Ducted fan gas turbine engine
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsDavid M Beaven, Kenneth F Udall
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ducted fan gas turbine engine is provided with a fan which is carried by a shaft. Frangible fuse pins maintain the shaft carrying the fan coaxial with the engine longitudinal axis. In the event of severe fan damage, the fuse pins fracture and the fan shaft orbits about the engine longitudinal axis. An annular resilient member is provided to exert a radially inward restoration force upon the fan shaft following such an event in order to reduce vibration.
Claims7
A ducted fan gas turbine engine including a propulsive fan mounted on a shaft, which shaft is normally coaxial with said engine longitudinal axis, a bearing support structure, said fan shaft being radially supported by said bearing support structure, radially frangible connection means which support said bearing support structure from fixed structure of said engine, and restoration means comprising an annular resilient member coaxial with said engine longitudinal axis and interconnecting said fan bearing support structure and said engine fixed structure, said resilient member being of generally sinuous cross-sectional configuration in a plane containing said engine longitudinal axis and having sufficient radial resilience as to ensure that it exerts a radially inward restoration force upon said fan bearing support structure subsequent to any radial excursion of at least part of said fan shaft relative to said engine longitudinal axis following any fracture of said frangible connection means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.