US 12,687,128 B2Granted

Monolithic superstructure for gas turbine engines

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsJoshua Tyler Mook, John Alan Manteiga, Christopher Williams

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to monolithic superstructures for supporting a rotating shaft coupled to a rotor relative to a stator. An integral superstructure supports the rotating component. The superstructure includes a bearing portion that contacts the shaft. A stator portion, is spaced a critical dimension radially outward, from the rotor. A first annular transfer portion extends axially forward from the bearing to the stator portion. A second annular transfer portion extends axially aft from the stator portion to a mounting flange. The mounting flange connects the superstructure to a frame. The superstructure maintains a critical dimension between the rotor and the stator as the temperature of the superstructure increases. The rotor may be a compressor impeller in a gas turbine engine and the stator may be an aero component that transfers air into a combustor.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A monolithic superstructure to support a rotor of a gas turbine engine, the monolithic superstructure comprising:

a compressor flange to be coupled to an axial end of a compressor case of the gas turbine engine;
a mounting tab to be coupled to a frame supporting the gas turbine engine;
an outer case including a diffuser case portion extending between the compressor flange and the mounting tab;
an aero component support;
and
an aero component connected to the outer case via the aero component support, the aero component including a diffuser portion, the diffuser portion longitudinally and radially aligned with the rotor when the diffuser portion is at a first temperature, the diffuser portion longitudinally and radially aligned with the rotor when the diffuser portion is at a second temperature, the second temperature at least 200 degrees Fahrenheit greater than the first temperature, wherein a first load path between the aero component and the mounting tab extends through the aero component support without extending through the diffuser case portion, and a second load path between the compressor flange and the mounting tab extends through the diffuser case portion without extending through the aero component support.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/649,607Filed 29 Apr 2024 · continuation
Priority: 15 Nov 2016
Published: US 2024/0280052 A122 Aug 2024
Granted: 21 Jul 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

F02C 7/06
Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for…:…
F01D 25/162
Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings: bearing supports
F01D 25/246
Casings ; Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings: fastening of diaphragms or stator-rings
F02C 3/14
Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of combustion products as the working fluid: characterised by the arrangement of the combustion…

Family

Application15/352,253Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Nov 2016
Application17/526,340Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Nov 2021
US 11,174,786 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 16 Nov 2021
US 2024/0280052 A1Pre-grant publication · published 22 Aug 2024
US 12,000,339 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2018/0135517 A1Published application
US 2022/0074346 A1Published application
US 12,687,128 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.