Flexible support structure for a geared architecture gas turbine engine
AssigneeRaytheon Technology Corporation
InventorsMichael E. McCune, Jason Husband
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine including a drive shaft that drives a propulsor. A frame which supports the drive shaft is a K-frame bearing support. A gear system is connected to the drive shaft. The gear system includes a gear mesh that defines a gear mesh lateral stiffness and a gear mesh transverse. A flexible support supports the gear system that defines a flexible support transverse stiffness and a flexible support lateral stiffness. The flexible support lateral stiffness is less than 8% of the gear mesh lateral stiffness.
Claims30
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a drive shaft driving a propulsor;
- a frame which supports said drive shaft, wherein said frame is a K-frame bearing support;
- a gear system connected to said drive shaft, said gear system includes a gear mesh defining a gear mesh lateral stiffness and a gear mesh transverse;
- and
- a flexible support supporting said gear system defining a flexible support transverse stiffness and a flexible support lateral stiffness;
- wherein said flexible support lateral stiffness is less than 8% of said gear mesh lateral stiffness.
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a drive shaft driving a propulsor;
- a frame supporting said drive shaft, wherein said frame is a K-frame bearing support;
- a gear system connected to said drive shaft and driven through an input, wherein said gear system defines a gear mesh lateral stiffness and a gear mesh transverse stiffness;
- a gear system connected to said drive shaft, said gear system includes a gear mesh defining gear mesh lateral stiffness and a gear mesh transverse stiffness;
- a flexible support supporting said gear system defining a flexible support lateral stiffness and a flexible support transverse stiffness;
- and
- wherein said flexible support transverse stiffness is less than 8% of said gear mesh transverse stiffness.
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a drive shaft driving a propulsor;
- a frame supporting said drive shaft;
- a gear system connected to said drive shaft and driven through an input wherein said input to said gear system and said gear system defines a gear mesh lateral stiffness and a gear mesh transverse stiffness;
- a journal bearing defining a journal bearing transverse stiffness that is less than said gear mesh transverse stiffness;
- and
- a gear system flex mount arrangement, wherein said flex mount arrangement accommodates misalignment of said drive shaft and said input during operation and includes a flexible support defining a flexible support lateral stiffness and a flexible support transverse stiffness and said flexible support lateral stiffness is less than 8% of said gear mesh lateral stiffness and said flexible support transverse stiffness is less than 8% of said gear mesh transverse stiffness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.