Rotor assemblies for gas turbine engines

Abstract

A gas turbine engine 10 includes an intermediate pressure compressor 14 connected to an intermediate pressure turbine 22 by a driveshaft 28. The driveshaft 28 comprises a downstream turbine shaft 34 attached to the intermediate pressure turbine 22 and an upstream compressor shaft 32 attached to the intermediate pressure compressor 14. The compressor shaft 32 and turbine shaft 34 are connected together by a splined connection 36 which allows the turbine shaft 34 to drive the compressor shaft 32. If the splined connected 36 should fail, so that it no longer transmits torque, a further splined connection 41 comes into operation to transmit torque between the turbine shaft 34 and compressor shaft 32. When this happens, torque is transmitted via a torsionally weakened, shear section 48 of the turbine shaft 34 which tends to break under certain engine conditions. The turbine shaft 34 is then released axially and turbine overspeed is restrained.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.