Bearing race cooling
AssigneesRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., ROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsBradley D. Belcher, Robert T. Duge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cooling architecture can include a longitudinally extending radially inner shaft, a radially outer support, and a bearing assembly. The longitudinally extending radially inner shaft can include an inner race. The inner race can define an inner circumferential chamber configured to carry an inner working fluid. The radially outer support can include an outer race. The bearing assembly can include a plurality of roller bearings disposed radially between the inner race and the outer race. The bearing assembly can be configured to radially align the inner shaft with respect to the outer support.
Claims18
A cooling architecture comprising:
- a longitudinally extending radially inner shaft comprising an inner race, the inner race defining an inner circumferential chamber configured to carry an inner working fluid, wherein the inner shaft is at least partially hollow;
- a fluid line extending through the hollow inner shaft and configured to deliver inner working fluid to the inner circumferential chamber;
- a radially outer support comprising an outer race that defines an outer circumferential chamber configured to carry an outer working fluid;
- a bearing assembly comprising a plurality of roller bearings disposed radially between the inner race and the outer race, the bearing assembly configured to radially align the inner shaft with respect to the outer support;
- a plurality of co-circumferential inner inlets configured to deliver inner working fluid to the inner circumferential chamber;
- and
- a processing system configured to independently adjust a flow rate of inner working fluid through each of the inner inlets such that a flow rate of inner working fluid through a first inner inlet is lower than a flow rate of inner working fluid through a second co-circumferential inner inlet.
In a gas turbine engine, a method comprising:
- determining frictional heat generation of a bearing assembly radially disposed between an inner component and an outer component, at least one of the inner component and the outer component comprising a rotating shaft, the bearing assembly radially supporting the rotating shaft;
- modulating flow of an intermediate working fluid to minimize the frictional heat generation, the intermediate working fluid directly lubricating and cooling the bearing assembly;
- modulating flow of a second working fluid based on the minimized frictional heat generation and a cooling capacity of the intermediate working fluid at the modulated flow.
A method of using a cooling architecture, the method comprising:
- flowing an inner working fluid through an inner circumferential chamber defined in an inner race of a longitudinally extending radially inner shaft;
- wherein the cooling architecture comprises:
- a radially outer support comprising an outer race;
- and
- a bearing assembly comprising a plurality of roller bearings disposed radially between the inner race and the outer race, the bearing assembly radially aligning the inner shaft with respect to the outer support;
- determining a temperature and/or pressure of inner working fluid entering the inner circumferential chamber;
- and
- controlling at least one of a compressor, a liquid pump, and a valve such that inner working fluid entering the inner circumferential chamber is in a saturated liquid state.
A cooling architecture comprising:
- a longitudinally extending radially inner shaft comprising an inner race, the inner race defining an inner circumferential chamber configured to carry an inner working fluid;
- a radially outer support comprising an outer race;
- a bearing assembly comprising a plurality of roller bearings disposed radially between the inner race and the outer race, the bearing assembly configured to radially align the inner shaft with respect to the outer support;
- wherein the inner circumferential chamber comprises a U-shaped void defined in the inner race.
A method of using a cooling architecture, the method comprising:
- flowing an inner working fluid through an inner circumferential chamber defined in an inner race of a longitudinally extending radially inner shaft;
- wherein the cooling architecture comprises:
- a radially outer support comprising an outer race;
- and
- a bearing assembly comprising a plurality of roller bearings disposed radially between the inner race and the outer race, the bearing assembly radially aligning the inner shaft with respect to the outer support, and wherein the inner circumferential chamber comprises a U-shaped void defined in the inner race.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.