Bearing outer race retention during high load events

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9869205-B2
Application number	US-201514948917-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2015
Priority date	Nov 23, 2015
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

A housing for retention of the outer race of a bearing of a gas turbine engine includes an arrangement of spring fingers that yields a lightweight housing capable of withstanding very high radial loads combined with very high torsional windup and axial thrust load. Controlled circumferential gaps on both sides of each spring finger limit the deflection and self-arrest the distortion of the housing. An axial gap is created on the aft end by a portion of the spring finger beam structure that opposes an axial face of the housing and limits the axial distortion. A radial gap created between interface hardware of the housing and the inner retention housing also acts to retain the spring finger housing under load in a radial direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A retention housing for the outer race of a ball bearing for a high pressure spool of a gas turbine engine, the retention housing comprising:
a ball bearing housing defining a cylindrical inner surface that is disposed equidistantly from an axis of rotation that extends in an axial direction, a radial direction being defined in a direction that is normal to the axial direction;
a spring finger housing disposed radially outwardly from the ball bearing housing and concentrically around the ball bearing housing and defining a forward end disposed axially apart from an aft end;
a bridge web extending in the radial direction between the ball bearing housing and the spring finger housing and connecting the ball bearing housing to the spring finger housing;
the spring finger housing defining a plurality of axially extending struts, each strut defining a forward end and an aft end disposed axially spaced apart from and opposite to the forward end of each respective strut, the plurality of struts forming a monolithic structure with the spring finger housing;
the spring finger housing defining a plurality of axially extending fingers, each finger defining a forward end and an aft end disposed axially spaced apart from and opposite to the forward end of each respective strut, the plurality of forward ends of the fingers forming a monolithic structure with the spring finger housing;
wherein the aft end of each of the plurality of fingers defines an aft edge that is spaced apart from the aft end of the spring finger housing and defines an axial gap between the aft edge of the respective finger and the aft end of the spring finger housing; and
wherein the aft end of each of the plurality of fingers defines a pair of axially extending side edges that are circumferentially spaced apart from each other, wherein each side edge of the aft end of each finger is spaced apart from an opposing pair of axially extending side edge of a respective adjacent strut at the aft end of the spring finger housing and defines a circumferential gap between the respective side edge of the respective finger and the respective opposing side edge of the respective strut at the aft end of the spring finger housing.

2. The retention housing of claim 1 , wherein a radial gap is defined between each strut and an opposing surface of the ball bearing housing.

3. The retention housing of claim 1 , wherein each finger includes an intermediate portion disposed between the forward end and the aft end of each finger, and the intermediate portion of each finger is tapered with respect to the forward end and the aft end of each finger.

4. The retention housing of claim 3 , wherein each strut includes an intermediate portion disposed between the forward end and the aft end of each strut, and the intermediate portion of each strut is tapered with respect to the forward end and the aft end of each strut.

5. The retention housing of claim 4 , wherein the intermediate portion of each finger is thicker than the intermediate portion of each strut.

6. The retention housing of claim 1 , wherein each strut includes an intermediate portion disposed between the forward end and the aft end of each strut, and the intermediate portion of each strut is tapered with respect to the forward end and the aft end of each strut.

7. The retention housing of claim 1 , wherein the spring finger housing, the bridge web and the ball bearing housing are formed as a monolithic structure.

8. The retention housing of claim 1 , wherein the struts and the fingers are interdigitated in a circumferential direction around the spring finger housing.

9. The retention housing of claim 8 , wherein single ones of the fingers alternate with single ones of the struts as one proceeds circumferentially around the spring finger housing.

10. The retention housing of claim 1 , wherein the bridge web connects the ball bearing housing to the plurality of fingers of the spring finger housing.

11. The retention housing of claim 1 , wherein the bridge web is connected to the spring finger housing closer to the axial midpoint of the spring finger housing than to either the forward end or the aft end of the spring finger housing.

12. The retention housing of claim 1 , further comprising an annular mounting flange extending radially outwardly from the aft end of the spring finger housing.

13. The retention housing of claim 12 , wherein the spring finger housing and the annular mounting flange are formed as a monolithic structure.

14. The retention housing of claim 1 , wherein for the aft end of each finger, the axial gap and the circumferential gaps combine to free the aft end of each respective finger from the aft end of the spring finger housing.

15. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a fan including a plurality of blades extending radially from a hub and rotatable about a first axis of rotation defined centrally through the hub;
a compressor disposed downstream from the fan;
a turbine disposed downstream of the compressor;
a rotatable input shaft mechanically coupling the compressor to rotate in unison with the turbine;
and an engine envelope surrounding the fan, the compressor, and the turbine;
a ball bearing having an inner race rotatable with respect to an outer race, wherein the inner race is non-rotatably coupled to the input shaft; and
a retention housing that non-rotatably couples the engine envelope to the outer race of the ball bearing; and
wherein the retention housing further including:
a ball bearing housing defining a cylindrical inner surface that is disposed equidistantly from an axis of rotation that extends in an axial direction, a radial direction being defined in a direction that is normal to the axial direction,
a spring finger housing disposed radially outwardly from the ball bearing housing and concentrically around the ball bearing housing and defining a forward end disposed axially apart from an aft end,
a bridge web extending in the radial direction between the ball bearing housing and the spring finger housing and connecting the ball bearing housing to the spring finger housing,
the spring finger housing defining a plurality of axially extending struts, each strut defining a forward end and an aft end disposed axially spaced apart from and opposite to the forward end of each respective strut, the plurality of struts forming a monolithic structure with the spring finger housing,
the spring finger housing defining a plurality of axially extending fingers, each finger defining a forward end and an aft end disposed axially spaced apart from and opposite to the forward end of each respective strut, the plurality of forward ends of the fingers forming a monolithic structure with the spring finger housing, and
wherein the aft end of each of the plurality of fingers defines an aft edge that is spaced apart from the aft end of the spring finger housing and defines an axial gap between the aft edge of the respective finger and the aft end of the spring finger housing,
wherein the aft end of each of the plurality of fingers defines a pair of axially extending side edges that are circumferentially spaced apart from each other, wherein each axial side edge of the aft end of each finger is spaced apart from the aft end of the spring finger housing and defines a circumferential gap between the respective axial side edge and the aft end of the spring finger housing.

16. The gas turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein a radial gap is defined between each strut and an opposing surface of the ball bearing housing.

17. The gas turbine engine

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Ganiger Ravindra Shankar
• Carter Bruce Alan
• Rupnar Nitin Deepak
• Corman Charles Andrew

Classifications

• F16C2360/23

  Gas turbine engines · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F16C35/067

  Fixing them in a housing (with interposition of an element F16C35/07) · CPC title

• F16C19/06

  with a single row or balls · CPC title

• F16C35/042

  Housings for rolling element bearings for rotary movement · CPC title