Gearbox assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12188541-B2
Application number	US-202418647737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2024
Priority date	Jul 22, 2022
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

A gearbox assembly includes a plurality of planet gears. At least one planet gear of the plurality of planet gears includes a layshaft that supports a first stage planet gear and a second stage planet gear. The at least one planet gear is characterized by a Radial Stage Distance greater than or equal to 30 millimeters and less than or equal to 100 millimeters. The Radial Stage Distance is R rm1 −R rt2 . R rm1 is a first stage rim inner radius of the first stage planet gear and R rt2 is a second stage root radius of the second stage planet gear.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gearbox assembly comprising:
a plurality of planet gears, at least one planet gear of the plurality of planet gears including:
a layshaft that supports a first stage planet gear and a second stage planet gear, the at least one planet gear being characterized by a Radial Stage Distance greater than or equal to 30 millimeters and less than or equal to 100 millimeters, the Radial Stage Distance being R rm1 −R rt2 , wherein R rm1 is a first stage rim inner radius of the first stage planet gear and R rt2 is a second stage root radius of the second stage planet gear; and
a rim of the second stage planet gear that defines a rim thickness, wherein a radial force acts on the rim during operation of the gearbox assembly, and a ratio of the radial force on the rim to the rim thickness is greater than or equal to 3 kilonewtons per millimeter and less than or equal to 9 kilonewtons per millimeter.

2. The gearbox assembly of claim 1 , wherein R rm1 is greater than or equal to 90 millimeters and less than or equal to 270 millimeters.

3. The gearbox assembly of claim 1 , wherein R rt2 is greater than or equal to 60 millimeters and less than or equal to 170 millimeters.

4. The gearbox assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rim is the rim of the second stage planet gear.

5. The gearbox assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second stage planet gear includes a radially inner surface and a root, and the rim thickness is defined from the radially inner surface to the root.

6. The gearbox assembly of claim 5 , wherein the rim thickness is greater than or equal to 10 millimeters and less than or equal to 40 millimeters.

7. The gearbox assembly of claim 1 , wherein the layshaft has a volume of material, and the volume is greater than or equal to 3 cubic decimeters and less than or equal to 20 cubic decimeters.

8. The gearbox assembly of claim 1 , further including a roller bearing disposed within the at least one planet gear, the roller bearing having a roller bearing radius that is greater than or equal to 50 millimeters and less than or equal to 140 millimeters.

9. The gearbox assembly of claim 1 , wherein an axial length of the layshaft is greater than or equal to 150 millimeters and less than or equal to 300 millimeters.

10. The gearbox assembly of claim 1 , wherein an axial distance between the first stage planet gear and the second stage planet gear is greater than or equal to 1 millimeter and less than or equal to 6 millimeters.

11. A turbine engine comprising:
a core turbine engine coupled to an input shaft;
a fan coupled to an output shaft; and
a gearbox assembly, wherein a torque is transferrable from the input shaft to the output shaft through the gearbox assembly, the gearbox assembly comprising:
a plurality of planet gears, at least one planet gear of the plurality of planet gears including:
a layshaft that supports a first stage planet gear and a second stage planet gear, the at least one planet gear being characterized by a Radial Stage Distance greater than or equal to 30 millimeters and less than or equal to 100 millimeters, the Radial Stage Distance being R rm1 −R rt2 , wherein R rm1 is a first stage rim inner radius of the first stage planet gear and R rt2 is a second stage root radius of the second stage planet gear; and
a rim of the second stage planet gear that defines a rim thickness, wherein a radial force acts on the rim during operation of the gearbox assembly, and a ratio of the radial force on the rim to the rim thickness is greater than or equal to 3 kilonewtons per millimeter and less than or equal to 9 kilonewtons per millimeter.

12. The turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein R rm1 is greater than or equal to 90 millimeters and less than or equal to 270 millimeters.

13. The turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein R rt2 is greater than or equal to 60 millimeters and less than or equal to 170 millimeters.

14. The turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein the rim is the rim of the second stage planet gear.

15. The turbine engine of claim 14 , wherein the second stage planet gear includes a radially inner surface and a root, and the rim thickness is defined from the radially inner surface to the root.

16. The turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the rim thickness is greater than or equal to 10 millimeters and less than or equal to 40 millimeters.

17. The turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein the layshaft has a volume of material, and the volume is greater than or equal to 3 cubic decimeters and less than or equal to 20 cubic decimeters.

18. The turbine engine of claim 11 , further including a roller bearing disposed within the at least one planet gear, the roller bearing having a roller bearing radius that is greater than or equal to 50 millimeters and less than or equal to 140 millimeters.

19. The turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein an axial length of the layshaft is greater than or equal to 150 millimeters and less than or equal to 300 millimeters.

20. The turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein an axial distance between the first stage planet gear and the second stage planet gear is greater than or equal to 1 millimeter and less than or equal to 6 millimeters.

Assignees

• Ge Avio Srl
• Ge Aviation Czech S R O

Inventors

• Mastellone Paolo
• Coviello Leonardo
• Hrubec Juraj

Classifications

• F16H2057/085

  Bearings for orbital gears · CPC title

• F16H2057/02039

  Gearboxes for particular applications · CPC title

• F16H57/08 Primary

  of gearings with members having orbital motion · CPC title

• F05D2260/40311

  of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type · CPC title

• F02C7/36

  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