Bushing arranged between a body and a shaft, and connected to the shaft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9932988-B2
Application number	US-201314107660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2013
Priority date	Feb 15, 2013
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A variable area vane arrangement includes a stator vane, a bushing and a vane platform with an aperture. The stator vane rotates about an axis, and includes a shaft that extends along the axis into the aperture. The bushing is connected to the shaft, and is arranged within the aperture between the vane platform and the shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A variable area vane arrangement, comprising:
a vane platform including an aperture;
a stator vane that rotates about an axis, and includes an airfoil and a shaft that extends axially along the axis into the aperture, the shaft comprising an annular shoulder with a radial outer shoulder width; and
a bushing arranged completely within the aperture and between the vane platform and the shaft, wherein the bushing is connected to and rotatable with the shaft, wherein the bushing is axially abutted against the annular shoulder, wherein the bushing is axially disengaged from the airfoil, and wherein the bushing has a radial outer bushing width that is greater than the radial outer shoulder width.

2. The vane arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the bushing is press fit onto the shaft.

3. The vane arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising an anti-rotation element that connects the bushing to the shaft.

4. The vane arrangement of claim 3 , wherein
the bushing includes an inner flange that engages a distal end of the shaft; and
the anti-rotation element comprises a fastener that connects the flange to the shaft.

5. The vane arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the bushing is bonded to the shaft.

6. The vane arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the bushing includes a coated outer bearing surface that engages the vane platform.

7. The vane arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a second bushing arranged within the aperture between the vane platform and the bushing.

8. The vane arrangement of claim 7 , wherein the second bushing is connected to the vane platform.

9. The vane arrangement of claim 1 , wherein
the vane platform extends circumferentially around a second axis; and
the shaft extends into the aperture in a radial inward direction relative to the second axis.

10. The vane arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a second vane platform, wherein the vane platform and the second vane platform form a gas path, and the airfoil rotates about the axis within the gas path.

11. The vane arrangement of claim 1 , wherein
the aperture is one of a plurality of apertures included in the vane platform;
the stator vane is one of a plurality of stator vanes, and each of the stator vanes includes a shaft that rotates about a respective axis and extends into a respective one of the apertures along the respective axis; and
the bushing is one of a plurality of bushings that are respectively arranged within the apertures between the vane platform and the shafts, and each of the bushings is connected to a respective one of the shafts.

12. The vane arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the bushing is axially recessed into the aperture.

13. The vane arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the annuls shoulder is disposed within the aperture.

14. A variable area vane arrangement, comprising:
an inner vane platform including an aperture;
a stator vane that rotates about an axis, and includes an airfoil and a shaft that extends axially along the axis into the aperture and is radially inboard of the airfoil, the shaft comprising a shoulder with a radial outer peripheral surface; and
a monolithic bushing separating the vane platform from the shaft, wherein the bushing is connected to and rotatable with the shaft, wherein the bushing extends axially along the axis between opposing bushing ends, wherein the opposing bushing ends have substantially equal radial thicknesses, wherein one of the opposing bushing ends axially contacts the shoulder, and wherein the bushing projects radially outward and past the radial outer peripheral surface to a radial outer bushing surface.

15. The vane arrangement of claim 14 , wherein the bushing is press fit onto the shaft.

16. The vane arrangement of claim 14 , further comprising an anti-rotation element that connects the bushing to the shaft.

17. The vane arrangement of claim 14 , wherein the bushing is bonded to the shaft.

18. The vane arrangement of claim 14 , wherein the bushing includes a coated outer bearing surface that engages the inner vane platform.

19. A turbine engine, comprising: a turbine engine body comprising a vane platform that includes an aperture; a shaft that rotates about an axis, and extends axially along the axis into the aperture, and the shaft comprising an annular shoulder with a radial outer shoulder width; an airfoil connected to the shaft and radially outboard of the aperture; and a bushing arranged within the aperture and between the vane platform and the shaft, wherein the bushing is connected to and rotatable with the shaft, wherein the bushing is axially abutted against and contacts a portion of the shaft, wherein the bushing is axially disengaged from the airfoil, and wherein the bushing radially contacts and slides against the vane platform, and wherein the bushing has a radial outer bushing width that is greater than the radial outer shoulder width.

20. The engine of claim 19 , further comprising:
a plurality of engine sections arranged along a second axis, and including a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section; and
a variable area vane arrangement directing gas for one of the engine sections, and including the vane platform, a stator vane and the bushing;
wherein the stator vane includes the shaft.

21. The engine of claim 20 , wherein
the engine sections further include a fan section; and
the variable area vane arrangement directs gas for the fan section.

22. The engine of claim of claim 20 , further comprising a gear train that connects a rotor in a first of the engine sections to a rotor in a second of the engine sections.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Maliniak David
• Champion Nathan F
• Frisk Kenneth A

Classifications

• F05D2250/14

  elliptical · CPC title

• F05D2250/73

  asymmetric · CPC title

• F04D29/563 Primary

  specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F01D17/162

  for axial flow, i.e. the vanes turning around axes which are essentially perpendicular to the rotor centre line (F01D17/167 takes precedence) · CPC title