GAS TURBINE ENGINE

Abstract

A gas turbine engine for an aircraft, including the following:

a core engine including a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor;
a fan, which is positioned upstream of the core engine, wherein the fan includes a plurality of fan blades; and
a gear box which can be driven by the core shaft, wherein the fan can be driven at a lower rotational speed than the core shaft by means of the gear box, wherein
the core shaft is designed as a drive shaft for the gear box and has at least one axial first region which has a diameter greater than the diameter of at least one axial second region, wherein the at least one first region is arranged axially between the drive side of the gear box and a mounting and/or attachment on a static part of the gas turbine engine.

Claims

1. A gas turbine engine for an aircraft, comprising the following: a core engine comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; a fan, which is positioned upstream of the core engine, wherein the fan comprises a plurality of fan blades; and a gear box which can be driven by the core shaft, wherein the fan can be driven at a lower rotational speed than the core shaft by means of the gear box, wherein the core shaft is designed as a drive shaft for the gear box and has at least one axial first region which has a diameter greater than the diameter of at least one axial second region, wherein the at least one first region is arranged axially between the drive side of the gear box and a mounting and/or attachment on a static part of the gas turbine engine.

2. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the core shaft has exactly one first region with a diameter.

3. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the core shaft has a multiplicity of regions with different diameters.

4. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the at least one first region is constant or varies within the region.

5. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the mounting and/or attachment on the static part is arranged axially in the region of the low-pressure compressor.

6. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the mounting and/or attachment on the static part is arranged in the region of a hub.

7. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the mounting and/or attachment on the static part has at least one rolling bearing, in particular a roller bearing.

8. The gas turbine engine according to claim 6, wherein the static part is a part of a casing for the gear box and/or of the core engine.

9. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the core shaft at the connection of the core shaft to the gear box is smaller than the diameter of the at least one second region.

10. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein at least one transition region between the regions with different diameters is formed by a radially perpendicular shaft part.

11. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein at least one transition region between the regions with different diameters is formed by a shaft part which is inclined relative to the main axis of rotation by 1 to 15.

12. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the axial extent of the at least one first region amounts to more than 50%, in particular more than 80%, of the axial extent of the core shaft between the gear box and the mounting and/or attachment on the static part.

13. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of the core shaft in the at least one first region is thinner than in at least one other region of the core shaft, in particular thinner than in the at least one second region of the core shaft.

14. The gas turbine engine according to claim 13, wherein the wall thickness of the first region is smaller at least by a factor of 1.5, in particular by a factor of 2, than the wall thickness in another region of the core shaft, in particular than in the at least one second region.

15. The gas turbine engine according to claim 13, wherein the ratio of the wall thickness of the first region to the axial length of the first region lies in the range between 0.02 and 0.08.

16. The gas turbine engine according to claim 13, wherein the ratio of the wall thickness of the second region to the axial length of the second region lies in the range between 0.05 and 0.1.

Description

[0046] Embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the figures, in which:

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a sectional lateral view of a gas turbine engine;

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a close-up sectional lateral view of an upstream portion of a gas turbine engine;

[0049] FIG. 3 shows a partially cut-away view of a gear box for a gas turbine engine;

[0050] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view through a part of an embodiment of a core shaft.

[0051] FIG. 1 illustrates a gas turbine engine 10 having a main axis of rotation 9. The gas turbine engine 10 comprises an air inlet 12 and a fan 23 that generates two air flows: a core air flow A and a bypass air flow B. The gas turbine engine 10 comprises a core 11 that receives the core air flow A. When viewed in the order corresponding to the axial direction of flow, the core engine 11 comprises a low-pressure compressor 14, a high-pressure compressor 15, a combustion device 16, a high-pressure turbine 17, a low-pressure turbine 19, and a core thrust nozzle 20. An engine nacelle 21 surrounds the gas turbine engine 10 and defines a bypass duct 22 and a bypass thrust nozzle 18. The bypass air flow B flows through the bypass duct 22. The fan 23 is attached to and driven by the low-pressure turbine 19 via a shaft 26 and an epicyclic planetary gear box 30.

[0052] During operation, the core air flow A is accelerated and compressed by the low-pressure compressor 14 and directed into the high-pressure compressor 15, where further compression takes place. The compressed air expelled from the high-pressure compressor 15 is directed into the combustion device 16, where it is mixed with fuel and the mixture is combusted. The resultant hot combustion products then expand through, and thereby drive, the high-pressure and low-pressure turbines 17, 19 before being exhausted through the nozzle 20 to provide some propulsive thrust. The high-pressure turbine 17 drives the high-pressure compressor 15 by means of a suitable connection shaft 27. The fan 23 generally provides the major part of the propulsive thrust. The epicyclic planetary gear box 30 is a reduction gear box.

[0053] An exemplary arrangement for a geared fan gas turbine engine 10 is shown in FIG. 2. The low-pressure turbine 19 (see FIG. 1) drives the shaft 26, which is coupled to a sun gear 28 of the epicyclic planetary gear box 30. Radially to the outside of the sun gear 28 and meshing therewith are a plurality of planet gears 32 that are coupled to one another by a planet carrier 34. The planet carrier 34 guides the planet gears 32 in such a way that they circulate synchronously around the sun gear 28, whilst enabling each planet gear 32 to rotate about its own axis. The planet carrier 34 is coupled via linkages 36 to the fan 23 in order to drive its rotation about the engine axis 9. Radially to the outside of the planet gears 32 and meshing therewith is an annulus or ring gear 38 that is coupled, via linkages 40, to a stationary supporting structure 24.

[0054] Note that the terms low-pressure turbine and low-pressure compressor as used herein may be taken to mean the lowest-pressure turbine stage and lowest-pressure compressor stage (i.e. not including the fan 23) respectively and/or the turbine and compressor stages that are connected together by the connecting shaft 26 with the lowest rotational speed in the engine (i.e. not including the gear-box output shaft that drives the fan 23). In some literature, the low-pressure turbine and low-pressure compressor referred to herein may alternatively be known as the intermediate-pressure turbine and intermediate-pressure compressor. Where such alternative nomenclature is used, the fan 23 can be referred to as a first, or lowest-pressure, compression stage.

[0055] The epicyclic planetary gear box 30 is shown by way of example in greater detail in FIG. 3. The sun gear 28, planet gears 32 and ring gear 38 in each case comprise teeth on their periphery to allow intermeshing with the other gearwheels. However, for clarity, only exemplary portions of the teeth are illustrated in FIG. 3. Although four planet gears 32 are illustrated, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that more or fewer planet gears 32 can be provided within the scope of protection of the claimed invention. Practical applications of an epicyclic planetary gear box 30 generally comprise at least three planet gears 32.

[0056] The epicyclic planetary gear box 30 illustrated by way of example in FIGS. 2 and 3 is a planetary gear box in which the planet carrier 34 is coupled to an output shaft via linkages 36, with the ring gear 38 being fixed. However, any other suitable type of planetary gear box 30 may be used. As a further example, the planetary gear box 30 may be a star arrangement, in which the planet carrier 34 is held fixed, with the ring gear (or annulus) 38 allowed to rotate. In such an arrangement, the fan 23 is driven by the ring gear 38. As a further alternative example, the gear box 30 can be a differential gear box in which the ring gear 38 and the planet carrier 34 are both allowed to rotate.

[0057] It is self-evident that the arrangement shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is merely an example, and various alternatives fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Purely by way of example, any suitable arrangement may be used for locating the gear box 30 in the gas turbine engine 10 and/or for connecting the gear box 30 to the gas turbine engine 10. As a further example, the connections (for example the linkages 36, 40 in the example of FIG. 2) between the gear box 30 and other parts of the gas turbine engine 10 (such as the input shaft 26, the output shaft and the fixed structure 24) may have a certain degree of stiffness or flexibility. As a further example, any suitable arrangement of the bearings between rotating and stationary parts of the gas turbine engine 10 (for example between the input and output shafts of the gear box and the fixed structures, such as the gear-box casing) may be used, and the disclosure is not limited to the exemplary arrangement of FIG. 2. For example, where the gear box 30 has a star arrangement (described above), a person skilled in the art would readily understand that the arrangement of output and supporting linkages and bearing positions would usually be different than that shown by way of example in FIG. 2.

[0058] Accordingly, the present disclosure extends to a gas turbine engine having any arrangement of types of gear box (for example star or epicyclic-planetary), supporting structures, input and output shaft arrangement, and bearing locations.

[0059] Optionally, the gear box may drive additional and/or alternative components (for example the intermediate-pressure compressor and/or a booster compressor).

[0060] Other gas turbine engines to which the present disclosure can be applied may have alternative configurations. For example, such engines may have an alternative number of compressors and/or turbines and/or an alternative number of connecting shafts. As a further example, the gas turbine engine shown in FIG. 1 has a split flow nozzle 20, 22, meaning that the flow through the bypass duct 22 has its own nozzle that is separate from and radially outside the core engine nozzle 20. However, this is not limiting, and any aspect of the present disclosure may also apply to engines in which the flow through the bypass duct 22 and the flow through the core 11 are mixed, or combined, before (or upstream of) a single nozzle, which may be referred to as a mixed flow nozzle. One or both nozzles (whether mixed or split flow) may have a fixed or variable area. Whilst the example described relates to a turbofan engine, the disclosure may be applied, for example, to any type of gas turbine engine, such as an open-rotor engine (in which the fan stage is not surrounded by an engine nacelle) or a turboprop engine. In some arrangements, the gas turbine engine 10 may not comprise a gear box 30.

[0061] The geometry of the gas turbine engine 10, and components thereof, is/are defined by a conventional axis system, comprising an axial direction (which is aligned with the axis of rotation 9), a radial direction (in the bottom-to-top direction in FIG. 1), and a circumferential direction (perpendicular to the view in FIG. 1). The axial, radial and circumferential directions run so as to be mutually perpendicular.

[0062] FIG. 4 illustrates a part of a gas turbine engine 10 with a gear box 30. Primarily the region of the core shaft 26 as drive shaft for the gear box 30 is illustrated here.

[0063] In an axial extent, primarily the region 62 between the connection of the core shaft 26 to the gear box 30 and an attachment 60 of the core shaft 26 to a static part 61 of the gas turbine engine 10 is illustrated, that is to say that region of the core shaft 26 which extends into the region of the low-pressure compressor 14. Here, a roller bearing 63 is arranged in the region of the attachment to the static part 61.

[0064] Here, along the axial extent, the core shaft 26 has regions 51, 52, 62 with different diameters D1, D2, DA.

[0065] An axially first region 51 has a diameter D1, which is greater than the diameter D2 of an axial second region 52, wherein the first region 51 is arranged axially between the drive side of the gear box 30 and the mounting and/or attachment 60 on the static part 61. The first region 51 also has a greater diameter D1 than the connecting region 62 of core shaft 26 and gear box 30. The diameter DA there is even smaller than the diameter D2 of the second region 52. Here, the diameter D1 is constant in the axial extent. In an alternative embodiment, the diameter D1 may vary in the axial direction, for example by assuming a conical shape.

[0066] The axial extent of the first region 51 amounts to more than 50%, in the present case approximately 66%, of the axial extent E between the gear box 30 and the mounting and/or attachment 60 on the static part 61.

[0067] The first region 51 is thus situated in a region of the gear-box casing, of which the static part 61 is a constituent part, in which there is more structural space in a radial direction than, for example, further rearward in the gas turbine engine 10, for example in the region of the low-pressure compressor 14.

[0068] The enlargement of the diameter D1 of the first region 51 in relation to the second region 52 permits a reduction of the wall thickness d1 in the first region 51 in relation to other points of the core shaft 26, for example the wall thickness d2 in the second region 52. Weight can be saved by means of the reduction of the wall thickness. Additionally, the enlargement of the diameter in the first region makes it possible to realize a more flexible shaft, which is advantageous for this application. An efficient decoupling of the fan gear box 30 from possible loads of the compressors 14 positioned downstream can thus be realized.

[0069] In the embodiment illustrated, the wall thickness d1 of the first region 51 is twice as great as the wall thickness of the second region 52.

[0070] The ratio of the wall thickness d1 of the first region 51 to the axial extent of the first region 51 amounts to 0.03 in the embodiment illustrated.

[0071] The ratio of the wall thickness d2 of the first region 52 to the axial extent of the second region 52 amounts to 0.07 in the embodiment illustrated.

[0072] These dimensional specifications may be deviated from in alternative embodiments.

[0073] Between the axial regions 51, 52, 62, there are transition regions 55 in which the core shaft 26 forms radial transitions. These transition regions 55 may be formed perpendicularly to the main axis of rotation 9 or, as in the embodiment illustrated, so as to be inclined (relative to the main axis of rotation 9). The inclination may for example lie in the range between 1 and 15.

[0074] It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the concepts described herein. Except where mutually exclusive, any of the features may be used separately or in combination with any other features, and the disclosure extends to and includes all combinations and sub-combinations of one or more features that are described herein.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0075] 9 Main axis of rotation [0076] 10 Gas turbine engine [0077] 11 Core engine [0078] 12 Air intake [0079] 14 Low-pressure compressor [0080] 15 High-pressure compressor [0081] 16 Combustion device [0082] 17 High-pressure turbine [0083] 18 Bypass thrust nozzle [0084] 19 Low-pressure turbine [0085] 20 Core thrust nozzle [0086] 21 Engine nacelle [0087] 22 Bypass duct [0088] 23 Fan [0089] 24 Stationary supporting structure [0090] 26 Shaft, drive shaft [0091] 27 Connection shaft [0092] 28 Sun gear [0093] 30 Gear box [0094] 32 Planet gears [0095] 34 Planet carrier [0096] 36 Linkage [0097] 38 Ring gear [0098] 40 Linkage [0099] 51 First region of the core shaft [0100] 51 Second region of the core shaft [0101] 55 Transition region between parts of the core shaft [0102] 60 Attachment/mounting of the core shaft relative to static part [0103] 61 Static part in the gas turbine engine [0104] 62 Core shaftgear box connection [0105] 63 Roller bearing [0106] DA Diameter of the core shaft at the attachment to the gear box [0107] D1 Diameter of the first region of the core shaft [0108] d1 Wall thickness of the first region [0109] D2 Diameter of the second region of the core shaft [0110] d2 Wall thickness of the second region [0111] E Length of the core shaft between gear box and static attachment