Gas turbine engine gear train
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsMichael E. McCune, Lawrence E. Portlock, Frederick M. Schwarz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An epicyclic gear train includes a carrier that supports star gears that mesh with a sun gear. A ring gear surrounds and meshes with the star gears. The star gears are supported on respective journal bearings. Each of the journal bearings includes a peripheral journal surface and each of the star gears includes a radially inner journal surface that is in contact with the peripheral journal surface of the respective journal bearing. The epicyclic gear train has a gear reduction ratio of greater than or equal to about 2.3
Claims17
A gear apparatus, comprising:
- an epicyclic gear train including a carrier supporting star gears that mesh with a sun gear, and a ring gear surrounding and meshing with the star gears, the star gears being supported on respective journal bearings, each of the journal bearings including a peripheral journal surface and each of the star gears including a radially inner journal surface in contact with the peripheral journal surface of the respective journal bearing, wherein the epicyclic gear train has a gear reduction ratio of greater than or equal to about 2.3.
A turbine engine comprising:
- a turbine shaft;
- a fan;
- and
- an epicyclic gear train coupled between the turbine shaft and the fan, the epicyclic gear train including a carrier supporting star gears that mesh with a sun gear, and a ring gear surrounding and meshing with the star gears, each of the star gears being supported on a respective journal bearing, each journal bearing including a peripheral journal surface and each of the star gears including a radially inner journal surface in contact with the peripheral journal surface of the respective journal bearing, wherein the epicyclic gear train has a gear reduction ratio of greater than or equal to about 2.3.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.