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US 9,316,159 B2Granted
Gas turbine engine with transmission
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorsJean Dubreuil, Stephen Kenny
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine with a transmission having a first rotatable member coupled to an engine spool, a second rotatable member coupled to a compressor rotor, and coupled rotatable members defining at least first and second alternate transmission paths between the first and second members. Each transmission path defines a different fixed transmission ratio of a rotational speed of the second member on a rotational speed of the first member.
Claims17
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- at least one turbine rotor drivingly engaged to an engine spool;
- a transmission having a rotatable first member coupled to the spool, a rotatable second member, and rotatable coupled members defining at least first and second alternate transmission paths between the first and second members, each transmission path being defined by the coupled members of the respective one of the transmission paths and defining a different fixed transmission ratio of a rotational speed of the second member on a rotational speed of the first member;
- an actuation mechanism having at least first and second positions, the actuation mechanism in each position drivingly engaging the first and second members to the coupled members of a single respective one of the transmission paths, the actuation mechanism in each position including at least one brake removably engaged with and preventing rotation of one of the coupled members of the respective one of the transmission paths;
- and
- at least one compressor rotor coupled to the second member.
2 more elements
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a low pressure turbine located downstream of and in fluid communication with an exhaust of a high pressure section of the engine, the low pressure turbine having at least one turbine rotor;
- a transmission having a rotatable first member, a rotatable second member, and rotatable coupled members defining at least first, second, third and fourth alternate transmission paths, each transmission path defining a different fixed transmission ratio of a rotational speed of the second member on a rotational speed of the first member;
- an actuation mechanism having at least first, second, third and fourth positions, the actuation mechanism in each position drivingly engaging the first and second members through a single respective one of the transmission paths;
- a low pressure shaft drivingly interconnecting each turbine rotor to the first member;
- and
- a low pressure compressor located upstream of and having an exhaust in fluid communication with the high pressure section of the engine, the low pressure compressor having at least one compressor rotor drivingly interconnected to the second member.
3 more elements
A method of adjusting a rotational speed of a compressor rotor of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
- keeping a rotational speed of interconnected compressor and turbine rotors of a high pressure section of the engine at a constant value;
- rotating at least one rotor of a low pressure turbine with a flow of exhaust gases from the high pressure section;
- driving a rotation of the compressor rotor with a power shaft driven by the at least one rotor of the low pressure turbine through a transmission having a plurality of transmission paths defining a plurality of alternate discrete transmission ratios between rotational speeds of the compressor rotor and the power shaft;
- and
- adjusting the transmission to a selected one of the transmission ratios, including actuating a selected one of the plurality of transmission paths by preventing a rotation of at least one rotatable member in the selected one of the transmission paths and allowing a free rotation of at least one rotatable member in each one but the selected one of the plurality of transmission paths.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.