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US 9,316,108 B2Granted
Gas turbine frame stiffening rails
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsCourtland Earl Pegan, Jr., Kurt Thomas Hildebrand, Scott Patrick Ryczek, Derek Thomas Dreischarf
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Gas turbine engine frames are disclosed. An example gas turbine engine frame may include a generally annular outer casing disposed coaxially about a hub; a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart struts joined to the hub and the outer casing, individual struts extending radially outwardly from the hub to the outer casing; and a stiffening rail monolithically formed with the outer casing circumferentially between two of the struts. The stiffening rail may extend radially inward beyond the inner surface of the outer casing between the struts.
Claims21
A gas turbine engine frame, comprising:
- a generally annular outer casing disposed substantially coaxially about a centerline axis, the outer casing comprising an outer surface facing radially outward away from the centerline axis and an inner surface facing radially inward toward the centerline axis;
- a hub disposed within the outer casing and spaced radially inward from the inner surface of the outer casing, the hub being arranged substantially coaxially about the centerline axis;
- a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart struts fixedly joined to the hub and the outer casing, individual struts extending generally radially outwardly from the hub to the outer casing;
- and
- a stiffening rail monolithically formed with the outer casing circumferentially between two of the struts, the stiffening rail having
- a height radially outward beyond the outer surface of the outer casing generally approximate a first one of the struts and generally approximate a second one of the struts, and
- a depth radially inward beyond the inner surface of the outer casing between the first strut and the second strut;
- wherein the depth of the stiffening rail increases from a minimum approximate the first strut to a maximum substantially midway between the first strut and the second strut, and
- wherein the height of the stiffening rail decreases from a maximum approximate the first strut to a minimum substantially midway between the first strut and the second strut.
6 more elements
A gas turbine engine frame, comprising:
- a generally annular outer casing disposed substantially coaxially about a centerline axis, the outer casing comprising an outer surface facing radially outward away from the centerline axis and an inner surface facing radially inward toward the centerline axis;
- a hub disposed within the outer casing and spaced radially inward from the inner surface of the outer casing, the hub being arranged substantially coaxially about the centerline axis;
- a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart struts fixedly joined to the hub and the outer casing, individual struts extending generally radially outwardly from the hub to the outer casing;
- and
- a first stiffening rail and a second stiffening rail monolithically formed with the outer casing circumferentially between two of the struts, the first stiffening rail and the second stiffening rail arranged substantially in parallel in a generally circumferential direction, each of the first stiffening rail and the second stiffening rail having
- a height radially outward beyond the outer surface of the outer casing generally approximate a first one of the struts and generally approximate a second one of the struts, and
- a depth radially inward beyond the inner surface of the outer casing between the first strut and the second strut;
- wherein the depth of the first stiffening rail and the depth of the second stiffening rail increase from minimums approximate the first strut and the second strut to maximums substantially midway between the first strut and the second strut, and
- wherein the height of the first stiffening rail and the height of the second stiffening rail decrease from maximums approximate the first strut and the second strut to minimums substantially midway between the first strut and the second strut.
6 more elements
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a low-pressure compressor;
- a high-pressure compressor;
- a combustor;
- a high-pressure turbine arranged to drive the high-pressure compressor via a first shaft;
- and
- a low-pressure turbine arranged to drive the low-pressure compressor via a second shaft;
- wherein at least one of the first shaft and the second shaft is at least partially supported by a hub of a turbine frame;
- wherein the turbine frame comprises
- a generally annular outer casing disposed substantially coaxially with the hub, the outer casing comprising an outer surface facing radially outward away from the hub and an inner surface facing radially inward toward the hub, the inner surfacing being spaced radially outward from the hub,
- a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart struts fixedly joined to the hub and the outer casing, individual struts extending generally radially outwardly from the hub to the outer casing, and
- a stiffening rail monolithically formed with the outer casing circumferentially between two of the struts, the stiffening rail having a depth radially inward beyond the inner surface of the outer casing between the first strut and the second strut
- wherein the depth of the stiffening rail increases from a minimum approximate the first strut to a maximum substantially midway between the first strut and the second strut, and
- wherein the height of the stiffening rail decreases from a maximum approximate the first strut to a minimum substantially midway between the first strut and the second strut.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.