GAS TURBINE ENGINE GEAR TRAIN

Abstract

An epicyclic gear train includes a carrier that supports star gears that mesh with a sun gear. A ring gear surrounds and meshes with the star gears. The star gears are supported on respective journal bearings. Each of the journal bearings includes a peripheral journal surface and each of the star gears includes a radially inner journal surface that is in contact with the peripheral journal surface of the respective journal bearing.

Claims

1. A gear apparatus, comprising: an epicyclic gear train including a carrier supporting star gears that mesh with a sun gear, and a ring gear surrounding and meshing with the star gears, the star gears being supported on respective journal bearings, each of the journal bearings including a peripheral journal surface and each of the star gears including a radially inner journal surface in contact with the peripheral journal surface of the respective journal bearing.

2. The gear apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the radially inner journal surface of each of the star gears is in contact with the peripheral journal surface of the respective journal bearing along an axial length with respect to a rotational axis of the respective star gear.

3. The gear apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the radially inner journal surface of each of the star gears is in contact with the peripheral journal surface of the respective journal bearing along a substantially full axial length of the respective star gear with respect to a rotational axis of the respective star gear.

4. The gear apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the epicyclic gear train has a gear reduction ratio of greater than or equal to 2.3.

5. The gear apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the epicyclic gear train has a gear reduction ratio of greater than or equal to about 2.5.

6. The gear apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the epicyclic gear train has a gear reduction ratio of greater than or equal to 2.5.

7. A turbine engine comprising: a turbine shaft; a fan; and an epicyclic gear train coupled between the turbine shaft and the fan, the epicyclic gear train including a carrier supporting star gears that mesh with a sun gear, and a ring gear surrounding and meshing with the star gears, each of the star gears being supported on a respective journal bearing, each journal bearing including a peripheral journal surface and each of the star gears including a radially inner journal surface in contact with the peripheral journal surface of the respective journal bearing.

8. The turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the radially inner journal surface of each of the star gears is in contact with the peripheral journal surface of the respective journal bearing along an axial length with respect to a rotational axis of the respective star gear.

9. The turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the radially inner journal surface of each of the star gears is in contact with the peripheral journal surface of the respective journal bearing along a substantially full axial length of the respective star gear with respect to a rotational axis of the respective star gear.

10. The turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the epicyclic gear train has a gear reduction ratio of greater than or equal to 2.3.

11. The turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the epicyclic gear train has a gear reduction ratio of greater than or equal to about 2.5.

12. The turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the epicyclic gear train has a gear reduction ratio of greater than or equal to 2.5.

13. The turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the fan defines a bypass ratio of greater than about ten (10) with regard to a bypass airflow and a core airflow.

14. The turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the fan defines a bypass ratio of greater than about 10.5:1 with regard to a bypass airflow and a core airflow.

15. The turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the fan defines a bypass ratio of greater than ten (10) with regard to a bypass airflow and a core airflow.

16. The turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the fan defines a pressure ratio that is less than about 1.45.

17. The turbine engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the fan defines a pressure ratio that is that is less than 1.45.

18. A turbine engine comprising: an input shaft; a fan mounted on a fan shaft; and an epicyclic gear train coupled between the input shaft and the fan shaft, the epicyclic gear train including a carrier, intermediate gears, a sun gear, a ring gear, and journal bearings, the carrier supporting the intermediate gears on the journal bearings, the intermediate gears meshing with the sun gear and the ring gear surrounding and meshing with the intermediate gears, the ring gear including, first and second portions that abut at a radial interface, the first and second portions having respective flanges that abut at a radial interface, a first thickness and a second thickness that is located axially inwardly from the first thickness, the first thickness being less than the second thickness, and the flanges extending radially outwards from a location at the second thickness.

19. The turbine engine as recited in claim 18, wherein the first portion has first angled teeth and the second portion has second, oppositely angled teeth, and the ring gear includes a trough axially between the first and second angled teeth.

20. The turbine engine as recited in claim 19, wherein the first and second portions include oppositely axially facing recesses that together form an annular cavity at the radial interface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a front portion of a gas turbine engine illustrating a turbo fan, epicyclic gear train and a compressor section.

[0026] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the epicyclic gear train shown in FIG. 1.

[0027] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an example ring gear similar to the arrangement shown in FIG. 2.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a view of the ring gear shown in FIG. 3 viewed in a direction that faces the teeth of the ring gear in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] A portion of a gas turbine engine 10 is shown schematically in FIG. 1. The turbine engine 10 includes a fixed housing 12 that is constructed from numerous pieces secured to one another. A compressor section 14 having compressor hubs 16 with blades are driven by a turbine shaft 25 about an axis A. A turbo fan 18 is supported on a turbo fan shaft 20 that is driven by a compressor shaft 24, which supports the compressor hubs 16, through an epicyclic gear train 22.

[0030] In the example arrangement shown, the epicyclic gear train 22 is a star gear train. Referring to FIG. 2, the epicyclic gear train 22 includes a sun gear 30 that is connected to the compressor shaft 24, which provides rotational input, by a splined connection. A carrier 26 is fixed to the housing 12 by a torque frame 28 using fingers (not shown) known in the art. The carrier 26 supports star gears 32 using journal bearings 34 that are coupled to the sun gear 30 by meshed interfaces between the teeth of sun and star gears 30, 32. Multiple star gears 32 are arranged circumferentially about the sun gear 30. Retainers 36 retain the journal bearings 34 to the carrier 26. A ring gear 38 surrounds the carrier 26 and is coupled to the star gears 32 by meshed interfaces. The ring gear 38, which provides rotational output, is secured to the turbo fan shaft 20 by circumferentially arranged fastening elements, which are described in more detail below.

[0031] The star gears 32 are supported on respective ones of the journal bearings 34, Each of the journal bearings 34 includes a peripheral journal surface 34a and each of the star gears 32 includes a radially inner journal surface 32a that is in contact with the peripheral journal surface 34a of the respective journal bearing 34. The radially inner journal surface 32a of each of the star gears 32 is in contact with the peripheral journal surface 34a of the respective journal bearing 34 along an axial length L, with respect to a rotational axis of the respective star gear 32, which is substantially parallel to the axis A. In this example, the radially inner journal surface 32a of each of the star gears 32 is in contact with the peripheral journal surface 34a of the respective journal bearing 34 along a substantially full axial length L of the respective star gear 32. Thus, the journal bearings 34 provide a “line” contact. In comparison, a ball bearing would provide a “point” contact. The “line” contact between the journal bearings 34 and the star gears 32 distributes loads on the journal bearings 34, rather than focusing the load at a single point, and thereby enhances the durability of the epicyclic gear train 22.

[0032] In one disclosed, non-limiting embodiment, the engine 10 has a bypass ratio that is greater than about six (6) to ten (10), the epicyclic gear train 22 is a planetary gear system or other gear system with a gear reduction ratio of greater than about 2.3 or greater than about 2.5, and a low pressure turbine of the engine 10 has a pressure ratio that is greater than about 5. In one disclosed embodiment, the engine 10 bypass ratio is greater than about ten (10:1) or greater than about 10.5:1, the turbofan 18 diameter is significantly larger than that of the low pressure compressor of the compressor section 14, and the low pressure turbine has a pressure ratio that is greater than about 5:1. In one example, the epicyclic gear train 22 has a gear reduction ratio of greater than about 2.3:1 or greater than about 2.5:1. It should be understood, however, that the above parameters are only exemplary of one embodiment of a geared architecture engine and that the present invention is applicable to other gas turbine engines including direct drive turbofans.

[0033] A significant amount of thrust is provided by a bypass flow B due to the high bypass ratio. The fan 18 of the engine 10 is designed for a particular flight condition—typically cruise at about 0.8M and about 35,000 feet. The flight condition of 0.8 M and 35,000 ft, with the engine at its best fuel consumption—also known as “bucket cruise TSFC”—is the industry standard parameter of lbm of fuel being burned divided by lbf of thrust the engine produces at that minimum point. “Low fan pressure ratio” is the pressure ratio across the fan blade alone. The low fan pressure ratio as disclosed herein according to one non-limiting embodiment is less than about 1.45. “Low corrected fan tip speed” is the actual fan tip speed in ft/sec divided by an industry standard temperature correction of [(Tambient deg R)/518.7)̂0.5]. The “Low corrected fan tip speed” as disclosed herein according to one non-limiting embodiment is less than about 1150 ft/second.

[0034] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the ring gear 38 is a two-piece construction having first and second portions 40, 42. The first and second portions 40, 42 abut one another at a radial interface 45. A trough 41 separates oppositely angled teeth 43 (best shown in FIG. 4) on each of the first and second portions 40, 42. The arrangement of teeth 43 forces the first and second portions 40, 42 toward one another at the radial interface 45. The back side of the first and second portions 40, 42 includes a generally S-shaped outer circumferential surface 47 that, coupled with a change in thickness, provides structural rigidity and resistance to overturning moments. The first and second portions 40, 42 have a first thickness T1 that is less than a second thickness T2 arranged axially inwardly from the first thickness T1. The first and second portions 40, 42 include facing recesses 44 that form an internal annular cavity 46.

[0035] The first and second portions 40, 42 include flanges 51 that extend radially outward away from the teeth 43. The turbo fan shaft 20 includes a radially outwardly extending flange 70 that is secured to the flanges 51 by circumferentially arranged bolts 52 and nuts 54, which axially constrain and affix the turbo fan shaft 20 and ring gear 38 relative to one another. Thus, the spline ring is eliminated, which also reduces heat generated from windage and churning that resulted from the sharp edges and surface area of the splines. The turbo fan shaft 20 and ring gear 38 can be rotationally balanced with one another since radial movement resulting from the use of splines is eliminated. An oil baffle 68 is also secured to the flanges 51, 70 and balanced with the assembly.

[0036] Seals 56 having knife edges 58 are secured to the flanges 51, 70. The first and second portions 40, 42 have grooves 48 at the radial interface 45 that form a hole 50, which expels oil through the ring gear 38 to a gutter 60 that is secured to the carrier 26 with fasteners 61 (FIG. 2). The direct radial flow path provided by the grooves 48 reduces windage and churning by avoiding the axial flow path change that existed with splines. That is, the oil had to flow radially and then axially to exit through the spline interface. The gutter 60 is constructed from a soft material such as aluminum so that the knife edges 58, which are constructed from steel, can cut into the aluminum if they interfere. Referring to FIG. 3, the seals 56 also include oil return passages 62 provided by first and second slots 64 in the seals 56, which permit oil on either side of the ring gear 38 to drain into the gutter 60. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the first and second slots 64, 66 are instead provided in the flange 70 and oil baffle 68, respectively.

[0037] Although an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.