Air turbine starter containment system
AssigneeUnison Industries, LLC
InventorsSubrata Nayak, David Allan Dranschak, Marc David Zinger, Shiloh Montegomery Meyers, Jasraj Asdev, Sharad Pundlik Patil, Sagar Paramashivaiah, David Raju Yamarthi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air turbine starter for starting an engine, comprising a housing having an interior surface defining an interior, at least one turbine member rotatably mounted within the interior about a rotational axis, and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades, and a containment structure radially overlying and circumferentially surrounding the at least one turbine member extending between an outer surface and an inner surface to define a radial direction.
Claims20
An air turbine starter for starting an engine, the air turbine starter comprising:
- a housing having an interior surface defining an interior;
- at least one turbine member rotatably mounted within the interior about an axis of rotation and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades;
- a containment structure separate from the housing, radially covering and circumferentially surrounding the at least one turbine member, the containment structure extending between an outer surface and an inner surface to define a radial direction, the inner surface opposing a respective portion of the at least one turbine member, and the containment structure having at least one circumferential groove disposed along the inner surface;
- and
- at least one pre-stressed spring via which the containment structure is held in place within the housing, wherein:
- during normal operation of the air turbine starter the containment structure is configured to float against frictional resistance provided by the at least one spring, and
- during impact along the containment structure of a loose component from the at least one turbine member, the containment structure becomes unseated and is free to rotate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.