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US 11,879,383 B2Granted
Torque limiting device in a connection between a gearbox and a stationary structure in a gas turbine engine and a gas turbine engine
AssigneeRolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
InventorsTomasz Grubba, Jos Raven
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a torque limiting device in a torque bearing connecting structure between a gearbox and a stationary structure in a gas turbine engine, wherein the torque limiting device comprises a mechanical fuse in the connection structure comprising an at least partially circumferential weakening of the material. The invention also relates to a gas turbine engine.
Claims18
A torque limiting device in a gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine comprising:
- an epicyclic gearbox including a ring gear;
- a stationary structure of the gas turbine engine;
- the torque limiting device comprising:
- a torque bearing connecting structure connecting the ring gear to the stationary structure and forming a load bearing path between the ring gear and the stationary structure;
- a mechanical fuse in the torque bearing connecting structure comprising an at least partially circumferential weakening of a wall of the torque bearing connecting structure;
- a retention plate being L-shaped in cross section, including a first portion extending radially outwards from the torque bearing connecting structure and a second portion extending axially along the torque bearing connecting structure, the retention plate configured to control axial and radial positioning of a portion of the torque bearing connecting structure that has become free to move upon fracture of the mechanical fuse.
3 more elements
A torque limiting device in a gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine comprising:
- an epicyclic gearbox including a ring gear;
- a stationary structure of the gas turbine engine;
- a torque bearing connecting structure connecting the ring gear to the stationary structure and forming a load bearing path between the ring gear and the stationary structure;
- the torque bearing connecting structure comprising the torque limiting device which further includes a mechanical fuse with an at least partially circumferential weakening of a wall of a circumferential plate, the at least partially circumferential weakening of the wall comprising a smooth profile in cross-section free of interruptions or holes formed along a radial length direction of the at least partially circumferential weakening of the wall;
- wherein the smooth profile is bounded and includes in a sequential order and on at least one side of the at least partially circumferential weakening of the wall in the radial length direction of the at least partially circumferential weakening of the wall:
- a concave section,
- a convex section, and
- a largest width section having a constant width,
- wherein the concave section has a smaller width than the convex section and the convex section has a smaller width than the largest width section having the constant width, the concave section being located adjacent to the mechanical fuse.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.