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 gas turbine engine includes a fan shaft that drives a fan that has fan blades. A fan shaft support that supports the fan shaft defines a fan shaft support transverse stiffness. A gear system is connected to the fan shaft and includes a gear mesh that defines a gear mesh transverse stiffness. A flexible support supports the gear system and defines a flexible support transverse stiffness. The flexible support transverse stiffness is less than 11% of the fan shaft support transverse stiffness and less than 8% of the gear mesh transverse stiffness.
Claims30
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a fan shaft driving a fan having fan blades;
- a fan shaft support that supports said fan shaft defining a fan shaft support transverse stiffness;
- a gear system connected to said fan shaft, wherein said gear system includes a gear mesh defining a gear mesh transverse stiffness;
- a flexible support supporting said gear system defining a flexible support transverse stiffness;
- and
- wherein said flexible support transverse stiffness is less than 11% of said fan shaft support transverse stiffness and less than 8% of said gear mesh transverse stiffness.
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a fan shaft driving a fan having fan blades;
- a fan shaft support that supports said fan shaft;
- a gear system connected to said fan shaft, said gear system includes a gear mesh defining a gear mesh transverse stiffness;
- a flexible support supporting said gear system defining a flexible support transverse stiffness;
- and
- wherein said flexible support transverse stiffness is less than 8% of said gear mesh transverse stiffness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.