Engine assembly with turbine support casing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9970295-B2
Application number	US-201615010933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2016
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

An engine assembly having an internal combustion engine, a turbine module including a turbine casing, a support casing rigidly connecting the turbine casing to a remainder of the assembly, and an inlet scroll connected to the turbine casing without any direct rigid connection to the support casing. The inlet scroll includes an inlet pipe for each engine exhaust port. An exhaust pipe is provided for each exhaust port, connected to and providing fluid communication between the respective exhaust port and inlet pipe. The exhaust pipe is movable relative to at least one of the exhaust port and the inlet pipe at a corresponding connection therewith. One of the exhaust and inlet pipes floatingly extends through an opening defined in the support casing. The assembly may be a compound engine assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An engine assembly comprising:
an engine core including an internal combustion engine having an exhaust port;
a turbine module including a turbine casing containing a turbine, a support casing rigidly connecting the turbine casing to a remainder of the engine assembly, and an inlet scroll connected to the turbine casing without any direct rigid connection to the support casing, the inlet scroll including an inlet pipe in fluid communication with an inlet of the turbine; and
an exhaust pipe connected to and providing fluid communication between the exhaust port and the inlet pipe, the exhaust pipe movable relative to at least one of the exhaust port and the inlet pipe at a corresponding connection therewith;
wherein one of exhaust and inlet pipes floatingly extends through a corresponding opening defined in the support casing such that the one of exhaust and inlet pipes is free to move within said corresponding opening.

2. The engine assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the one of the exhaust and inlet pipes extends through the corresponding opening at a non-zero angle with respect to a rotational axis of the turbine.

3. The engine assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the inlet pipe extends through the corresponding opening, the inlet and exhaust pipes being connected exterior of the support casing.

4. The engine assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the exhaust pipe is movable relative to each of the exhaust port and the inlet pipe about the corresponding connection.

5. The engine assembly as defined in claim 4 , wherein first and second ends of the exhaust pipe include spherical bearing surfaces in sliding engagement with surfaces of the exhaust port and of the inlet pipe to form first and second connections, the exhaust pipe pivotable about each of the first and second connections to change an angle between a central axis of the exhaust pipe and central axes of the respective exhaust port and inlet pipe.

6. The engine assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the support casing rigidly connects the turbine casing to a gearbox module rigidly connected to the engine core, the gearbox module drivingly engaging a rotatable shaft of the at least one internal combustion engine core a rotatable shaft of the turbine.

7. The engine assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the inlet scroll includes an annular duct defining a respective internal cavity providing the fluid communication between each inlet pipe and the inlet of the turbine.

8. The engine assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the support casing is annular and includes at least two interconnected sections, each section extending around only part of a complete circumference of the annular support casing.

9. The engine assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the support casing is formed by a plurality of interconnecting ribs with through openings being defined between adjacent ones of the ribs.

10. The engine assembly as defined in claim 1 , wherein the internal combustion engine includes a rotor sealingly and rotationally received within an internal cavity to provide rotating chambers of variable volume in the internal cavity, the rotor having three apex portions separating the rotating chambers and mounted for eccentric revolutions within the internal cavity, the internal cavity having an epitrochoid shape with two lobes.

11. A compound engine assembly comprising:
an engine core including at least one internal combustion engine in driving engagement with an output shaft, each internal combustion engine including a rotor sealingly and rotationally received within an internal cavity to provide rotating chambers of variable volume in the internal cavity, each internal combustion engine including an exhaust port in fluid communication with the internal cavity thereof;
a turbine module including a turbine casing containing a turbine having a turbine shaft in driving engagement with the output shaft through a gearbox module, a support casing rigidly connecting the turbine casing to the gearbox module, the turbine shaft extending inside the support casing, and an inlet scroll connected to the turbine casing without any direct rigid connection to the support casing, the inlet scroll including a respective inlet pipe for each exhaust port, each inlet pipe in fluid communication with an inlet of the turbine;
an exhaust pipe for each exhaust port, each exhaust pipe connected to and providing fluid communication between the respective exhaust port and the respective inlet pipe, each exhaust pipe being movable relative to at least one of the respective exhaust port and the respective inlet pipe at a corresponding connection therewith;
wherein one of each connected exhaust and inlet pipes extends through a corresponding opening defined through the support casing without any direct rigid connection to the support casing such that the one of each connected exhaust and inlet pipes is free to move within said corresponding opening.

12. The compound engine assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein the turbine has a pressure based reaction ratio of at most 0.25.

13. The compound engine assembly as defined in claim 11 , wherein the turbine is a first turbine, the turbine casing also containing a second turbine having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the first turbine, the second turbine having a reaction ratio greater than that of the first turbine.

14. The compound engine assembly as defined in claim 11 , wherein the one of each connected exhaust and inlet pipes extends through the corresponding opening at a non-zero angle with respect to a rotational axis of the rotor of the turbine.

15. The compound engine assembly as defined in claim 11 , wherein each inlet pipe extends through the corresponding opening, each exhaust pipe connected to the respective inlet pipe outside of the support casing.

16. The compound engine assembly as defined in claim 11 , wherein each exhaust pipe is movable relative to each of the respective exhaust port and the respective inlet pipe at the corresponding connection.

17. The compound engine assembly as defined in claim 11 , wherein the support casing is annular and includes at least two interconnected sections, each section extending around only part of a complete circumference of the annular support casing.

18. The compound engine assembly as defined in claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the support casing is formed by a plurality of interconnecting ribs with through openings being defined between adjacent ones of the ribs.

19. An engine assembly comprising: an internal combustion engine in fluid communication with a downstream turbine via an inlet scroll, the turbine drivingly connected to a gearbox, the turbine mounted to the gearbox via a support casing, the support casing having an opening through which the inlet scroll or an exhaust pipe providing fluid communication between the internal combustion engine and the inlet scroll passes from an exterior of the support casing to the interior of the support casing, the inlet scroll or exhaust pipe floatingly received through the opening such that the inlet scroll or exhaust pipe is free to move within the opening, the exhaust pipe having a movable connection with one or both of the inlet scroll and the internal combustion engine.

20. The engine assembly as defined in claim 19 , wherein the exhaust pipe has a movable connection with both of the inlet scroll and the internal combustion engine.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Fontaine Mike
• Bolduc Sebastien
• Villeneuve Bruno

Classifications

• F01C11/008

  and of complementary function, e.g. internal combustion engine with supercharger · CPC title

• F02C5/06

  the working fluid being generated in an internal-combustion gas generated of the positive-displacement type having essentially no mechanical power output (internal-combustion engines with prolonged expansion using exhaust gas turbines F02B) · CPC title

• F04C2240/806

  Pipes for fluids; Fittings therefor · CPC title

• F01C21/10 Primary

  Outer members for co-operation with rotary pistons; Casings (casings for rotary engines or machines in general F16M) · CPC title

• F01C21/18

  Arrangements for admission or discharge of the working fluid, e.g. constructional features of the inlet or outlet · CPC title