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US 10,539,222 B2Granted
Flexible support structure for a geared architecture gas turbine engine
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsMichael E. McCune, Jason Husband
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A geared architecture for a gas turbine engine includes a fan shaft and a frame which supports said fan shaft. The frame defines a frame stiffness. A plurality of gears drives the fan shaft and includes a gear mesh that defines a gear mesh stiffness. A stiffness of a ring gear of the plurality of gears is less than about 20% of the gear mesh stiffness. A flexible support supports the geared architecture and defines a flexible support stiffness. An input coupling to the plurality of gears defines an input coupling stiffness. The flexible support stiffness and the input coupling stiffness are each less than about 11% of the frame stiffness.
Claims26
A geared architecture for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- a fan shaft driving a fan surrounded by an outer housing;
- a frame which supports said fan shaft, said frame defines a frame lateral stiffness;
- a plurality of gears in driving engagement with said fan shaft, said plurality of gears provide an epicyclic gear system, said epicyclic gear system includes a gear mesh defining a gear mesh lateral stiffness and a ring gear defining a ring gear lateral stiffness, wherein said ring gear lateral stiffness is less than 12% of said gear mesh lateral stiffness;
- a flexible support which supports said epicyclic gear system relative to a static structure and defines a flexible support lateral stiffness and a flexible support transverse stiffness;
- and
- an input coupling to said plurality of gears, said input coupling defines an input coupling lateral stiffness, wherein said flexible support lateral stiffness and said input coupling lateral stiffness are each less than about 11% of said frame lateral stiffness.
3 more elements
A geared architecture for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- a fan shaft driving a fan surrounded by an outer housing;
- a frame which supports said fan shaft, said frame defines a frame lateral stiffness;
- a plurality of gears in driving engagement with said fan shaft, said plurality of gears provide an epicyclic gear system, said epicyclic gear system includes a gear mesh that defines a gear mesh lateral stiffness and a gear mesh transverse stiffness and a ring gear defining a ring gear lateral stiffness and a ring gear transverse stiffness, wherein at least one of a ring gear lateral stiffness or a ring gear transverse stiffness is less than 12% of a respective one of said gear mesh lateral stiffness or said gear mesh transverse stiffness;
- a flexible support which supports said epicyclic gear system relative to a static structure and defines a flexible support lateral stiffness that is less than 8% of said gear mesh lateral stiffness;
- and
- an input coupling to said plurality of gears, said input coupling defines an input coupling lateral stiffness that is less than 5% of said gear mesh lateral stiffness, wherein said flexible support lateral stiffness and said input coupling lateral stiffness are each less than 11% of said frame lateral stiffness.
3 more elements
A geared architecture for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- a fan shaft driving a fan surrounded by an outer housing;
- a frame which supports said fan shaft, said frame defines a frame lateral stiffness and a frame transverse stiffness;
- a plurality of gears in driving engagement with said fan shaft, said plurality of gears provide an epicyclic gear system, said epicyclic gear system includes a gear mesh that defines a gear mesh lateral stiffness and a ring gear defining a ring gear lateral stiffness, wherein a ring gear lateral stiffness is less than 12% of said gear mesh lateral stiffness;
- a flexible support which supports said epicyclic gear system relative to a static structure defines a flexible support lateral stiffness and said flexible support lateral stiffness is less than 11% of said frame lateral stiffness;
- and
- an input to said plurality of gears, said input defines an input transverse stiffness that is less than 11% of said frame transverse stiffness.
3 more elements
A geared architecture for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- a fan shaft driving a fan surrounded by an outer housing;
- a frame which supports said fan shaft, said frame defines a frame lateral stiffness and a frame transverse stiffness;
- a plurality of gears in driving engagement with said fan shaft, said plurality of gears provide an epicyclic gear system, said epicyclic gear system includes a gear mesh that defines a gear mesh lateral stiffness and a ring gear that defines a ring gear lateral stiffness, wherein said ring gear lateral stiffness is less than 12% of said gear mesh lateral stiffness;
- a flexible support which supports said epicyclic gear system relative to a static structure defines a flexible support lateral stiffness that is less than 8% of said gear mesh lateral stiffness and less than 11% of said frame lateral stiffness;
- and
- an input to said plurality of gears, said input defines an input lateral stiffness that is less than 5% of said gear mesh lateral stiffness.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.