US 7,748,952 B1 · Snorkel tube for a gas turbine engine

Abstract

A small twin spool gas turbine engine with a bearing support arrangement in which the bearings are dampened by O-rings secured between the bearing races and the support structure, and in which the bearings are arranged in series so that a cooling air can be passed through the bearings to prevent overheating. The aft end of the engine includes high speed and low speed ball bearings supported with preload springs to add additional damping capability. The fore and aft end bearing support assemblies forms a cooling air path for the cooling fluid to flow through a passage within one of the guide vanes, through the bearings and out through a hole in the low pressure turbine rotor disk. the bearing cooling air passage includes a snorkel tube that extends from a guide vane cooling air passage and into the bypass air channel to draw in the cooling air used for the bearings. The snorkel tube includes a slanted opening so that dirt particulates do not enter the bearing cooling air passage.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A twin spool gas turbine engine comprising:

a rotor shaft with a compressor connected on a forward end and a turbine connected on an aft end of the rotor shaft;
a forward end bearing to rotatably support the forward end of the rotor shaft;
an aft end bearing to rotatably support the aft end of the rotor shaft;
a cooling air passage formed to flow through the aft end bearing to provide cooling for the aft end bearing;
a bypass fan and a bypass flow passage;
and,
a snorkel tube extending from the bearing cooling air passage and out into the bypass flow passage to supply cooling air for the bearing.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Snorkel tube for a gas turbine engine

Life of this patent

Snorkel tube for a gas turbine engine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16