US 2026/0266679 A1Published application

Method of balancing a gas turbine engine rotational spool

AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.

InventorsBruce Calvert, Ronald L. Robinson, David Beamish

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Abstract

A method of balancing a rotational spool within an assembled gas turbine engine is provided. The rotational spool includes turbine and compressor sections, and a shaft that connects the turbine and compressor sections. The method includes: disposing a circumferentially extending track component to rotate with the rotational spool; engaging a plurality of balance weights with the track component prior to assembly of the gas turbine engine; rotating the rotational spool of the assembled gas turbine engine and determining a presence or absence of an imbalance condition in the rotational spool; when an imbalance condition is determined: rotating the rotational spool until the first balance weight is circumferentially positioned relative to an access port; circumferentially moving the first balance weight relative to the track component, and subsequently actuating the first balance weight to the secured configuration.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method of balancing a rotational spool within an assembled gas turbine engine, wherein the rotational spool includes a turbine section, a compressor section, and a shaft that connects the turbine section and the compressor section, wherein the rotational spool is disposed for rotation about a rotational axis of the gas turbine engine, and wherein the gas turbine engine includes an engine casing and core gas flowpath, the method comprising:

disposing a circumferentially extending track component to rotate with the rotational spool;
engaging a plurality of balance weights with the track component prior to assembly of the gas turbine engine, wherein each balance weight of the plurality of balance weights is disposable in a secured configuration or in an unsecured configuration, and wherein each balance weight of the plurality of balance weights is disposed at a respective circumferential position, including a first balance weight of the plurality of balance weights disposed in the secured configuration at a first circumferential position;
rotating the rotational spool of the assembled gas turbine engine and determining a presence or absence of an imbalance condition in the rotational spool;
when the presence of said imbalance condition is determined:
rotating the rotational spool of the assembled gas turbine engine until the first balance weight of the plurality of balance weights is circumferentially positioned relative to a plurality of access ports disposed within a non-rotational member of the assembled gas turbine engine;
actuating the first balance weight from the secured configuration to the unsecured configuration;
and
circumferentially moving the first balance weight relative to the track component from the first circumferential position to a second circumferential position within the assembled gas turbine engine, and subsequently actuating the first balance weight from the unsecured configuration to the secured configuration;
wherein the rotational spool includes a circumferential position indicator configured to circumferentially locate the first balance weight relative to the track component;
and
wherein the plurality of access ports comprises:
a first access port disposed in the engine casing;
a second access port disposed in a radially outer wall of the core gas flowpath;
and
a third access port disposed in a radially inner wall of the core gas flowpath.

12 more elements

disposing a circumferentially extending first track component to rotate with the rotational spool;
engaging a plurality of first balance weights with the first track component prior to assembly of the gas turbine engine, including a first balance weight of the plurality of first balance weights disposed at a first circumferential position of the first track component;
disposing a circumferentially extending second track component to rotate with the rotational spool;
engaging a plurality of second balance weights with the second track component prior to assembly of the gas turbine engine, including a second balance weight of the plurality of second balance weights disposed at a first circumferential position of the second track component;
wherein each said first balance weight and each said second balance weight is disposable in a secured configuration or in an unsecured configuration;
rotating the rotational spool of the assembled gas turbine engine and determining a presence or absence of an imbalance condition in the rotational spool;
when the presence of an imbalance condition is determined:
rotating the rotational spool of the assembled gas turbine engine until the first balance weight of the plurality of first balance weights is circumferentially positioned relative to a first access port disposed within a first non-rotational member of the assembled gas turbine engine;
actuating the first balance weight from the secured configuration to the unsecured configuration;
and
circumferentially moving the first balance weight relative to the first track component from the first circumferential position of the first track component to a second circumferential position of the first track component, and subsequently actuating the first balance weight from the unsecured configuration to the secured configuration;
wherein the rotational spool includes a circumferential position indicator configured to circumferentially locate the first balance weight relative to the first track component.

9 more elements

A method of maintaining an assembled gas turbine engine mounted on an aircraft, wherein the gas turbine engine has a rotational spool that includes a turbine section, a compressor section, and a shaft that connects the turbine section and the compressor section, wherein the rotational spool is disposed for rotation about a rotational axis of the gas turbine engine, the method comprising:

wherein the gas turbine engine includes a circumferentially extending track component disposed to rotate with the rotational spool and a plurality of balance weights engaged with the track component, wherein each balance weight of the plurality of balance weights is disposable in a secured configuration or in an unsecured configuration, and the plurality of balance weights includes a first balance weight (FBW) of the plurality of balance weights disposed in the secured configuration at a first FBW circumferential position;
rotating the rotational spool of the assembled gas turbine engine and determining a presence or absence of an imbalance condition in the rotational spool;
when the presence of said imbalance condition is determined:
rotating the rotational spool of the assembled gas turbine engine until the first balance weight of the plurality of balance weights is circumferentially positioned relative to an access port disposed within a non-rotational member of the assembled gas turbine engine;
actuating the first balance weight from the secured configuration to the unsecured configuration;
and
circumferentially moving the first balance weight relative to the track component from the first FBW circumferential position to a second FBW circumferential position within the assembled gas turbine engine, and subsequently actuating the first balance weight from the unsecured configuration to the secured configuration;
wherein the rotational spool includes a circumferential position indicator configured to circumferentially locate the first balance weight relative to the track component;
wherein the access port is configured to be disposed in a closed configuration when the gas turbine engine is in an operational state;
and
wherein the access port is configured to be disposed in an open configuration when the gas turbine is in a non-operational state.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.