Tube gallery for gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11719112-B2
Application number	US-202217814021-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2022
Priority date	Aug 11, 2021
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A tube gallery for a gas turbine engine includes a body. The body includes an external surface. The body also includes a plurality of channels defined in the body. Each channel includes an inlet disposed on the external surface, an outlet spaced apart from the inlet and disposed on the external surface, and a passage extending between and fluidly communicating the inlet to the outlet. The passage of each channel has a non-circular cross-sectional shape. The non-circular cross-sectional shape has a first maximum dimension along a first direction and a second maximum dimension along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first maximum dimension is greater than the second maximum dimension by a factor of at least 1.2.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A tube gallery for a gas turbine engine, the tube gallery comprising:
a body formed as a single integral component, the body defining mutually orthogonal first, second, and third axes, the first and second axes, defining a first plane, the second and third axes, defining a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, and the first and third axes, defining a third plane orthogonal to each of the first and second planes, the body comprising:
an external surface comprising an upper surface, a lower surface opposite to the upper surface, a side surface extending between the upper surface and the lower surface, wherein the upper surface and the lower surface substantially extend along the first and second axes, and wherein the side surface substantially extends along the third axis; and
a plurality of channels defined in the body, each channel comprising an inlet disposed on the external surface, an outlet spaced apart from the inlet and disposed on the external surface, and a passage extending between and fluidly communicating the inlet to the outlet, wherein the inlets of the plurality of channels are spaced apart from each other, wherein the outlets of the plurality of channels are spaced apart from each other, wherein the passage from the plurality of channels has a non-circular cross-sectional shape in one of the first, second, and third planes, wherein the non-circular cross-sectional shape has a first maximum dimension along a first direction and a second maximum dimension along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and wherein the first maximum dimension is greater than the second maximum dimension by a factor of at least 1.2.

2 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inlet and the outlet of at least one channel from the plurality of channels is disposed on the upper surface.

3 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inlet and the outlet of at least one channel from the plurality of channels is disposed on the lower surface.

4 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inlet and the outlet of at least one channel from the plurality of channels is disposed on the side surface.

5 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein the inlet of at least one channel from the plurality of channels has a circular cross-sectional shape or a non-circular cross-sectional shape.

6 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of at least one channel from the plurality of channels has a circular cross-sectional shape or a non-circular cross-sectional shape.

7 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein at least one channel from the plurality of channels comprises an inlet boss comprising the inlet extending to the passage, wherein the inlet boss is inclined to or parallel to the passage of the at least one channel.

8 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein at least one channel from the plurality of channels comprises an outlet boss comprising the outlet extending to the passage, wherein the outlet boss is inclined to or parallel to the passage of the at least one channel.

9 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein the passage of at least one channel from the plurality of channels is at least one of straight, curved, or spiral.

10 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein at least one channel from the plurality of channels comprises a plurality of outlets, and wherein the passage of the at least one channel comprises a common portion fluidly communicating with the inlet and a plurality of branched portions branching from the common portion and fluidly communicating with a corresponding outlet from the plurality of outlets.

11 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein the non-circular cross-sectional shape is at least one of rectangular, triangular, or square.

12 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein the non-circular cross-sectional shape is a teardrop shape.

13 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein the non-circular cross-sectional shape comprises a rectangular portion and a triangular portion disposed adjacent to the rectangular portion.

14 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises an inlet flange disposed around the inlet of at least one channel from the plurality of channels, wherein the inlet flange defines a plurality of apertures extending at least partially therethrough.

15 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises one or more ribs extending from the inlet to the inlet flange.

16 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a stiffening member disposed at least partially around a perimeter of the body, and wherein the stiffening member extends substantially along the third axis.

17 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein the passages of at least two adjacent channels from the plurality of channels are spaced apart from each other along at least one of the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis.

18 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein the passage of at least one channel from the plurality of channels is at least partially curved around the passage of another channel from the plurality of channels.

19 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein the passages of at least two channels from the plurality of channels have different non-circular cross-sectional shapes.

20 . The tube gallery of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the passage of at least one channel from the plurality of channels is inclined obliquely relative to at least one of the first, second, and third planes.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Yeandel Michael

Classifications

• F01D9/06 Primary

  Fluid supply conduits to nozzles or the like · CPC title

• F02C7/32

  Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries · CPC title

• F05D2250/11

  triangular · CPC title

• F05D2250/12

  rectangular · CPC title

• F05D2260/60

  Fluid transfer · CPC title