Geared turbofan with overspeed protection
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsWilliam G. Sheridan, Michael E. McCune
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine has a fan drive turbine driving a gear reduction, the gear reduction, in turn, driving a fan rotor, the fan rotor delivering air into a bypass duct as bypass air and into a compressor section as core flow. A forward bearing is positioned between the gear reduction and the fan rotor and supports the gear reduction. A second bearing is positioned aft of the gear reduction and supports the gear reduction. The second bearing is a thrust bearing. A fan drive turbine drive shaft drives the gear reduction. The fan drive turbine drive shaft has a weakened link which is aft of the second bearing such that the fan drive turbine drive shaft will tend to fail at the weakened link, and at a location aft of the second bearing.
Claims20
A gas turbine engine comprises:
- a propulsor drive turbine for driving a gear reduction, said gear reduction, in turn, for driving a propulsor drive shaft, for driving a propulsor rotor, said propulsor rotor delivering air as propulsion air and into a compressor section as core flow;
- a forward bearing positioned between said gear reduction and said propulsor rotor and supporting said gear reduction, and a second bearing positioned aft of said gear reduction and supporting said gear reduction, and said second bearing being a thrust bearing;
- a catcher provided to resist movement of said gear reduction and said propulsor rotor in an outer direction in the event of a failure of said second bearing, a member of said catcher being fixed to a static structure;
- said gear reduction being an epicyclic gear reduction;
- and
- wherein said catcher includes the member having a radially outer location positioned forwardly of a radially inwardly extending flange which rotates with said propulsor drive shaft, said catcher being contacted by said flange should said gear reduction move in a forward direction, to resist movement of said gear reduction.
A gas turbine engine comprises:
- a propulsor drive turbine for driving a gear reduction, said gear reduction, in turn, driving a propulsor drive shaft for driving a propulsor rotor, said propulsor rotor delivering air as propulsion air and into a compressor section as core flow;
- a forward bearing positioned between said gear reduction and said propulsor rotor and supporting said gear reduction, and a second bearing positioned aft of said gear reduction and supporting said gear reduction, and said second bearing being a thrust bearing;
- and
- said propulsor drive turbine for driving a turbine drive shaft having a weakened link which is aft of said second bearing such that said turbine drive shaft will tend to fail at said weakened link, and at a location aft of said second bearing.
A gas turbine engine comprises:
- a propulsor drive turbine for driving a gear reduction, said gear reduction, in turn, for driving a propulsor drive shaft for driving a propulsor rotor, said propulsor rotor delivering air as propulsion air and into a compressor section as core flow;
- a forward bearing positioned between said gear reduction and said propulsor rotor and supporting said gear reduction, and a second bearing positioned aft of said gear reduction and supporting said gear reduction, and said second bearing being a thrust bearing;
- a catcher provided to resist movement of said gear reduction and said propulsor rotor in an outer direction in the event of a failure of said second bearing, said catcher being between said gear reduction and said propulsor rotor;
- said gear reduction being an epicyclic gear reduction;
- and
- wherein said catcher is formed of two parts with an intermediate gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.