Bearing scavenge pump incorporated into turbine disk cover plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12385435-B1
Application number	US-202318133685-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 12, 2023
Priority date	Apr 12, 2023
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A bearing scavenge pump incorporated into a disk cover plate including a rotor disk having a rear surface and an axis; the disk cover plate attached to the rotor disk, the disk cover plate including fins extending into a gap formed between a rear surface of the rotor disk and the disk cover plate, the disk cover plate including anti-vortex features located axially distal from the fins relative to the axis; an inverted bearing located in a bearing compartment proximate the disk cover plate and disk; and a liquid fuel lubricant contacting the inverted bearing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bearing scavenge pump incorporated into a disk cover plate comprising:
a rotor disk having a rear surface and an axis;
the disk cover plate attached to the rotor disk, the disk cover plate including anti-vortex features extending into a gap formed between the rear surface of the rotor disk and the disk cover plate;
an inverted bearing located in a bearing compartment proximate and upstream of the disk cover plate and the rotor disk, wherein the inverted bearing includes a static inner race and dynamic outer race configured to spin and a sump configured to spin; and
a liquid fuel lubricant contacting the inverted bearing, wherein the liquid fuel lubricant is introduced into a cooling air upstream of the inverted bearing, entrained in the cooling air and provided to lubricate the inverted bearing and where at least a portion of the cooling air is scavenged with the liquid fuel lubricant; wherein an excess liquid fuel lubricant is carried with the cooling air and pumped away from the inverted bearing after providing lubrication, impelled by a pumping action induced by rotation of the rotor disk and cover plate downstream of the inverted bearing.

2. The bearing scavenge pump incorporated into the disk cover plate according to claim 1 , wherein the disk cover plate includes fins located at least one of on a lower portion of the disk cover plate, inside a chamber formed between the rotor disk and the disk cover plate upstream of the lower portion, or both.

3. The bearing scavenge pump incorporated into the disk cover plate according to claim 2 , wherein the fins are configured to cause the cooling air to be pumped radially outward relative to the axis toward an exhaust nozzle section.

4. The bearing scavenge pump incorporated into the disk cover plate according to claim 1 , wherein the anti-vortex features are configured as tubing/passages that are configured to prevent swirling by the cooling air.

5. An attritable gas turbine engine turbine section with a bearing scavenge pump incorporated into a disk cover plate comprising:
turbine rotors including a rotor disk, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced turbine blades, the rotor disk having a rear surface and an axis;
the disk cover plate attached to the rotor disk, the disk cover plate including anti-vortex features extending into a gap formed between the rear surface of the rotor disk and the disk cover plate;
an inverted bearing located in a bearing compartment proximate and upstream of the disk cover plate and the rotor disk, wherein the inverted bearing includes a static inner race and dynamic outer race configured to spin and sump configured to spin; and
a fuel tank configured to provide a liquid fuel lubricant to the inverted bearing, wherein the liquid fuel lubricant is introduced into a cooling air upstream of the inverted bearing, where at least a portion of the cooling air is scavenged with the liquid fuel lubricant; wherein an excess liquid fuel lubricant is carried with the cooling air and pumped away from the inverted bearing after providing lubrication, impelled by a pumping action induced by rotation of the rotor disk and cover plate downstream of the inverted bearing.

6. The attritable gas turbine engine turbine section with the bearing scavenge pump incorporated into the disk cover plate according to claim 5 , wherein the disk cover plate includes fins located at least one of on a lower portion of the cover plate, inside a chamber formed between the rotor disk and the disk cover plate upstream of the lower portion, or both.

7. The attritable gas turbine engine turbine section with the bearing scavenge pump incorporated into the disk cover plate according to claim 6 , wherein the fins are configured to cause air to be pumped radially outwardly relative to the axis toward an exhaust nozzle section.

8. The attritable gas turbine engine turbine section with the bearing scavenge pump incorporated into the disk cover plate according to claim 5 , wherein the anti-vortex features are configured as tubing/passages that are configured to prevent swirling by cooling air.

9. A process for lubricating an attritable gas turbine engine turbine section with a bearing scavenge pump incorporated into a disk cover plate comprising:
providing turbine rotors including a rotor disk, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced turbine blades, the rotor disk having a rear surface and an axis;
attaching the disk cover plate to the rotor disk, the disk cover plate including anti-vortex features extending into a gap formed between the rear surface of the rotor disk and the disk cover plate;
locating an inverted bearing in a bearing compartment proximate and upstream of the disk cover plate and the rotor disk, wherein the inverted bearing includes a static inner race and dynamic outer race configured to spin and sump configured to spin; and
contacting the inverted bearing with a liquid fuel lubricant;
introducing the liquid fuel lubricant into a cooling air upstream of the inverted bearing, entrained in the cooling air and provided to lubricate the inverted bearing;
scavenging at least a portion of the cooling air with the liquid fuel lubricant;
carrying the liquid fuel lubricant with the cooling air; and
pumping the liquid fuel lubricant away from the inverted bearing after providing lubrication, impelled by a pumping action induced by rotation of the rotor disk and cover plate downstream of the inverted bearing.

10. The process of claim 9 , further comprising:
supplying the cooling air to the rear surface of the rotor disk between an axially downstream side of the disk cover plate and an axially upstream face of the rotor disk.

11. The process of claim 9 , further comprising:
forming the gap between the disk cover plate and a contour of the rotor disk; and
creating a boundary layer effect that pumps the cooling air from a central location to a radially outward location near an exhaust nozzle section responsive to rotation of the disk cover plate and the rotor disk.

12. The process of claim 9 , further comprising:
configuring the anti-vortex features as tubing/passages; and preventing swirling by cooling air.

13. The process of claim 9 , wherein the disk cover plate includes fins located at least one of on a lower portion of the disk cover plate, inside a chamber formed between the rotor disk and disk cover plate upstream of the lower portion, or both.

Assignees

• Raytheon Tech Corp
• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Hanrahan Paul R

Classifications

• F01D25/16

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

• F02C7/16

  characterised by cooling medium · CPC title

• F01D5/081

  Cooling fluid being directed on the side of the rotor disc or at the roots of the blades (F01D5/087 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01D25/125

  of bearings · CPC title

• F02C7/185

  Cooling means for reducing the temperature of the cooling air or gas · CPC title