Bearing support
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorMalcolm H. Knapp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention comprises a compact support for a bearing associated with a rotating member such as a shaft of a gas turbine engine. The bearing support has one or more circumferential leaf spring elements which provide radially resilient support for the shaft while being axially stiff to reduce axial thrust movement of the shaft. The spring rate of the support is designed to shift engine vibratory resonances so that they occur outside the normal speed range of the engine; and the support may include internal damping to minimize resonant vibratory peaks. Various bearing support embodiments are also disclosed.
Claims24
A bearing support comprising:
- an annular first shell;
- an annular second shell being coaxial with and spaced from said first shell for defining an annular space therebetween;
- at least one elongated, arcuate circspring disposed in said annular space and being substantially concentric with said first and second shells, said circspring having first and second opposing ends fixedly attached to said first and second shells, respectively;
- and
- damping means including means effective for channeling a damping fluid into said annular space for cooperating with said circspring for damping vibration.
A bearing support for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- a first annular shell;
- a second annular shell being coaxial with and spaced from said first annular shell for defining an annular space therebetween;
- at least three elongated, arcuate circsprings circumferentially spaced within said annular space and being substantially concentric with said first and second shells, each of said circsprings having first and second opposing ends fixedy attached to said first and second shells, respectively, and each having a radial thickness and an axial width, said width being larger than said thickness for providing axial thrust bearing capability;
- and
- damping means including means for channeling oil into said annular space between said circsprings, whereby said circsprings provide both a radial spring force for said bearing support and a surface area effective for cooperating with said oil for damping vibration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.