Mechanical gearbox for an aircraft turbomachine

Abstract

A mechanical gearbox for aircraft includes a sun gear with an external toothing, a ring gear with an internal toothing, and planet gears which are meshed with the sun gear and the ring gear and which each have a first toothing of average diameter D32 meshed with the toothing of the sun gear, and a second toothing of average diameter D28, different from D32, meshed with the internal toothing of the ring gear. The planet gears are guided by hydrodynamic bearings which each include a first smooth guiding surface extending at least partly under the first toothing, and a second smooth guiding surface extending at least partly under the second toothing.

Claims

1. A mechanical gearbox for a turbomachine, comprising: a sun gear having an axis (X) of rotation and comprising an external toothing, a ring gear extending around the sun gear and comprising an internal toothing, planet gears meshed with the sun gear and the ring gear, each planet gear comprising a first toothing with a first average diameter meshed with the toothing of the sun gear, and a second toothing with a second average diameter different from the first average diameter of the first toothing, the second toothing with the second average diameter being meshed with the internal toothing of the ring gear, the planet gears being guided by hydrodynamic bearings carried by a planet carrier, wherein the hydrodynamic bearing for guiding each planet gear comprises a first smooth guiding surface extending about an axis (Y) of rotation of the planet gear, at least partly under the first toothing, and a second smooth guiding surface, different from said first surface and extending about the axis (Y) of rotation of the planet gear, at least partly under the second toothing, and in that the first surface is located on a first axial portion of the planet gears, and the second surface is located on a second axial portion of the planet gears, the first and second axial portions being connected together by a first annular web of the body of the hydrodynamic bearing.

2. The gearbox according to claim 1, wherein the first surface has a third diameter or average third diameter smaller than the first average diameter of the first toothing, and the second surface has a fourth diameter or average fourth diameter smaller than the second average diameter of the second toothing.

3. The gearbox according to claim 1, wherein the first average diameter of the first toothing is greater than the second average diameter of the second toothing.

4. The gearbox according to claim 1, wherein the first annular web comprises a cylindrical rim axially supporting the planet gear mounted on the hydrodynamic bearing.

5. The gearbox according to claim 1, wherein the first annular web extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis (Y) of rotation of the planet gear.

6. The gearbox according to claim 1, wherein the first annular web comprises an annular part with a C-shaped cross-section.

7. The gearbox according to claim 1, wherein each of the planet gears comprises a tubular body connected by a second web to the first toothing, said second web comprising through-orifices for an oil passage.

8. The gearbox according to claim 1, wherein the first surface extends at least partially around the second surface.

9. The gearbox according to claim 1, wherein the first surface has a length that is more than 20% of a length of the second surface.

10. The gearbox according to claim 1, wherein the first and second surfaces are offset.

11. The gearbox according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second surfaces is cylindrical.

12. The gearbox according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second surfaces is elliptical in cross-section.

13. The gearbox according to claim 1, wherein the first axial portion of the planet gears has an internal cylindrical surface having a fifth diameter, and the second axial portion of the planet gears has an internal cylindrical surface having a sixth diameter, the fifth diameter being greater than the sixth diameter.

14. An aircraft turbomachine comprising a gearbox according to claim 1.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further characteristics and advantages will be apparent from the following description of a non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure with reference to the appended drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic axial sectional view of an aircraft turbomachine,

(3) FIG. 2 is a partial view in axial cross-section of a mechanical gearbox,

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic axial sectional view of a mechanical gearbox equipped with gearing dual-stage planet gears, and illustrates the prior art,

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a body of a hydrodynamic bearing of the gearbox of FIG. 3,

(6) FIG. 5 is a partial schematic view in axial section of a hydrodynamic bearing and a planet gear according to a first embodiment of a mechanical gearbox according to the disclosure,

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a body of the hydrodynamic bearing of FIG. 5,

(8) FIG. 7 is a partial schematic view in axial section of a hydrodynamic bearing and a planet gear according to a second embodiment of a mechanical gearbox according to the disclosure,

(9) FIG. 8 is a partial schematic view in axial section of a hydrodynamic bearing and a planet gear according to a third embodiment of a mechanical gearbox according to the disclosure,

(10) FIG. 9 is a partial schematic view in axial section of a hydrodynamic bearing and a planet gear according to a fourth embodiment of a mechanical gearbox according to the disclosure,

(11) FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a body of the hydrodynamic bearing of FIG. 9,

(12) FIGS. 11a and 11b are schematic cross-sectional views of a hydrodynamic bearing and a planet gear, FIG. 11a showing a case where the guiding surfaces of the bearing are coaxial and FIG. 11b showing a variant where these surfaces are off-axis, and

(13) FIGS. 12a and 12b are schematic cross-sectional views of a hydrodynamic bearing and a planet gear, FIG. 12a showing a case where the guiding surfaces of the bearing are cylindrical and FIG. 12b showing a variant where these surfaces are elliptical in cross-section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(14) FIG. 1 describes a turbomachine 1 which conventionally comprises an axis of rotation X, a fan S, a low-pressure compressor 1a, a high-pressure compressor 1b, an annular combustion chamber 1c, a high-pressure turbine 1d, a low-pressure turbine 1e and an exhaust nozzle 1h. The high-pressure compressor 1b and the high-pressure turbine 1d are connected by a high-pressure shaft 2 and together they form a high-pressure (HP) body. The low-pressure compressor 1a and the low-pressure turbine 1e are connected by a low-pressure shaft 3 and together they form a low-pressure (LP) body.

(15) The fan S is driven by a fan shaft 4 which is driven by the LP shaft 3 by means of a gearbox 6. This gearbox 6 is generally of the planetary or epicyclic type.

(16) The following description relates to a gearbox of the planetary type in which the ring gear is mobile in rotation.

(17) The gearbox 6 is positioned in the upstream part of the turbomachine. A stationary structure comprising schematically, here, an upstream part 5a and a downstream part 5b which makes up the motor casing or stator 5 is arranged so as to form an enclosure E surrounding the gearbox 6. This enclosure E is closed upstream by seals at the level of a bearing allowing the passage of the fan shaft 4, and downstream by seals at the level of the passage of the LP shaft 3.

(18) FIG. 2 shows a gearbox 6 which can take the form of different architectures depending on whether certain pieces are stationary or in rotation. The input of the gearbox 6 is connected to the LP shaft 3, for example by means of internal splines 7a. Thus the LP shaft 3 drives a planetary pinion called the sun gear 7. Classically, the sun gear 7, whose axis of rotation is coincident with that of the turbomachine X, drives a series of pinions called planet gears 8, which are equally distributed on the same diameter around the axis of rotation X. This diameter is equal to twice the operating center distance between the sun gear 7 and the planet gears 8. The number of planet gears 8 is generally defined between three and seven for this type of application.

(19) The planet gears 8 assembly are held together by a frame called planet carrier 10. Each planet gear 8 rotates around its own axis Y, and meshes with the ring gear 9. In this planetary configuration, the planet gear assembly 8 is held by a planet carrier 10 which is attached to the motor casing or stator 5. Each planet gear drives the ring gear which is fitted to the fan shaft 4 via a ring gear carrier 12.

(20) Each planet gear 8 is mounted free in rotation by means of a bearing 11, for example of the bearing or hydrodynamic bearing type. Each bearing 11 is mounted on one of the axes 10b of the planet carrier 10 and all axes are positioned relative to each other using one or more structural frames 10a of the planet carrier 10. There are a number of axes 10b and bearings 11 equal to the number of planet gears. For reasons of operation, assembly, manufacture, inspection, repair or replacement, the axes 10b and the frame 10a can be separated into several pieces.

(21) For the same reasons mentioned above, the toothing of a gearbox can be separated into several propellers each with a median plane P. In the example shown, the ring gear is split into two half-ring gears: an upstream half-ring gear 9a consisting of a rim 9aa and an attachment half-flange 9ab. On the rim 9aa there is the upstream propeller of the toothing of the gearbox. This upstream propeller meshes with that of the planet gear 8 which meshes with that of sun gear 7. a downstream half-ring gear 9b consisting of a rim 9ba and an attachment half-flange 9bb. On the rim 9ba is the downstream propeller of the toothing of the gearbox. This downstream propeller meshes with that of the planet gear 8 which meshes with that of the sun gear 7.

(22) The attachment half-flange 9ab of the upstream ring gear 9a and the attachment half-flange 9bb of the downstream ring gear 9b form the attachment flange 9c of the ring gear. The ring gear 9 is attached to a ring gear carrier by assembling the attachment flange 9c of the ring gear and the attachment flange 12a of the ring gear carrier by means of a bolted mounting, for example.

(23) The arrows in FIG. 2 describe the delivery of the oil in the gearbox 6. The oil enters the gearbox 6 from the stator part 5 into a distributor 13 by different means which will not be specified in this view because they are specific to one or more types of architecture. The distributor is separated into 2 parts, each of which is generally repeated with the same number of planet gears. The function of the injectors 13a is to lubricate the toothings and the function of the arms 13b is to lubricate the bearings. The oil is fed to the injector 13a and exits through the end 13c to lubricate the toothings. The oil is also fed to the arm 13b and flows through the feed opening 13d of the bearing. The oil then flows through the shaft into one or more buffer areas 10c and out through the orifices 10d in order to lubricate the bearings of the planet gears.

(24) FIG. 3 shows an aircraft turbomachine gearbox 6 according to the prior art.

(25) The gearbox 6 comprises a planet carrier 10 which is configured to be mobile in rotation about the axis X and which is of the monobloc type, i.e. formed in one single piece.

(26) This planet carrier 10 comprises a cage 14 and a shaft portion 15.

(27) The shaft portion 15 is generally tubular and elongated along the axis X and comprises a free longitudinal end, shown here on the left in the drawings, and an opposite longitudinal end for connecting to the cage 14.

(28) The shaft portion 15 comprises a external toothing 15a for meshing with, for example, a fan.

(29) The cage 14 comprises two annular shrouds 14a, 14b which are parallel and spaced apart and extend perpendicular to the axis X. The shrouds 14a, 14b are generally circular in shape and are centered on the axis X.

(30) The shroud 14a, called the first shroud, on the left of the drawing, is connected to the shaft portion 15. The other shroud 14b is called second shroud.

(31) The shrouds 14a, 14b are connected to each other by material bridges 16 which define between them and with the shrouds housings 18 configured to receive the planet gears 8. The housings 18 open radially outwardly at the external periphery of the cage 14, and also open radially inwardly through an internal tubular wall 20 of the cage 14. The material bridges 16 may be solid or partially recessed, as shown in FIG. 3.

(32) The wall 20 extends around the axis X from the first shroud 14a towards the second shroud 14b. Here, it extends substantially in the axial extension of the shaft portion 15. This wall 20 delimits internally a space 22 for housing the sun gear 7.

(33) This space 22 comprises two adjacent parts. The first part 22a is surrounded by the wall 20 which comprises an internal cylindrical surface 22a for mounting a bearing 23 for guiding an end of the sun gear 7. The second part 22b, located at the level of the openings of the housings 18, receives the opposite end of the sun gear 7, which comprises an external toothing 7b for meshing with the planet gears 8. The sun gear 7 further comprises an internal toothing 7a for coupling to a shaft, for example, of a turbine.

(34) The housings 18 each comprise a first part 18a which is located on the side of the first shroud 14a, and a second part 18b which is located on the side of the second shroud 14b. The housings 18 open at the external periphery of the cage 14, at the level of its two parts 18a, 18b, and at the internal periphery of the cage 14, at the level of the second parts 18b only.

(35) The shrouds 14a, 14b comprise aligned holes or orifices 24 for mounting the planet gears 8 and in particular hydrodynamic bearings 26 for guiding these planet gears 8.

(36) Each hydrodynamic bearing 26 comprises a body 27 around which is located a film of pressurized oil.

(37) The body 27 of a bearing 26 is shown alone in FIG. 4. It has a generally cylindrical shape extending along the axis Y, the longitudinal ends of which comprise extensions 26a housed in the orifices 24 forming seats.

(38) The body 27 may also be tubular and comprise an internal oil flow bore 26b which generally communicates with oil supply ducts to an external cylindrical surface 26c of the body for the formation of the oil film between that surface 26c and an internal cylindrical surface of the planet gear 8.

(39) The planet gears 8 are of the type with a gearing dual-stage, as mentioned above, and each comprise a tubular body 8a connected by a web 30 to a first external toothing 32, the body 8a itself being equipped with a second toothing 28.

(40) The toothings 28, 32 are arranged next to each other and more particularly are located in two planes perpendicular to the axis Y respectively.

(41) The second toothing 28, located on the left in the drawings, is located on the side of the first shroud 14a and thus at the level of the first part 18a of the housing. As can be seen in FIG. 3, this toothing 28 is in mesh with the ring gear 9.

(42) The first toothing 32, located on the right in the drawings, is located on the side of the second shroud 14b and thus at the level of the second part 18b of the housing. As can be seen in FIG. 3, this toothing 32 is meshed with the toothing 7b of the sun gear 7.

(43) The ring gear 9 is carried by a ring gear carrier which is not shown in the drawings.

(44) The disclosure provides a solution for managing the moments applied to the hydrodynamic bearings 26 of the operating planet gears.

(45) FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a first embodiment of a gearbox according to the disclosure and in particular of a hydrodynamic bearing 26 and of a planet gear 8 for this gearbox.

(46) The gearbox comprises all of the characteristics described above in relation to FIG. 3 insofar as they do not contradict or conflict with the following. The references used in FIGS. 5 and 6 and already used in FIG. 3 therefore designate identical or similar elements.

(47) The following description relates to a planet gear 8 and its guiding hydrodynamic bearing 26, but it is understood that it applies to all the planet gears and hydrodynamic bearings of the gearbox.

(48) The planet gear 8 is of the gearing dual-stage type and comprises a tubular body 8a connected by a web 30 to a first external toothing 32, the body 8a being itself equipped with a second toothing 28.

(49) The toothings 28, 32 are arranged next to each other and more particularly are located in two planes perpendicular to the axis Y respectively.

(50) The second toothing 28, located on the left in the drawings, is intended to be meshed with the ring gear 9. The first toothing 32, located on the right in the drawings, is intended to be meshed with the toothing 7b of the sun gear 7. In the example shown, the web 30 is C-shaped in cross-section, with the opening axially oriented towards the toothing 28. This particular shape gives the planet gear 8 a certain flexibility in the radial direction, by elastic deformation of this web.

(51) The toothing 28 has a second diameter or second average diameter D28 which is smaller than the first diameter or first average diameter D32 of the toothing 32 in the example shown.

(52) The toothing 28 is located on an axial portion or segment of the planet gear 8, which has an internal cylindrical surface 28a with a sixth diameter D28a. Similarly, the toothing 32 is located on an axial portion or segment of the planet gear 8, which has an internal cylindrical surface 32a with a fifth diameter D32a.

(53) D32a is here greater than D28 and D28a.

(54) Furthermore, it can be seen from FIG. 8 that the surface 32a may extend at least partially around the surface 28a.

(55) The body 27 of the hydrodynamic bearing 26 is shown alone in FIG. 6. It has a generally cylindrical shape and is staged along the axis Y. The longitudinal ends of the body 27 comprise extensions 26a housed in the orifices 24 of the planet gears, as mentioned above.

(56) The body 27 is also tubular and comprises an internal oil flow bore 26b which communicates with oil supply conduits (not shown) to surfaces 26c1, 26c2 for guiding the body for the formation of oil films between these surfaces 26c1, 26c2 and the surfaces 28a, 32a of the planet gear 8.

(57) The surface 26c1 extends inwardly of and opposite to the surface 28a and with a predetermined clearance according to the thickness of the oil film intended to be interposed between these surfaces 26c1, 28a.

(58) The surface 26c1 is located on an axial portion 34 or a segment of the planet gear 8 and has a fourth diameter D26c1 and a length L26c1.

(59) The surface 26c2 extends inwardly of and opposite to the surface 32a and with a predetermined clearance according to the thickness of the oil film intended to be interposed between these surfaces 26c2, 32a.

(60) The surface 26c2 is located on an axial portion 36 or a segment of the planet gear 8 and has a third diameter D26c2 and a length L26c2.

(61) D26c2 is here greater than D28 and D28a.

(62) Here, L26c2 is less than L26c1 and is, for example, at least 20% of L26c1. Furthermore, it can be seen from FIG. 5 that the surface 26c2 can extend at least partially around the surface 26c1, thereby allowing to improve the taking up of the loads.

(63) In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the portions 34, 36 of the body 27 carrying the surfaces 26c1 and 26c2 are connected together by a first annular web 38 which extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis Y.

(64) This first web 38 preferably comprises a cylindrical edge 40 for axial support of the planet gear 8, as seen in FIG. 5. This edge 40 may cooperate by bearing with an axial end of the toothing 28 or the body 8a, or the internal periphery of the first web 38.

(65) The external periphery of the first web 38 may be connected directly to the portion 36 or by an annular part 42 comprising an annular groove 44 opening axially, for example on the side of the toothing 28 (FIG. 5), or having in axial cross-section a general C shape (FIG. 7). These arrangements, and in particular the one shown in FIG. 7, allow for some flexibility in radial direction of the body 27 of the bearing 26.

(66) It is thus understood that the planet gear 8, on the one hand, and the body 27 of the bearing, on the other hand, can have a certain flexibility, which is advantageous because it makes the guidance of the two toothings 28, 32 of the planet gear 8, and in particular the stiffness, the excitation and the load taking-up in the bearing for each of the toothings, independent.

(67) In the example shown in FIG. 7, the part in C section comprises an opening 46 that opens on the side of the toothing 28. The part 42 may extend on a radial dimension being about 10-40% of the radial dimension of the first web 38.

(68) FIG. 8 shows another alternative embodiment wherein the second web 30′ of the planet gear 8 has a frustoconical shape, and is here flared on the side of the toothing 32. This allows the meshing forces of the toothing 32 to be taken up.

(69) Furthermore, although this characteristic could be present with a web 30 of the type shown in FIG. 5 or 7, the surfaces 26c2 and 32a here have third and fifth diameters D26c2, D32a smaller than D28 and larger than D28a and D26c1.

(70) This embodiment allows to reduce the Reynolds number of the oil film located between the surfaces 26c2 and 32a.

(71) The surfaces 26c1 and 26c2 of the body 27 of the bearing are connected by a radial annular surface 48 which forms an axial stop intended to cooperate with the planet gear 8, and which therefore replaces the edge 40 referred to above (FIGS. 8 and 10).

(72) The alternative embodiment of FIG. 9 differs from that of FIG. 8 in that the second web 30′ comprises through orifices 50 for the passage of oil, and in particular for the discharge of oil. These orifices are preferably evenly distributed around the axis Y and are inclined so that their axial ends located on the side of the toothing 32 open at the level of the annular joining edge of the surfaces 48 and 26c2. The opposite axial ends open onto an annular face of the second web 30′, located on the side of the toothing 28.

(73) FIGS. 11a and 12a are identical and show a cross-sectional view of the planet gear 8 and the hydrodynamic bearing 26 of FIG. 5 for example. These figures allow to show that the surfaces 26c1 and 26c2 are cylindrical and are coaxial with each other and with the axis Y. These figures also show the radial clearances between these surfaces and the surfaces 28a, 32a of the planet gear, which are occupied by the oil films H.

(74) The variant of FIG. 11b shows the case where the surfaces 28a, 32a, 26c1 are coaxial with each other and aligned along the axis Y but the surface 26c2 is off-axis (offset Δ). This results in an oil film H between the surfaces 28, 26c1 which does not have the same radial thickness throughout its extent around the axis Y, unlike the oil film between the surfaces 26c2, 32a.

(75) The variant of FIG. 12b shows the case where the surfaces 28a and 32a are cylindrical but the surfaces 26c1, 26c2 are elliptical in cross-section. The surfaces 26c1, 26c2 may each have two diametrically opposed vertices, the vertices of the surface 26c1 being angularly offset about the axis Y with respect to the vertices of the surface 26c2. This also results in oil films H between the surfaces 28, 26c1 and between the surfaces 26c2, 32a, which do not have the same radial thickness throughout their extent around the axis Y, as seen in the drawing.

(76) The variant of FIG. 12b allows to reduce the pressure peaks in the corners of the oil films as well as the losses and the oil flow rate.

(77) The characteristics of FIG. 12b may be combined with those of FIG. 11b and with those of each of the embodiments described above.

(78) The disclosure can provide many advantages including: healthier operation of the mechanical gearbox: reducing the pressures in the oil films of the hydrodynamic bearings; increasing the minimum thickness of the oil films in these bearings; reducing the maximum thicknesses of the oil films in these bearings; transforming the moments in the bearings into radial forces; an optimized operation: better controlling the oil consumption of the bearings; improving the efficiency of the gearbox; reducing the available space in the gearbox.