Mid-turbine frame
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsKeshava B. Kumar, Somanath Nagendra, William A. Sowa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mid-turbine frame connected to at least one mount of a gas turbine engine transfers a first load from a first bearing and a second load from a second bearing to the mount. The mid-turbine frame includes a single point load shell structure and a plurality of struts. The single point load shell structure combines the first load and the second load into a combined load. The plurality of struts is connected to the single point load structure and transfers the combined load from the single point load shell structure to the mount.
Claims17
A mid-turbine frame connected to at least one mount of a gas turbine engine for transferring a first load from a first bearing and a second load from a second bearing to the mount, the mid-turbine frame comprising:
- a single point load shell structure comprising:
- a concave surface that opens in a radially outward direction with respect to a rotational axis of the gas turbine engine for combining the first load and the second load into a combined load;
- and
- a torque box having a first member and a second member both perpendicular to the rotational axis of the gas turbine engine and joined by the concave surface for transferring the combined load from the concave surface, wherein the first load is transferred to the single point load shell structure by a first bearing cone at a first angle that is not perpendicular to the rotational axis of the gas turbine engine and the second load is transferred to the single point load shell structure by a second bearing cone at a second angle that is not perpendicular to the rotational axis of the gas turbine engine;
- and
- a plurality of struts connected to the single point load shell structure for transferring the combined load from the single point load shell structure to the mount.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a first bearing;
- a second bearing axially spaced from the first bearing with respect to a rotational axis of the gas turbine engine;
- an engine casing radially spaced from the first and second bearings;
- a first bearing cone connected to the first bearing for transferring a first load from the first bearing;
- a second bearing cone connected to the second bearing for transferring a second load from the second bearing;
- and
- a mid-turbine frame located between the first and second bearings and the engine casing, the mid-turbine frame comprising:
- a concave surface that opens in a radially outward direction with respect to a rotational axis of the gas turbine engine, the concave surface connected to the first bearing cone at a first angle that is not perpendicular to the rotational axis of the gas turbine engine and the second bearing cone at a second angle that is not perpendicular to the rotational axis of the gas turbine engine for combining the first load and the second into a combined load;
- a torque box having a first member and a second member joined by the concave surface, the first member and the second member perpendicular to the rotational axis of the gas turbine engine for transferring the combined load from the concave surface;
- and
- a plurality of struts connected to the torque box for transferring the combined load to the engine casing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.