of the first clutch.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the gas turbine engine is operable in a single-spool configuration in which the low-pressure turbine is drivingly connected to the low-pressure compressor via the first clutch being in the engaged configuration and in which the low-pressure compressor is drivingly connected to the high-pressure compressor via the second clutch being in the second engaged configuration.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , having a low-pressure shaft for drivingly engaging the low-pressure compressor to the low-pressure turbine, the first clutch operatively connected to the low-pressure shaft.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 3 , wherein the low-pressure shaft is radially offset outwardly from a core gas path of the engine core relative to a center line of the gas turbine engine.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 4 , wherein the gas turbine engine is a reverse-flow gas turbine engine.

6. The gas turbine engine of claim 3 , wherein the low-pressure shaft is concentric with a high-pressure shaft, the high-pressure shaft drivingly connecting the high-pressure compressor to the high-pressure turbine.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , having a low-pressure shaft for drivingly engaging the low-pressure compressor to the low-pressure turbine, the first clutch operatively connected to the low-pressure shaft and wherein the high-pressure compressor is in driving engagement with a high-pressure shaft, the second clutch operatively connected to the high-pressure shaft.

8. A gas turbine engine comprising:
an engine core having, in serial flow communication, a low-pressure compressor, a high-pressure compressor, a high-pressure turbine drivingly connected the high-pressure compressor, and a low-pressure turbine drivingly connected to an output shaft;
a system for selectively engaging the low-pressure compressor to one or both of the high-pressure compressor and the low-pressure turbine; and
an accessory gearbox drivingly engaged to the high-pressure turbine when the low-pressure compressor is engaged to the high-pressure compressor and when the low-pressure compressor is engaged to the low-pressure turbine,
wherein the system comprises:
a first clutch operable to selectively engage the low-pressure compressor to the low-pressure turbine, and
a second clutch operable to selectively engage the low-pressure compressor to the high-pressure compressor.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the first clutch and the second clutch are simultaneously operable in engaged configurations for engaging the low-pressure compressor to both of the low-pressure turbine and the high-pressure compressor.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the low-pressure compressor is selectively drivingly connected to the low-pressure turbine via a low-pressure shaft, the first clutch operatively connected to the low-pressure shaft and wherein the high-pressure compressor is in driving engagement with a high-pressure shaft, the second clutch operatively connected to the high-pressure shaft.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the low-pressure shaft is radially outwardly offset from a core gas path of the engine core relative to a center line of the gas turbine engine.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the low-pressure shaft is concentric with the high-pressure shaft.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the gas turbine engine is a turboshaft or turboprop reverse-flow engine.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Plante Ghislain
• Valois Patrick

Classifications

• F02C7/36 Primary

  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

• F02C3/107 Primary

  with two or more rotors connected by power transmission · CPC title

• F05D2230/72

  Maintenance · CPC title

• F02C7/268

  Starting drives for the rotor {, acting directly on the rotor of the gas turbine to be started} · CPC title

• F05D2260/4031

  as in toothed gearing · CPC title