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US 10,060,357 B2Granted
Turbine section of high bypass turbofan
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsPaul R. Adams, Shankar S. Magge, Joseph Brent Staubach, Wesley K. Lord, Frederick M. Schwarz, Gabriel L. Suciu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A turbofan engine has an engine case and a gaspath through the engine case. A fan has a circumferential array of fan blades. The engine further has a compressor, a combustor, a gas generating turbine, and a low pressure turbine section. A speed reduction mechanism couples the low pressure turbine section to the fan. A bypass area ratio is greater than about 6.0. The low pressure turbine section airfoil count to bypass area ratio is below about 170.
Claims27
A turbofan engine comprising:
- a fan including a circumferential array of fan blades;
- a compressor in fluid communication with the fan, the compressor including a four-stage second compressor section and a nine-stage first compressor section, the second compressor section including a second compressor section inlet with a second compressor section inlet annulus area;
- a fan duct including a fan duct annulus area outboard of the second compressor section inlet, wherein the ratio of the fan duct annulus area to the second compressor section inlet annulus area defines a bypass area ratio;
- a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor;
- a shaft assembly having a first portion and a second portion;
- a turbine in fluid communication with the combustor, the turbine having a two-stage first turbine section coupled to the first portion of the shaft assembly to drive the first compressor section, and a four-stage second turbine section coupled to the second portion of the shaft assembly to drive the fan, each of the second turbine section including blades and vanes, and a second turbine airfoil count defined as the numerical count of all of the blades and vanes in the second turbine section;
- and
- a planetary gearbox coupled to the fan and rotatable by the second turbine section through the second portion of the shaft assembly to allow the second turbine to turn faster than the fan, the gearbox having a speed reduction ratio between 2:1 and 13:1 determined by the ratio of diameters within the gearbox;
- wherein the second turbine airfoil count is below 1600;
- wherein a ratio of the second turbine airfoil count to the bypass area ratio is less than 150, and
- wherein the second turbine section further includes a maximum gas path radius and the fan blades include a maximum radius, and a ratio of the maximum gas path radius to the maximum radius of the fan blades is equal to or greater than 0.35, and is less than 0.55.
8 more elements
A turbofan engine comprising:
- a fan including a circumferential array of fan blades;
- a compressor in fluid communication with the fan, the compressor including a second compressor section and a first compressor section, the second compressor section including a second compressor section inlet with a second compressor section inlet annulus area;
- a fan duct including a fan duct annulus area outboard of the second compressor section inlet, wherein the ratio of the fan duct annulus area to the second compressor section inlet annulus area defines a bypass area ratio;
- a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor;
- a shaft assembly having a first portion and a second portion;
- a turbine in fluid communication with the combustor, the turbine having a first turbine section coupled to the first portion of the shaft assembly to drive the first compressor section, and a second turbine section coupled to the second portion of the shaft assembly to drive the fan, each of the second turbine section including blades and vanes, and a second turbine airfoil count defined as the numerical count of all of the blades and vanes in the second turbine section;
- and
- a planetary gearbox coupled to the fan and rotatable by the second turbine section through the second portion of the shaft assembly to allow the second turbine to turn faster than the fan, the gearbox having a speed reduction ratio between 2:1 and 13:1 determined by the ratio of diameters within the gearbox;
- wherein the second turbine airfoil count is below 1600;
- wherein a ratio of the second turbine airfoil count to the bypass area ratio is less than 150;
- wherein the second turbine section further includes a maximum gas path radius and the fan blades include a maximum radius, and a ratio of the maximum gas path radius to the maximum radius of the fan blades is equal to or greater than 0.35, and is less than 0.55, and
- wherein a hub-to-tip ratio (Ri:Ro) of the second turbine section is between 0.4 and 0.5 measured at the maximum Ro axial location in the second turbine section;
- wherein the fist turbine is a two-stage first turbine and the second turbine is a four-stage second turbine;
- wherein the first compressor is a nine-stage first compressor;
- and
- wherein the second compressor is a four-stage second compressor.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.