# US 2023/0054031 A1 · Shaft component and method for producing a shaft component

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- Number: US 2023/0054031 A1
- Document ID: US20230054031A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/881,225
- Filed: 2022-08-04
- Published: 2023-02-23
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-19
- Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
- Applicants: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
- Inventors: Fiona HALLIDAY; Mark SPRUCE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230054031A1

## CPC

- F02C 7/36: Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user ({F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and} F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H)
- B29C 70/28: Shaping operations therefor
- F01D 5/06: Rotors for more than one axial stage, e.g. of drum or multiple disc type; Details thereof, e.g. shafts, shaft connections {(F01D5/022, F01D5/023 take precedence)}
- F16C 3/026: {Shafts made of fibre reinforced resin}
- B29L 2031/75: {Shafts}
- F05D 2240/60: Shafts
- F05D 2260/40311: of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type
- F05D 2300/6034: Orientation of fibres, weaving, ply angle
- F05D 2300/614: Fibres or filaments
- F16C 2208/02: comprising fillers, fibres
- F16C 2240/30: Angles, e.g. inclinations
- F16C 2360/23: Gas turbine engines
- Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A shaft component, which in particular can be connected or is connected to the input or output side of a gear box in a gas turbine engine, in particular an aircraft engine, wherein the shaft component has at least two regions comprising fiber reinforced plastic, with fibers in the at least two regions differing in their composition, their geometric properties, their density, their radial position, their axial position and/or in their fiber orientation in the shaft component.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-22. (canceled)

### Claim 23

A shaft component, which in particular can be connected or is connected to the input or output side of a gear box in a gas turbine engine, wherein the shaft component has at least two regions comprising fiber reinforced plastic, with fibers and/or their matrix in the at least two regions differing in their composition, their geometric properties, their density, their radial position, their axial position and/or in their fiber orientation in the shaft component.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The shaft component of claim 23, wherein in at least one of the regions, the fibers are arranged in an angular range of +/-40° to 50° in relation to the main axis of rotation of the shaft component.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The shaft component of claim 23, wherein in at least one of the regions the fibers are arranged in an orientation range of about 0° in relation to the main axis of rotation of the shaft component.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The shaft component of claim 23, wherein, in at least one of the regions the fibers are arranged in an angular range 60 to 90° in relation to the main axis of rotation of the shaft component.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The shaft component of claim 23, wherein a region which is adjacent to another region with a different fiber orientation, is a transitional zone while the fiber changes angle, in particular the transitional zone is configured in such a way that more than 90% of the fiber angle change is contained within an axial extant no greater than 10% of the shorter of the two adjacent regions.

### Claim 28 (depends on 23)

The shaft component of claim 23, wherein the shaft component has a non-constant or non-uniform diameter along the axis of rotation.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The shaft component of claim 28, wherein shaft component comprises undulations.

### Claim 30 (depends on 23)

The shaft component of claim 23, wherein the ratios between resin and fibers are different in the at least two different regions.

### Claim 31 (depends on 23)

The shaft component of claim 23, wherein fiber bundle counts and fiber diameters are different in the at least two different regions.

### Claim 32 (depends on 23)

The shaft component of claim 23, wherein the angle of the fiber arrangement varies radially in the at least two different regions.

### Claim 33 (depends on 23)

The shaft component of claim 23, wherein at least one woven material is used in least one of the two different regions.

### Claim 34 (depends on 23)

The shaft component of claim 23, wherein the ratio between the largest diameter and the smallest diameter of the shaft component is less than 1.1.

### Claim 35 (depends on 23)

The shaft component of claim 23, wherein at least one first region comprising fibers with orientations going from 40° to 50° to 65° to 90° and at least one second region with fibers with orientations going from 0° to 50° and the at least one first region being adjacent to the at least one second region.

### Claim 36 (depends on 23)

The shaft component of claim 23, wherein the fiber-reinforced plastic comprises carbon fibers, metal filaments, synthetic fibers or a mixture thereof.

### Claim 37 (depends on 23)

The shaft component of claim 23, wherein the fiber-reinforced plastic comprises aramid fibers, ceramic fibers or a mixture of aramid fibers and ceramic fibers.

### Claim 38

A method for producing a shaft component, which can be connected or is connected to the input or output side of a gear box in a gas turbine engine, wherein fibers are incorporated in a matrix, the fibers and/or their matrix being incorporated in the shaft component so that in at least two regions differ in their composition, their geometric properties, their density, their radial position, their axial position and/or in their fiber orientation in the shaft component.

### Claim 39 (depends on 38)

The method of claim 38, wherein a winding method, a braiding method, a Tailored Fiber Placement method or a combination of those methods is used for incorporating the fibers in the matrix or in the shaft component.

### Claim 40 (depends on 38)

The method of claim 38, wherein the fiber-reinforced plastic comprises carbon fibers, metal filaments, synthetic fibers or a mixture thereof.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, wherein the fiber-reinforced plastic comprises aramid fibers, ceramic fibers or a mixture of aramid fibers and ceramic fibers.

### Claim 42 (depends on 23)

A gas turbine engine for an aircraft, the gas turbine engine comprising: an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; a fan, which is positioned upstream of the engine core, wherein the fan comprises a plurality of fan blades; and a gear box, which can be driven by the core shaft, wherein the fan can be driven by means of the gear box at a lower rotational speed than the core shaft, wherein a shaft component of claim 23 is connected to the gear box as part of a drive shaft for the fan.