Planetary gear system arrangement with auxiliary oil system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11815001-B2
Application number	US-202016860172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2020
Priority date	Oct 12, 2010
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a fan shaft diving a fan having fan blades. A gear system includes a sun gear surrounded by a plurality of intermediate gears. A carrier at least partially supports the plurality of intermediate gears. A ring gear surrounds the plurality of intermediate gears. The sun gear is driven by a turbine. At least one fan shaft support bearing is located forward of the gear system. A coupling fixes the ring gear from rotation relative to an engine static structure. A lubrication system lubricates components across a rotation gap. The lubrication system includes a lubricant input. A stationary first bearing receives lubricant from the lubricant input and has a first race in which lubricant flows. A second bearing rotates within the first bearing. The second bearing has a first opening in registration with the first race such that lubricant may flow from the first race through the first opening into a first conduit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a fan shaft diving a fan having fan blades;
a gear system including a sun gear surrounded by a plurality of intermediate gears, a carrier at least partially supporting said plurality of intermediate gears, and a ring gear surrounding said plurality of intermediate gears, wherein said sun gear is driven by a turbine;
at least one fan shaft support bearing located forward of the gear system;
a coupling fixing said ring gear from rotation relative to an engine static structure; and
a lubrication system for lubricating components across a rotation gap, the lubrication system including a lubricant input, a stationary first bearing receiving lubricant from said lubricant input and having a first race in which lubricant flows, and a second bearing for rotating within said first bearing, said second bearing having a first opening in registration with said first race such that lubricant may flow from said first race through said first opening into a first conduit, wherein the stationary first bearing is located radially outward from a central axis of the second bearing with respect to an engine axis.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein said first bearing includes a second race and said second bearing includes a second opening in registration with said second race and a second conduit for passing the lubricant to at least one spray bar disposed on said carrier.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein said second race into which the lubricant flows is stationary.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 3 , wherein said first conduit passes the lubricant to a first part of said gas turbine engine different from the at least one spray bar.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 4 , wherein said at least one spray bar provides the lubricant to said plurality of intermediate gears and to said ring gear.

6. The gas turbine engine of claim 5 , wherein said first bearing and said second bearing are centered about a common axis.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 5 , wherein said first bearing has a third inner race and said second bearing has a third opening in registration with said third inner race and a third conduit for passing the lubricant through said first spray bar.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein said at least one spray bar includes a first spray bar and a second spray bar extending from said first spray bar.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein said second spray bar provides the lubricant to said fan shaft.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 9 , wherein said second spray bar provides lubricant to said at least one fan shaft support bearing.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein said ring gear comprises a recess and a first gear portion with a first set of teeth and a second gear portion with a second set of teeth, and wherein said recess comprises a first half-recess radially outward of gear teeth in said first gear portion and a second half-recess radially outward of gear teeth in said second gear portion.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein said ring gear includes a recess located radially outward of gear teeth on said ring gear.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein said ring gear includes a radially extending fluid passage for directing the lubricant from said first conduit to said coupling.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein said ring gear comprises a first gear portion with a first set of teeth and a second gear portion with a second set of teeth, wherein said recess is configured to balance force transmitted through said ring gear and said recess comprises a first half-recess in said first gear portion and a second half-recess in said second gear portion.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 14 , further comprising a forward gutter and an aft gutter around an outer edge of said ring gear to collect the lubricant used by said lubrication system.

16. The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein said aft gutter is spaced radially from said forward gutter.

17. The gas turbine engine of claim 16 , wherein said aft gutter is in fluid communication with said forward gutter through an axially extending passage in said ring gear.

18. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the fan shaft is driven by the carrier, and the fan shaft and sub gear rotate in the same rotational direction.

19. The gas turbine engine of claim 18 , wherein the fan blades for the fan include a single row of fan blades immediately upstream of a core inlet and the fan blades are the upstream most airfoils in the fan.

Assignees

• Raytheontechnologies Corp
• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Mccune Michael E
• Sheridan William G
• Portlock Lawrence E

Classifications

• F01D25/18 Primary

  Lubricating arrangements (of machines or engines in general F01M) · CPC title

• F01N3/208 Primary

  Control of selective catalytic reduction [SCR], e.g. by adjusting the dosing of reducing agent · CPC title

• F01D25/16

  Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings (bearings per se F16C) · CPC title

• F01N3/2066

  Selective catalytic reduction [SCR] · CPC title

• F01N11/00

  Monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus · CPC title