# US 11,079,007 B2 · Oil baffle for gas turbine fan drive gear system

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- Number: US 11,079,007 B2
- Document ID: US11079007B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/833,754
- Filed: 2020-03-30
- Published: 2020-09-10
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2006-07-05
- Assignees: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
- Applicants: United Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: William G. Sheridan; Michael E. McCune
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079007B2

## CPC

- F16H 57/0427: {on rotary parts, e.g. using baffles for collecting lubricant by centrifugal force}
- F01D 25/18: Lubricating arrangements (of machines or engines in general F01M)
- F02C 3/04: having a turbine driving a compressor (power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16)
- F02C 7/36: Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user ({F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and} F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H)
- F16H 57/0421: {on or within the casing, e.g. shields or baffles for collecting lubricant, tubes, pipes, grooves, channels or the like}
- F16H 57/0423: {Lubricant guiding means mounted or supported on the casing, e.g. shields or baffles for collecting lubricant, tubes or pipes}
- F16H 57/046: {Oil-mist or spray lubrication}
- F16H 57/0479: {Gears or bearings on planet carriers}
- F16H 57/0482: {Gearings with gears having orbital motion}
- F05D 2230/60: Assembly methods
- F05D 2260/40311: of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type
- F05D 2260/98: Lubrication
- F16H 57/0486: {with fixed gear ratio (axle or inter-axle differentials F16H57/0483)}
- F16H 57/082: {Planet carriers}
- Y10T 29/49316: Impeller making
- Y10T 29/4932: Turbomachine making
- Y10T 29/49323: Assembling fluid flow directing devices, e.g., stators, diaphragms, nozzles
- Y10T 29/49464: Assembling of gear into force transmitting device
- F16H: GEARING
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A method of assembling an epicyclic gear train includes providing a unitary carrier that includes spaced apart walls and circumferentially spaced mounts interconnecting the walls, spaced apart apertures provided between the mounts at an outer circumference of the carrier, gear pockets provided between the walls and mounts extending to the apertures, and a central opening in at least one of the walls, inserting an intermediate gear through the central opening and moving the intermediate gear radially into the gear pocket to extend through the aperture, inserting a baffle into the carrier, and inserting a sun gear through the central opening to intermesh with the intermediate gear.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A turbo fan engine comprising:
a turbo fan supported on a turbo fan shaft;
at least one compressor hub within a compressor section;
a compressor shaft arranged in the compressor section that supports the at least one compressor hub;
a housing supporting the compressor section and a torque frame; and
an epicyclic gear train, wherein the turbo fan shaft is driven by the compressor shaft through the gear train, and the epicyclic gear train includes:
a carrier including spaced apart side walls with circumferentially spaced mounts interconnecting the side walls, the mounts providing circumferentially spaced apart apertures between the mounts at an outer circumference of the side walls, wherein the carrier is a unitary structure with the side walls and the mounts unitary with one another, and the carrier is fixed to the housing by the torque frame;
a sun gear, intermediate gears arranged about and intermeshing with the sun gear, and a ring gear intermeshing with the intermediate gears, and wherein the intermediate gears are supported by the carrier; and
a plurality of baffles arranged between the side walls near the mounts, wherein the baffles are secured to at least one of the side walls and the mounts, gear pockets are provided between the baffles and receive the respective intermediate gears, and the baffles include a respective lubrication passage.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 1, wherein the ring gear is secured to the turbo fan shaft by a connection, and the sun gear is connected to the compressor shaft.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 2, wherein the mounts have opposing curved surfaces in close proximity to the intermediate gears and generally follow a curvature of the intermediate gears, and the baffles include opposing curved surfaces arranged in close proximity to the intermediate gears.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 3, wherein the intermediate gears extend through the apertures to intermesh with the ring gear.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 4, wherein the torque frame is secured to the mounts.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 5, wherein the curved surfaces of the mounts and the curved surfaces of the baffles are contiguous and adjoin one another to provide the gear pockets.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 6, wherein the baffles include ends that abut the mounts, and a second gear pocket that receives the sun gear is provided between a surface on each of the baffles opposite the ends.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 7, wherein at least one of the side walls includes a central opening that provides the second gear pocket, and the sun gear and intermediate gears are insertable into the central opening.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 8, wherein the lubrication passage terminates at a respective one of the gear pockets for directing a lubricant on at least one of the sun gear and the intermediate gears.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 9, wherein the lubrication passage includes first and second passages arranged transverse to one another, the first passage is directed at the sun gear, and the second passage is directed at a respective one of the intermediate gears.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 10, wherein the mounts have apertures receiving fingers of the torque frame.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 11, wherein the baffles are secured to the carrier with fasteners.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 12, wherein the unitary structure is a first material, and the baffles are a second material different than the first material.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 11, further comprising pins that extend through spherical bearings and bushings to secure the fingers to the carrier, and fasteners retain the pins to the carrier.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 14, wherein the at least one compressor hub and the compressor shaft are coupled at a common attachment point.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 15, wherein the at least one compressor hub is a plurality of compressor hubs with blades driven by a turbine shaft.

### Claim 17 (depends on 2)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 2, wherein the lubrication passage terminates at a respective one of the gear pockets for directing a lubricant on at least one of the sun gear and the intermediate gears.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 17, wherein the lubrication passage includes a primary passage extending laterally between the side walls.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 18, wherein the lubrication passage includes first and second passages in communication with the primary passage and arranged transverse to one another.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 19, wherein the mounts are wedge-shaped.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 19, wherein the first passage is directed at the sun gear, and the second passage is directed at a respective one of the intermediate gears.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 21, wherein the torque frame is secured to the mounts.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 22, wherein the mounts have opposing curved surfaces in close proximity to the intermediate gears and generally follow a curvature of the intermediate gears, the baffles include opposing curved surfaces arranged in close proximity to the intermediate gears, and the curved surfaces of the mounts and the curved surfaces of the baffles are contiguous and adjoin one another to provide the gear pockets.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 23, wherein the baffles include ends that abut the mounts, and a second gear pocket that receives the sun gear is provided between a surface on each of the baffles opposite the respective ends.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 24, wherein the intermediate gears extend through the apertures to intermesh with the ring gear, at least one of the side walls includes a central opening that provides the second gear pocket, and the sun gear and intermediate gears are insertable into the central opening.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 25, wherein the primary passage fluidly communicates with a lubricant distributor that is fed oil from a lubricant supply in operation.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 26, wherein the baffles include openings that receive a tube extending through a hole in one of the side walls, and seals are arranged to seal the tube to the respective opening and the lubricant distributor.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 27, wherein the first and second passages are arranged ninety degrees from one another.

### Claim 29 (depends on 26)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 26, further comprising a spray bar secured to the carrier, wherein a spray bar passage extends through one of the baffles to provide oil such that the spray bar sprays the oil in a vicinity of the sun gear in operation.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The turbo fan engine as recited in claim 29, wherein the sun gear is connected to the compressor shaft by a splined connection, and the spray bar sprays the oil in the vicinity of the sun gear near the splined connection in operation.