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US 9,284,887 B2Granted
Gas turbine engine and frame
AssigneeRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
InventorsTony R. McKenney, David R. Price
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention is a unique gas turbine engine. Another embodiment is a unique frame for a gas turbine engine. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for gas turbine engines and gas turbine engine frames. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
Claims19
A gas turbine engine frame, comprising:
- a metallic inner hub;
- a metallic outer construction;
- a composite flowpath structure that is a separate component from the metallic inner hub and has a primary flowpath structure disposed between said metallic inner hub and said metallic outer construction, wherein the composite flowpath structure includes carbon bismaleimide composites, ceramic matrix composites, metal matrix composites, organic matrix composites and/or carbon-carbon composites;
- and
- a primary composite inner flowpath wall spaced radially apart from a primary composite outer flowpath wall defining the primary flowpath structure for a working fluid of the gas turbine engine;
- wherein said composite flowpath structure includes:
- a plurality of inner composite struts wherein at least a portion of each inner composite strut extends between said primary composite inner flowpath wall and said primary composite outer flowpath wall;
- wherein said composite flowpath structure is formed as a single piece structure.
5 more elements
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a compressor;
- a turbine;
- an engine frame, said engine frame including a metallic load-bearing structure and a composite flowpath structure, wherein the composite flowpath structure is a separate component from the metallic load-bearing structure, wherein said metallic load-bearing structure defines a loadpath operative to transmit engine mechanical loads to an engine mount of the gas turbine engine, and wherein said composite flowpath structure is divorced from the loadpath, wherein the composite flowpath structure includes carbon bismaleimide composites, ceramic matrix composites, metal matrix composites, organic matrix composites and/or carbon-carbon composites;
- and
- wherein the composite flowpath structure includes a primary composite inner wall spaced apart from a primary composite outer wall to define a primary inner flowpath structure for a working fluid of said gas turbine engine;
- wherein said composite flowpath structure further defines a secondary flowpath structure for the working fluid of said gas turbine engine;
- wherein said secondary flowpath structure includes a secondary composite outer wall and a secondary composite inner wall disposed radially inward of said secondary composite outer wall;
- wherein said composite flowpath structure is formed as a single piece structure.
5 more elements
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a compressor;
- a turbine;
- and
- an engine frame, said engine frame including:
- inner and outer primary composite walls defining a composite primary flowpath structure for a working fluid of the gas turbine engine, wherein the composite primary flowpath structure includes carbon bismaleimide composites, ceramic matrix composites, metal matrix composites, organic matrix composites and/or carbon-carbon composites;
- means for transmitting engine mechanical loads to an engine mount of the gas turbine engine, wherein the means for transmitting engine mechanical loads includes an inner metallic hub,
- wherein the composite primary flowpath structure is a separate component from the metallic inner hub, and
- wherein said composite primary flowpath structure is divorced from the engine mechanical loads;
- inner and outer secondary composite walls defining a secondary flowpath structure for a working fluid of the gas turbine engine;
- wherein the secondary flowpath structure is positioned radially outward of the primary flowpath structure;
- wherein said composite primary flowpath structure is formed as a single piece structure.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.