Gas turbine engine having a ceramic turbine wheel
AssigneeMotoren- und Turbinen-Union Munchen GmbH
InventorsAlfred Hueber, Klaus Hagemeister
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine having a rotor including a ceramic turbine wheel and a rotor shaft formed in part of ceramic material, the wheel and ceramic shaft portion being formed as one piece. The ceramic shaft portion extends into a cooler zone of the engine where it is connected to a steel shaft portion. The ceramic shaft portion is supported by a radial bearing, preferably an air bearing. A ceramic disk projects radially from, and is formed as one piece with, the ceramic shaft portion, the disk cooperating with a thrust bearing, preferably an air bearing.
Claims7
A gas turbine engine having a rotor including a rotor shaft and a turbine wheel, the turbine wheel being in a high temperature zone of the engine and the engine also having a cooler zone, the turbine wheel being made of a ceramic material, and the rotor shaft including a portion of ceramic material formed as one piece with the turbine wheel, said rotor shaft portion extending into the cooler zone of the engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.