Mounting assembly for a gearbox assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12449030-B2
Application number	US-202418910919-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2024
Priority date	Apr 25, 2022
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A mounting assembly for a gearbox assembly of a gas turbine engine includes at least one mounting member configured to mount a gear of the gearbox assembly to a component of the gas turbine engine, the at least one mounting member characterized by a lateral impedance parameter, a bending impedance parameter, and a torsional impedance parameter. A gas turbine engine includes the mounting assembly. The at least one mounting member may be a flex mount, a fan frame, or a flex coupling. The gear includes a first gear that is a split sun gear including a forward sun gear and an aft sun gear separate from the forward sun gear. The forward sun gear and the aft sun gear are each rotationally coupled to a rotating shaft of the gas turbine engine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gearbox assembly for a gas turbine engine, the gearbox assembly comprising:
a first gear, a second gear, and a third gear, the first gear being a split sun gear comprising a forward sun gear and an aft sun gear separate from the forward sun gear;
a flex coupling configured to mount the forward sun gear and the aft sun gear to a rotating shaft of the gas turbine engine;
a flex mount configured to mount the second gear to an engine static structure; and
a fan frame configured to mount the third gear to the engine static structure,
wherein each of the flex coupling and the flex mount is characterized by a lateral impedance parameter ratio, a bending impedance parameter ratio, and a torsional impedance parameter ratio,
wherein the lateral impedance parameter ratio of the flex coupling, the flex mount, or both is less than or equal to 0.5,
wherein the bending impedance parameter ratio of the flex coupling, the flex mount, or both is less than or equal to 0.5, and
wherein the torsional impedance parameter ratio of the flex coupling, the flex mount, or both is greater than or equal to 0.1.

2. The gearbox assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second gear is a single piece ring gear.

3. The gearbox assembly of claim 1 , wherein the third gear is a single piece ring gear.

4. The gearbox assembly of claim 1 , wherein the gearbox assembly further comprises a connection device for rotationally coupling the split sun gear to the rotating shaft.

5. The gearbox assembly of claim 4 , wherein the connection device comprises a forward support member extending from the forward sun gear, an aft support member extending from the aft sun gear, and a shaft coupling member.

6. The gearbox assembly of claim 5 , wherein the aft support member is rotationally coupled to the shaft coupling member with a curvic connection.

7. The gearbox assembly of claim 5 , wherein the shaft coupling member is rotationally coupled to the rotating shaft with a spline connection.

8. The gearbox assembly of claim 5 , wherein the forward support member is rotationally coupled to the aft support member with a curvic connection.

9. The gearbox assembly of claim 5 , wherein a first portion of the shaft coupling member extends from the forward support member and a second portion of the shaft coupling member extends from the aft support member, and the first portion and the second portion each comprise a spline connection with the rotating shaft.

10. The gearbox assembly of claim 5 , wherein the forward support member is coupled to the rotating shaft with a first spline connection, and the aft support member is coupled to the forward sun gear with a second spline connection.

11. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a fan and a turbine section having a rotating shaft drivingly coupled to the fan;
an engine static structure;
a gearbox assembly configured to transfer rotational energy from the turbine section to the fan; and
a mounting assembly for coupling the gearbox assembly to the gas turbine engine, the mounting assembly having:
a flex coupling configured to mount a first gear of the gearbox assembly to the rotating shaft, the first gear being a split sun gear comprising a forward sun gear and an aft sun gear separate from the forward sun gear, wherein the forward sun gear and the aft sun gear are each rotationally coupled to the rotating shaft;
a flex mount configured to mount a second gear of the gearbox assembly to an engine static structure; and
a fan frame configured to mount a third gear of the gearbox assembly to the engine static structure,

wherein each of the flex coupling and the flex mount is characterized by a lateral impedance parameter ratio, a bending impedance parameter ratio, and a torsional impedance parameter ratio,
wherein the lateral impedance parameter ratio of the flex coupling, the flex mount, or both is less than or equal to 0.5,
wherein the bending impedance parameter ratio of the flex coupling, the flex mount, or both is less than or equal to 0.5, and
wherein the torsional impedance parameter ratio of the flex coupling, the flex mount, or both is greater than or equal to 0.1.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein the second gear is a single piece ring gear.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein the third gear is a single piece ring gear.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein the gearbox assembly further comprises a connection device for rotationally coupling the split sun gear to the rotating shaft.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 14 , wherein the connection device comprises a forward support member extending from the forward sun gear, an aft support member extending from the aft sun gear, and a shaft coupling member.

16. The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the aft support member is rotationally coupled to the shaft coupling member with a curvic connection.

17. The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the shaft coupling member is rotationally coupled to the rotating shaft with a spline connection.

18. The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the forward support member is rotationally coupled to the aft support member with a curvic connection.

19. The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein a first portion of the shaft coupling member extends from the forward support member and a second portion of the shaft coupling member extends from the aft support member, and the first portion and the second portion each comprise a spline connection with the rotating shaft.

20. The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein the forward support member is coupled to the rotating shaft with a first spline connection, and the aft support member is coupled to the forward sun gear with a second spline connection.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Ge Avio Srl

Inventors

• Ertas Bugra H
• Ganiger Ravindra Shankar
• Piazza Andrea
• Miller Brandon W

Classifications

• F16H1/2845

  by allowing limited movement of the sun gear · CPC title

• F16H1/2827

  by allowing limited movement of the planet carrier, e.g. relative to its shaft · CPC title

• F16H1/2818 Primary

  by allowing limited movement of the ring gear relative to the casing or shaft · 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

• F16H57/023

  Mounting or installation of gears or shafts in the gearboxes, e.g. methods or means for assembly · CPC title