System and method for gas bearing support of turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9995175-B2
Application number	US-201615197451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Jun 29, 2016
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

A bearing assembly for a turbine engine includes a first gas bearing configured to receive a load from a rotating shaft of the turbine engine, a transmission disk configured to receive the load from the first gas bearing, and a damping member coupled to a casing of a combustor section of the turbine engine. The transmission disk includes a gas delivery disk, which includes an axial opening configured to facilitate an axial flow through the gas delivery disk and a duct configured to facilitate a radial flow through the gas delivery disk to form the first gas bearing. The damping member is configured to receive the load from the transmission disk.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bearing assembly for a turbine engine comprising:
a first gas bearing configured to receive a load from a rotating shaft of the turbine engine;
a transmission disk configured to receive the load from the first gas bearing, wherein the transmission disk comprises a gas delivery disk, and wherein the gas delivery disk comprises:
an axial opening configured to facilitate an axial flow through the gas delivery disk;
a duct configured to facilitate a radial flow through the gas delivery disk to form the first gas bearing; and
a damping member coupled to a casing of a combustor section of the turbine engine, wherein the damping member is configured to receive the load from the transmission disk;
wherein the turbine engine comprises a compressor passage configured to supply a primary portion of a compressed air flow to the combustor section, and the damping member is disposed within the compressor passage; and
wherein the primary portion of the compressed air flow is directed in an axial direction through the damping member.

2. The bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the damping member is coupled to a fuel nozzle of the turbine engine.

3. The bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the damping member is coupled to a casing of the turbine engine.

4. The bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the damping member comprises a second gas bearing.

5. The bearing assembly of claim 4 , wherein the damping member comprises a support coupled between the combustor section and the second gas bearing, and wherein a first stiffness of the support is less than a second stiffness of the second gas bearing.

6. The bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the primary portion of the compressed air flow is directed in an axial direction through one or more outer axial openings of the transmission disk.

7. A bearing assembly for a turbine engine comprising:
a first gas bearing configured to receive a first load from a rotating low pressure turbine (LPT) shaft of the turbine engine;
a gas delivery disk configured to receive the first load and a second load from a rotating high pressure turbine (HPT) shaft of the turbine engine disposed concentrically about the LPT shaft, wherein the gas delivery disk comprises:
an inner axial opening configured to facilitate a first axial flow through a first passage disposed between the HPT shaft and the LPT shaft;
a middle axial opening configured to facilitate a second axial flow through a second passage disposed radially exterior to the HPT shaft;
a duct configured to extract a bearing flow from the second axial flow and to supply the bearing flow in a radial direction to the first gas bearing; and

a damping member coupled to a casing of a combustor section of the turbine engine, wherein the damping member is configured to receive the first load and the second load from the gas delivery disk.

8. The bearing assembly of claim 7 , wherein the damping member comprises a support coupled to a fuel nozzle of the turbine engine.

9. The bearing assembly of claim 7 , wherein the damping member comprises a second gas bearing.

10. The bearing assembly of claim 9 , wherein the damping member comprises a support coupled between the combustor section and the second gas bearing, and wherein a first stiffness of the support is less than a second stiffness of the second gas bearing.

11. The bearing assembly of claim 7 , wherein the turbine engine comprises a third passage configured to supply a primary portion of a compressor air flow to the combustor section, and wherein the damping member is disposed within the third passage.

12. The bearing assembly of claim 7 , comprising a load transmission disk coupled between the gas delivery disk and the damping member.

13. A method comprising:
transferring a load from a first gas bearing disposed about a shaft of a turbine engine to a transmission disk, wherein the load comprises a static load on the shaft, a dynamic load on the shaft, or any combination thereof;
transferring the load from the transmission disk to a casing of a combustor section of the turbine engine;
damping the load transferred to the casing via a damping member, wherein the damping member comprises a second gas bearing;
supplying, via a compressor passage in the turbine engine, a primary portion of a compressed air flow to the combustor section; and
directing the primary portion of the compressed air in an axial direction through the damping member,
wherein the damping member is disposed within the compressor passage.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising delivering a gas flow to the second gas bearing through the transmission disk.

15. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
extracting a bleed flow from a compressor stage of the turbine engine;
extracting a bearing flow from the bleed flow;
delivering the bearing flow in a radial direction to the first gas bearing; and
delivering a remainder of the bleed flow through the transmission disk in an axial direction.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the damping member comprises a support, and wherein a first stiffness of the support is less than a second stiffness of the second gas bearing.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Becker Thomas Lee
• Miller Brandon Wayne
• Niergarth Daniel Alan
• Ertas Bugra Han

Classifications

• F01D25/164 Primary

  Flexible supports; Vibration damping means associated with the bearing · CPC title

• F05D2240/54

  Radial bearings · CPC title

• F05D2240/50

  Bearings · CPC title

• F16C2360/23

  Gas turbine engines · CPC title

• F16C32/0603

  supported by a gas cushion, e.g. an air cushion · CPC title