Electric machine assembly for a turbine engine
View Patent ↗A turbine engine with a turbine core that includes a compressor section having a compressor, a combustion section, a turbine section having a high pressure turbine and a low pressure turbine, and a nozzle section. A high speed shaft couples the high pressure turbine to the compressor. A first gearbox selectively coupling an output of an electric machine and the high speed shaft. A second gearbox couples an input/output of the electric machine and a low speed shaft, where the low speed shaft is coupled to the low pressure turbine.
1 . A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a turbine core comprising:
a compressor section including a high pressure compressor and a low pressure compressor;
a combustion section;
a turbine section including a high pressure turbine and low pressure turbine, where a high speed shaft couples the high pressure turbine to the high pressure compressor;
a nozzle section;
a first gearbox selectively coupling an output of an electric machine and the high speed shaft; and
a second gearbox couples an input/output of the electric machine and a low speed shaft, wherein the low speed shaft is coupled to the low pressure turbine, wherein the first gearbox is located axially upstream of the high pressure compressor and the second gearbox is located axially between the high pressure compressor and the low pressure compressor.
2 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the turbine core defines a turbine engine axis of rotation and the high speed shaft is disposed coaxially about the turbine engine axis of rotation.
3 . The gas turbine engine of claim 2 , the low speed shaft is axially spaced from the high speed shaft and disposed coaxially about the turbine engine axis of rotation.
4 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein at least one shaft couples the electric machine to the first gearbox or the electric machine to the second gearbox.
5 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the turbine core is surrounded by a core housing and the electric machine is located radially outward of the core housing.
6 . The gas turbine engine of claim 5 , wherein the electric machine includes at least one shaft, wherein the first gearbox is coupled to a first end of the at least one shaft and the second gearbox is coupled to a second end of the at least one shaft.
7 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first gearbox can couple the output of the electric machine to a first clutch assembly, wherein the first clutch assembly selectively engages the high speed shaft.
8 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the low speed shaft permanently couples the low pressure turbine of the turbine section to the input/output of the electric machine.
9 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the electric machine is electrically coupled to one or more accessories.
10 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the high speed shaft drivingly connects the high pressure turbine to the high pressure compressor.
11 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a second clutch assembly selectively coupling a supplemental shaft to the second gearbox.
12 . The gas turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein the supplemental shaft is operably coupled to a load.
13 . The gas turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the load is a drive train, a gearbox, a propeller, a high bypass engine fan, or a shaft.
14 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the low speed shaft is coupled to a free power turbine.
15 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the compressor section, the combustion section, the turbine section, and the nozzle section are axially aligned.
16 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first gearbox includes multiple bevel gears.
17 . The gas turbine engine of claim 16 , wherein the second gearbox includes multiple bevel gears.
18 . The gas turbine engine of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the multiple bevel gears of the first gearbox rotatably couples to a first clutch assembly that selectively engages the low speed shaft, and at least one of the multiple bevel gears of the second gearbox rotatably couples to a second clutch assembly that selectively engages a supplemental shaft.
19 . The gas turbine engine of claim 18 , wherein the supplemental shaft is operably coupled to a drive train, a gearbox, a propeller, a high bypass engine fan, or a shaft.
20 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the electric machine extends axially and is generally parallel to the turbine core.