Overall engine efficiency rating for turbomachine engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12085026-B2
Application number	US-202418604985-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2024
Priority date	Jan 31, 2022
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A turbomachine engine can include a fan assembly, a vane assembly, a core engine, a gearbox, and an overall engine efficiency rating. The fan assembly can include a plurality of fan blades. The vane assembly can include a plurality of vanes, and the vanes can, in some instances, be disposed aft of the fan blades. The core engine can include a low-pressure turbine. The gearbox includes an input and an output. The input of the gearbox is coupled to the low-pressure turbine of the core engine and comprises a first rotational speed, the output of the gearbox is coupled to the fan assembly and has a second rotational speed, and a gear ratio of the first rotational speed to the second rotational speed is within a range of 2.0-4.0.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A turbomachine engine comprising:
a fan assembly including a plurality of fan blades;
a vane assembly including a plurality of vanes disposed aft of the plurality of fan blades;
a core engine including a low-pressure turbine;
a gearbox including an input, an output, and a gear ratio (GR), wherein the input of the gearbox is coupled to the low-pressure turbine of the core engine, wherein the output of the gearbox is coupled to the fan assembly, and wherein the GR is within a range of 2.0-4.0; and
an overall engine efficiency rating greater than or equal to 1.9 and less than or equal to GR 1.5 , wherein the overall engine efficiency rating equals

Q
⁡
(

D
1.56

T

)

1
.
5

⁢
3

⁢

N
2

,

 wherein Q is a gearbox oil flow rate at an inlet of the gearbox measured in gallons per minute at a max takeoff condition, wherein D is a diameter of the fan blades measured in inches and is within a range of 72-216 inches, wherein T is a net thrust of the turbomachine engine measured in pounds force at the max takeoff condition, and wherein N is a number of rotating blade stages of the low-pressure turbine.

2. The turbomachine engine of claim 1 , wherein the fan assembly comprises 8-20 fan blades.

3. The turbomachine engine of claim 1 , wherein the vane assembly includes 3-30 vanes.

4. The turbomachine engine of claim 1 , wherein the vane assembly includes equal or fewer quantity of vanes to fan blades.

5. The turbomachine engine of claim 1 , wherein the vane assembly includes a greater quantity of vanes to fan blades.

6. The turbomachine engine of claim 1 , wherein the vane assembly is positioned downstream or aft of the fan assembly.

7. The turbomachine engine of claim 1 , wherein the D is within a range of 84-120 inches.

8. A turbomachine engine comprising:
a fan assembly including a plurality of fan blades;
a vane assembly including a plurality of vanes disposed aft of the plurality of fan blades;
a core engine including a low-pressure turbine;
a gearbox including an input, an output, and a gear ratio (GR), wherein the input of the gearbox is coupled to the low-pressure turbine of the core engine, wherein the output of the gearbox is coupled to the fan assembly, and wherein the GR is within a range of 3.2-4.0; and
an overall engine efficiency rating greater than or equal to 0.1GR 1.5 and less than or equal to GR 1.5 , wherein the overall engine efficiency rating equals

Q
⁡
(

D
1.56

T

)

1
.
5

⁢
3

⁢

N
2

,

 wherein Q is a gearbox oil flow rate at an inlet of the gearbox measured in gallons per minute at a max takeoff condition, wherein D is a diameter of the fan blades measured in inches and is within a range of 72-216 inches, wherein T is a net thrust of the turbomachine engine measured in pounds force at the max takeoff condition, and wherein N is a number of rotating blade stages of the low-pressure turbine.

9. The turbomachine engine of claim 8 , wherein the fan assembly comprises 8-20 fan blades.

10. The turbomachine engine of claim 8 , wherein the vane assembly includes 3-30 vanes.

11. The turbomachine engine of claim 8 , wherein the vane assembly includes equal or fewer quantity of vanes to fan blades.

12. The turbomachine engine of claim 8 , wherein the vane assembly includes a greater quantity of vanes to fan blades.

13. The turbomachine engine of claim 8 , wherein the vane assembly is positioned downstream or aft of the fan assembly.

14. The turbomachine engine of claim 8 , wherein the D is within a range of 84-120 inches.

15. A turbomachine engine comprising:
a fan assembly including a plurality of fan blades;
a vane assembly including a plurality of vanes disposed aft of the plurality of fan blades;
a core engine including a low-pressure turbine;
a gearbox including an input, an output, and a gear ratio (GR), wherein the input of the gearbox is coupled to the low-pressure turbine of the core engine, wherein the output of the gearbox is coupled to the fan assembly, and wherein the GR is within a range of 3.2-4.0; and
an overall engine efficiency rating within a range of 0.57-8.0, wherein the overall engine efficiency rating equals

Q
⁡
(

D
1.56

T

)

1
.
5

⁢
3

⁢

N
2

,

 wherein Q is a gearbox oil flow rate at an inlet of the gearbox measured in gallons per minute at a max takeoff condition, wherein D is a diameter of the fan blades measured in inches is within a range of 72-216 inches, wherein T is a net thrust of the turbomachine engine measured in pounds force at the max takeoff condition, and wherein N is a number of rotating blade stages of the low-pressure turbine.

16. The turbomachine engine of claim 15 , wherein the fan assembly comprises 12-18 fan blades, and wherein the core engine further comprises:
a low-pressure compressor comprising 1-8 stages; and
a high-pressure compressor comprising 8-15 stages.

17. The turbomachine engine of claim 15 , wherein the fan assembly comprises 12-18 fan blades, and wherein the core engine further comprises:
a low-pressure compressor comprising 1-2 stages;
a high-pressure compressor comprising 8-11 stages; and
a high-pressure turbine comprising 2 stages.

18. The turbomachine engine of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of vanes is mounted to a stationary frame and does not rotate relative to an engine centerline axis.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Ge Avio Srl

Inventors

• Piazza Andrea
• Clements Jeffrey D

Classifications

• F05D2260/98

  Lubrication · CPC title

• F05D2260/40311

  of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type · CPC title

• F05D2200/221

  Square power · CPC title

• F05D2200/14

  Division · CPC title

• F05D2200/13

  Product · CPC title