High power epicyclic gearbox and operation thereof
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorMark Spruce
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An engine for an aircraft comprises an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades; and a gearbox. The gearbox is an epicyclic gearbox and comprises a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears, a ring gear, and a planet carrier on which the planet gears are mounted. The radial bending stiffness of the planet carrier is equal to or greater than 1.20×109 N/m, and/or the tilt stiffness of the planet carrier is greater than or equal to 6.00×108 Nm/rad. A method of operation of such an engine is also disclosed.
Claims20
A gas turbine engine for an aircraft comprising:
- an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor;
- a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades;
- and
- a gearbox arranged to receive an input from the core shaft and to output drive to the fan so as to drive the fan at a lower rotational speed than the core shaft, the gearbox being an epicyclic gearbox comprising a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears, a ring gear, and a planet carrier on which the planet gears are mounted, and wherein
- a radial bending stiffness of the planet carrier is equal to or greater than 1.20×109 N/m.
A gas turbine engine for an aircraft comprising:
- an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor;
- a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades;
- and
- a gearbox arranged to receive an input from the core shaft and to output drive to the fan so as to drive the fan at a lower rotational speed than the core shaft, the gearbox being an epicyclic gearbox comprising a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears, a ring gear, and a planet carrier on which the planet gears are mounted, and wherein
- a tilt stiffness of the planet carrier is greater than or equal to 6.0×108 Nm/rad.
A propulsor for an aircraft comprising:
- a fan comprising a plurality of fan blades;
- a gearbox;
- and
- a power unit for driving the fan via the gearbox;
- wherein the gearbox is an epicyclic gearbox arranged to receive an input from a core shaft driven by the power unit and to output drive to the fan so as to drive the fan at a lower rotational speed than the core shaft, and comprises:
- a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears, a ring gear, and a planet carrier on which the planet gears are mounted, and wherein
- a radial bending stiffness of the planet carrier is equal to or greater than 1.20×109 N/m, and/or
- a tilt stiffness of the planet carrier is greater than or equal to 6.0×108 Nm/rad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.