Gas turbine engine forward bearing compartment architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9885249-B2
Application number	US-201615046524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2016
Priority date	Jan 10, 2012
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a front center body case structure. A geared architecture is at least partially supported by the front center body case structure. A bearing structure is mounted to the front center body case structure to rotationally support a shaft driven by the geared architecture, the shaft drive a fan. A bearing compartment passage structure is in communication with the bearing structure through the front center body case structure. A method is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a front center body case structure;
a geared architecture at least partially supported by said front center body case structure;
a bearing structure mounted to said front center body case structure to rotationally support a shaft driven by said geared architecture, said shaft for driving a fan; and
a bearing compartment passage structure in communication with said bearing structure through said front center body case structure, a fan drive turbine driving said geared architecture to drive a fan rotor at a speed lower than a speed of said fan drive turbine.

2. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein said bearing structure includes a seal.

3. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein said bearing structure includes a bearing.

4. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein said bearing compartment passage structure includes a hollow front center body strut.

5. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 4 , wherein said hollow front center body strut is in fluid communication with a fan rotor bearing support structure which at least partially supports said bearing structure.

6. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a conditioning device in communication with said bearing compartment passage structure.

7. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 6 , wherein said conditioning device is a heat exchanger.

8. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 6 , wherein said conditioning device is in communication with a high pressure compressor.

9. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 8 , wherein said high pressure compressor is axially downstream of said geared architecture.

10. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 6 , wherein said conditioning device is radially outboard of a low pressure compressor.

11. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10 , wherein said low pressure compressor is downstream of said geared architecture.

12. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein said bearing structure is axially between said fan and said geared architecture.

13. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 12 , wherein said front center body case structure defines a core flow path for a core airflow.

14. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein there are three turbine rotors, with a most downstream of said three turbine rotors driving said geared architecture.

15. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein a low pressure compressor is also driven by said fan drive turbine, and through said geared architecture such that said low pressure compressor and said fan rotor rotate at a common speed.

16. A method of communicating a buffer supply air for a gas turbine engine comprising:
communicating a buffer supply air across a core flow path; and
communicating the buffer supply air through a hollow front center body strut of a front center body case structure which defines the core flow path, the hollow front center body strut within the core flow path, a fan drive turbine driving a geared architecture to drive a fan rotor at a speed lower than a speed of said fan drive turbine.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 , further comprising:
communicating the buffer supply air to a bearing compartment forward of a geared architecture.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 , further comprising:
communicating the buffer supply air through a conditioning device upstream of the hollow front center body strut.

19. The method as recited in claim 16 , further comprising:
communicating the buffer supply air to a bearing structure mounted to a front center body case structure which defines the core flow path, the bearing structure rotationally supporting a shaft driven by a geared architecture.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 , further comprising:
driving a fan through the geared architecture, the bearing structure axially located between the fan and the geared architecture.

21. A method of communicating a buffer supply air for a gas turbine engine comprising:
communicating a buffer supply air across a core flow path;
communicating the buffer supply air to a bearing structure mounted to a front center body case structure which defines the core flow path, the bearing structure rotationally supporting a shaft driven by a geared architecture;
driving a fan through the geared architecture, the bearing structure axially located between the fan and the geared architecture; and
communicating the buffer supply air to a spinner supported by the fan, a fan drive turbine driving said geared architecture to drive a fan rotor at a speed lower than a speed of said fan drive turbine.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Munsell Peter M
• Stripinis Philip S

Classifications

• F01D9/065

  Fluid supply or removal conduits traversing the working fluid flow, e.g. for lubrication-, cooling-, or sealing fluids (see also F01D25/16, F01D25/24 and F01D25/26) · CPC title

• F04D29/325

  for axial flow fans (blade mountings F04D29/34, blades F04D29/38) · CPC title

• F01D15/12 Primary

  Combinations with mechanical gearing (driven by multiple engines F01D13/00) · CPC title

• F01D5/06

  Rotors for more than one axial stage, e.g. of drum or multiple disc type; Details thereof, e.g. shafts, shaft connections {(F01D5/022, F01D5/023 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title