Rotor thrust balancing
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorAdam N. Pope
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly is disclosed for automatically balancing thrust on the rotor of a gas turbine engine. An annular chamber axially positioned relative to the rotor is adapted to receive pressurized hydraulic fluid and apply it to the rotor. The force thereby applied to the rotor is regulated by sensing changes in axial rotor thrust and delivering hydraulic fluid to the chamber at a pressure sufficient to balance axial forces acting on the rotor.
Claims5
In a gas turbine engine, including a rotor supported axially by at least one rotor thrust bearing, compensating means for automatically compensating for changes in axial thrust in said rotor thrust bearing, comprising:
- (a) a sealed pressure chamber with an inner surface defined by a portion of said rotor, a non-rotating member, and sealing means operatively connecting said rotor and said non-rotating member, said sealing means positioned so as to define a radially outer and inner seal for said sealed pressure chamber;
- (b) means for supplying hydraulic fluid to said chamber;
- (c) means for sensing changes in axial thrust on said rotor;
- and
- (d) means for varying the pressure of said hydraulic fluid proportionally to said changes in axial thrust.
In a gas turbine engine, including a rotor supported axially by at least one rotor thrust bearing, means for reducing the axial thrust on said bearing, comprising:
- (a) an annular, sealed pressure chamber coaxial with the center axis of said rotor wherein said chamber is bounded by a portion of said rotor, a non-rotating member, and sealing means operatively connecting said rotor and non-rotating member, said sealing means positioned as to define a radially outer and inner seal for said sealed pressure chamber;
- and
- (b) means for supplying hydraulic fluid to said chamber at a pressure proportional to said axial thrust on said thrust bearing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.