Geared turbofan with high speed generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9915164-B2
Application number	US-201514688080-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2015
Priority date	May 20, 2014
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A gas turbine engine comprises a fan rotor, a lower speed compressor rotor and a higher speed compressor rotor, and a lower speed turbine rotor and a higher speed turbine rotor. The lower speed turbine rotor rotates the lower speed compressor rotor, and rotates a gear reduction to, in turn, rotate the fan rotor. The higher speed turbine rotor rotates the higher speed compressor rotor. An electrical generator is driven to rotate with one of the lower speed turbine rotor and the fan rotor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a fan rotor;
a lower speed compressor rotor and a higher speed compressor rotor, and
a lower speed turbine rotor and a higher speed turbine rotor,
said lower speed turbine rotor rotating said lower speed compressor rotor, and rotating a gear reduction to, in turn, rotate said fan rotor, and said higher speed turbine rotor rotating said higher speed compressor rotor;
a generator driven to rotate with one of said lower speed turbine rotor and said fan rotor;
wherein said generator is located in a nose cone; and
wherein a power supply outlet from said generator passes through static structure included in said gear reduction.

2. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said generator is located in said nose cone forward of said fan rotor.

3. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said lower speed turbine rotor is connected to drive a sun gear in said gear reduction through a flexible input shaft.

4. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 3 , wherein a generator rotor is rotated by a generator shaft driven by said flexible input shaft.

5. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said generator shaft is driven separately from said sun gear.

6. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 5 , wherein heat generated by said generator provides an anti-icing feature for said nose cone.

7. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said static structure includes journal pins, mounting intermediate gears in said gear reduction.

8. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said nose cone is removable to provide access to said generator.

9. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein heat generated by said generator provides an anti-icing feature for said nose cone.

10. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said generator is driven to rotate with said fan rotor.

11. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said generator is positioned forwardly of said fan rotor.

12. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 11 , wherein heat generated by said generator provides an anti-icing feature for said nose cone.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Roberge Gary D

Classifications

• F02C3/107

  with two or more rotors connected by power transmission · 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

• F02K3/06

  with front fan · CPC title

• F01D25/02

  De-icing means for engines having icing phenomena · CPC title

• Y02T50/671

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic