Gas turbine engine turning system
AssigneeGE Avio S.r.l.
InventorsAntonio Caimano, Paolo Altamura, Massimo Civardi, Giorgio Rivetto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine (10) includes a compressor section, a turbine section, and an accessory gearbox (100). A turning unit (200) for the gas turbine engine includes an output assembly (204) configured to be mechanically coupled to the gas turbine engine, and an electric motor (202). The electric motor is operable to rotate, through the output assembly, one or more components of the compressor section or the turbine section at a rotational speed less than about fifty revolutions per minute during a shut-down condition of the gas turbine engine.
Claims20
A turning unit for a gas turbine engine comprising a compressor section, a turbine section, and an accessory gearbox, the turning unit comprising:
- an output assembly configured to be mechanically coupled to the gas turbine engine;
- an electric motor operable to rotate, through the output assembly, one or more components of the compressor section or the turbine section at a rotational speed less than fifty revolutions per minute during a shut-down condition of the gas turbine engine;
- and
- a one-way clutch;
- wherein the output assembly comprises a first rotating member, a second rotating member, and a shear neck, the first rotating member extends through the second rotating member, the shear neck is defined in the first rotating member, and the shear neck is arranged between the one-way clutch and the accessory gearbox.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a compressor section and a turbine section;
- an accessory gearbox mechanically coupled to one or more components of the compressor section or the turbine section;
- and
- a turning unit comprising an output assembly and an electric motor, the output assembly mechanically coupled to the accessory gearbox and the electric motor operable to rotate, through the output assembly, the one or more components of the compressor section or the turbine section at a rotational speed less than fifty revolutions per minute during a shut-down condition of the gas turbine engine;
- wherein the output assembly comprises a first rotating member, a second rotating member, and a shear neck, the first rotating member extends through the second rotating member, the shear neck is defined in the first rotating member, and the shear neck is arranged between a one-way clutch of the turning unit and the accessory gearbox of the gas turbine engine.
A method of operating a gas turbine engine comprising:
- shutting down the gas turbine engine subsequent to flight operations of the gas turbine engine;
- rotating with an electric motor of a turning unit at least a portion of a compressor section or a turbine section of the gas turbine engine at a rotational speed of less than fifty revolutions per minute;
- and
- in the event of a failure, shearing an output assembly of the turning unit apart at a shear neck to decouple the turning unit from an accessory gearbox of the gas turbine engine,
- wherein the output assembly comprises a first rotating member, a second rotating member, and a shear neck, the first rotating member extends through the second rotating member, the shear neck is defined in the first rotating member, and the shear neck is arranged between a one-way clutch of the turning unit and the accessory gearbox of the gas turbine engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.