ADJUSTMENT ASSEMBLY FOR ADJUSTABLE BLADES OR VANES OF A TURBOMACHINE

Abstract

The present invention relates to an adjustment assembly for the adjustment of adjustable blades or vanes of a turbomachine, having an adjustment ring for coupling to the adjustable blades or vanes of a blade or vane ring and having an adjusting mechanism, which has a coupling rod for coupling to a further blade or vane ring as well as a lever and a push rod, wherein the lever is rotatably mounted at a pivot and has a load arm as well as a force arm, wherein the load arm of the lever is coupled to the push rod and its force arm is coupled to the coupling rod, on different sides of the lever, so that an offset of the coupling rod via the lever and the push rod is converted to a rotation of the adjustment ring around the ring axis thereof.

Claims

1. An adjustment assembly for the adjustment of adjustable blades or vanes of a turbomachine, comprising: an adjustment ring for coupling to the adjustable blades or vanes of a blade or vane ring and an adjusting mechanism, which has a coupling rod for coupling to a further blade or vane ring as well as a lever and a push rod, wherein the lever is rotatably mounted at a pivot and has a load arm as well as a force arm, wherein the load arm of the lever is coupled to the push rod and its force arm is coupled to the coupling rod, so that an offset of the coupling rod via the lever and the push rod is converted to a rotation of the adjustment ring around the ring axis thereof, and wherein the coupling rod and the push rod are arranged on different sides of the lever.

2. The adjustment assembly according to claim 1, wherein the push rod is inclined with respect to a plane that is spanned by the lever by an amount of at most 10°.

3. The adjustment assembly according to claim 1, wherein the coupling rod lies in a plane that is spanned by the lever.

4. The adjustment assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lever is a completely planar component.

5. The adjustment assembly according to claim 1, wherein the push rod is inclined by an amount of at most 10° at the adjustment ring with respect to a tangent, which is laid at a first coupling point where the push rod is coupled to the adjustment ring.

6. The adjustment assembly according to claim 1, wherein a first coupling point, at which the push rod is coupled to the adjustment ring, is spaced radially apart by at most 3 cm from the adjustment ring.

7. The adjustment assembly according to claim 1, wherein the push rod is coupled at a first coupling point to the adjustment ring and is coupled at a second coupling point to the lever, wherein at least one of the coupling points is formed by a ball joint.

8. The adjustment assembly according to claim 1, further comprising: an actuator for adjustment of the lever and of the push rod, wherein the actuator, the lever, and the push rod lie on a straight line, as viewed axially.

9. The adjustment assembly according to claim 1, further comprising: a second adjustment ring, which is configured and arranged for coupling to adjustable blades or vanes of a further blade or vane ring, wherein the adjustment rings are axially offset and the coupling rod couples the axially offset adjustment rings to one another.

10. The adjustment assembly according to claim 9, wherein the second adjustment ring is connected via a second push rod and a second lever to the coupling rod, wherein the second lever is rotatably mounted at a pivot and has a load arm as well as a force arm, wherein the load arm and/or the force arm of the second lever differs from the first lever.

11. A module with guide vane rings, each of which has adjustable vanes, and with an adjustment assembly according to claim 9, wherein the adjustable vanes of a respective guide vane ring are each coupled via an adjustment lever to a respective adjustment ring.

12. An aircraft engine having an adjustment assembly according to claim 1.

13. An aircraft engine having a module according to claim 11.

14. Using an adjustment assembly according to claim 1 for adjustment of adjustable blades or vanes.

15. Using a module according to claim 11 for the adjustment of adjustable blades or vanes.

16. Using a turbomachine according to claim 12 for the adjustment of adjustable blades or vanes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0023] The invention will be explained in detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment, whereby, in the scope of the dependent claims, the individual features can also be an essential part of the invention in other combinations and, furthermore, no distinction is made in particular between the different claim categories.

[0024] In detail:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a turbomachine, namely, an aircraft engine in an axial section;

[0026] FIG. 2 shows an adjustment assembly in accordance with the invention in an axial view;

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a part of the adjustment assembly in accordance with FIG. 2 in a radial view;

[0028] FIG. 4 shows for comparison, an arrangement with crossing coupling and push rods, which is not in accordance with the invention;

[0029] FIG. 5 shows the arrangement that is not in accordance with the invention in an axial view in accordance with FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a turbomachine 1, specifically a turbofan engine, in an axial section. The turbomachine 1 is divided functionally into a compressor 1a, a combustion chamber 1b, and a turbine 1c. Both the compressor 1a and the turbine 1c are each composed of a plurality of stages. Each of the stages is composed of a guide vane ring 5 and a rotating blade ring 6. The reference number 7 refers to the gas duct, that is, the compressor gas duct in the case of the compressor 1a or the hot gas duct in the case of the turbine 1c. In the compressor gas duct, the air intake is compressed and then undergoes combustion with admixed kerosene in the downstream combustion chamber 1b. The hot gas flows through the hot gas duct and thereby drives the rotating blade rings 6, which rotate around a ring axis 2.

[0031] In the present example, a plurality of the guide vane rings 5 of the compressor 1a are equipped with adjustable blades or vanes 10, which can be adjusted for adaptation of the angle of attack. The adjustment axis (which is not shown here) of a respective adjustable blade or vane 10 here lies in each case essentially radially to the ring axis 2, which coincides with a longitudinal axis of the turbomachine.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows an adjustment assembly 20 in accordance with the invention, by means of which the adjustable blades or vanes 10 can be adjusted. It has an adjustment ring 21, whereby each guide vane ring 5 is associated with a respective adjustment ring 21 and these adjustment rings 21 are offset axially with respect to one another, that is, spaced apart in an axial direction 22 with respect to one another. Via an adjusting mechanism 25, which is described in detail below, it is possible to rotate the adjustment rings 21, namely, to offset them in the direction of rotation 26. This rotational offset 27 of the adjustment ring 21 is transmitted via a respective lever 28 to the respective adjustable blade or vane 10 (not depicted in detail), thereby resulting in the described change in the angle of attack.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows, in a radial view from the top, the adjusting mechanism 25, which, in the present example, is designed for simultaneous actuation of four axially successive guide vane rings 5. The corresponding adjustment rings 21 are indicated with dotted lines. The adjustment mechanism is discussed below on the basis of the second adjustment ring 21 from the left (referred to in the following also as the “first adjustment ring 21.1”); this applies analogously to the other adjustment rings 21. Provided for coupling to the adjustment ring 21 is a push rod 30, which is coupled at a first coupling point 31 to the adjustment ring 21 and is coupled at a second coupling point 32 to a lever 33. The coupling points 31, 32 are here each realized via a ball joint 34.

[0034] The lever 33 is rotatably mounted at a pivot 35 and has a load arm 36 as well as a force arm 37. Coupled to the load arm 36 is the push rod 30; in contrast, coupled to the force arm 37 is a coupling rod 40. The latter extends along the axial direction 22 and connects the individual guide vane rings 5 to one another. By means of an actuator 41, it is possible to produce an axial offset 42 and to transmit it to the coupling rod 40, whereby this axial offset 42 is converted by the rotatable mounting of the lever 33 to an offset 43 of the push rod 30, as a result of which the adjustment ring 21 is rotated.

[0035] The lever 33 is arranged between the coupling rod 40 and the push rod 30 and the latter extends, facing away from the coupling rod 40, away from the lever 33. Accordingly, the push rod 30 is arranged completely on one side of the lever 33, whereas both coupling points 31, 32, as viewed radially (as viewed in the radial direction 47), lie on the same side. This permits an overall planar arrangement of the push rod 30, of the lever 33, and of the coupling rod 40. The entire adjusting mechanism 25 can thus be aligned essentially tangentially to the adjustment ring 21; see FIG. 2 for illustration. There, the plane 45 that is spanned by the lever 33 can be seen schematically; it and thus the lever 33 as well as the push rod 30 lie essentially parallel to a tangent 46.

[0036] Furthermore, by way of example, a second lever 53 is shown for reference, which likewise has a load arm 56 as well as a force arm 57 and is rotatably mounted at a pivot 55. The second lever 53 is likewise connected to the coupling rod 40 and converts the axial offset 42 to an offset 58 of the second push rod 59 and thus of the associated adjustment ring 21 (“second adjustment ring 21.2”). The levers 33, 53 differ here in terms of their respective dimensioning of the load arm 36, 56 and the force arm 37, 57.

[0037] FIG. 4 shows, for comparison, an adjusting mechanism 65 that is not designed in accordance with the invention, in which the push rods 66 do not extend away from the coupling rod 76, but rather, as viewed radially, they cross each other. The adjusting mechanism 65 is therefore designed with a kink, which becomes clear in the axial view in accordance with FIG. 5. The push rods 66 are deflected with respect to the remaining adjusting mechanism 65 by an angle 77, thereby resulting in an oblique application of force, which can contribute to wear and lack of precision.