Gas turbine engine lubrication
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsMichael E. McCune, Lawrence E. Portlock, Frederick M. Schwarz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A turbine engine includes a fan shaft and at least one tapered bearing mounted on the fan shaft. The fan shaft includes at least one radially extending passage adjacent the at least one tapered bearing. A fan is mounted for rotation on the tapered bearing. An epicyclic gear train is coupled to drive the fan. The epicyclic gear train includes a carrier that supports star gears that mesh with a sun gear, and a ring gear that surrounds and meshes with the star gears. Each of the star gears is supported on a respective journal bearing. The epicyclic gear train defines a gear reduction ratio of greater than or equal to about 2.3.
Claims12
A turbine engine comprising:
- a fan shaft;
- at least one tapered bearing mounted on the fan shaft, the fan shaft including at least one radially extending passage adjacent the at least one tapered bearing;
- a fan mounted for rotation on the tapered bearing;
- an epicyclic gear train coupled to drive the fan, the epicyclic gear train including a carrier supporting intermediate gears that mesh with a sun gear, and a ring gear surrounding and meshing with the intermediate gears, each of the intermediate gears being supported on a respective journal bearing, wherein the epicyclic gear train defines a gear reduction ratio of greater than or equal to about 2.3;
- and
- a turbine section coupled to drive the fan through the epicyclic gear train, the turbine section having a low pressure turbine that includes a pressure ratio that is greater than about 5, the fan includes a pressure ratio that is less than about 1.45, and the fan has a bypass ratio of greater than about ten (10).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.